In short some highlights of the 2 1/2 week trip to Bolivia, although lot's more could be writting. Because of an upgrade of my website I havent't been able to update for a while (IT, what do you know!!)

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From one side of Lake Titicaca (Puno, in Peru) to the other side (Copacabana, in Bolivia). A quiet, dorment town with only activity the Moorish style cathedral and of course the beautifull Isla de la Luna and Isla de la Sol. We took a (very, very) slow boat out to the islands - enough time to finish my Stephen King book - but is was worth it. You have to watch every step on the islands though (exaustion), due to the high altitude of lake Titicaca and the islands.

La Paz
A 4 hour busride took us from Copacabana to La Paz. An amazing city situated in a beautifull valey. When arriving by bus you can truely appreciate the city as you come in over the top of the valley, where La Paz streches out before you.

We strolled around the streets of La Paz for a couple of days (again, no strain as La Paz is the highest capital in the world). We finally got to send our souvenirs home, that we had been carrying around for the last couple of weeks in two big, heavy bags. God, was I glad to get rid of that all (now only hope that everything arrives - in one piece).
We went to visit the Tiahuanaco ruins just outside La Paz. Supposedly the most significant archeologic site in Bolivia of the Tiahuanaco people 600BC. Well, it didn't really look like much to me but what do you know.

Then it was time for Cathy to go home. There was no way for her to extend her worldticket - time's up, money's finished.. I have to go on by myself again (boomer!)

Hop, hop, in the bus to Uyuni. From there I took a four day trip into the Uyuni Salt desert and to the Lago Colorado and Lago Verde right next to the Chilean border. A truely beautifull trip. There was 5 of us in the Toyota Landcruiser - an english/australian couple, a girl from Sweden and a Japanese boy and girl. We got on pretty good together (which is half of the trip) what cannot be said from the driver!! This guy wasn't very communicative and pretty much made it a race to arrive everywhere first.

Driving over a big white salt desert is amazing though. We visited small islands full with Cacti and saw a beautifull stone tree. The colours of the lakes we visited are just amazing - red, blue, green. Not to forget the hundreds of flamenco's who have made the lakes there home!

A three hour drive from Uyuni brought me to Potosi, famous for it's silver mines. Some 300 years ago Potosi was one of the richest citys in the world, together with Madrid, London and Paris. Today, few miners still work the mines as the demand for silver and other precious metals has declined in recent decennia. The miners that work there now all do so from one of the 25 corporations active in the mountain.

I took a tour through one of the mines and it's sometimes shocking to see the circumstances under which the miners work. Many of the miners are kids (10 to 15 yrs old). The tunnels are full of 'Asbest' and other poisenous stuff, which gives most of the miners silicosis pneumonia within 10 years. Not good. While visiting the miners you bring them little presents such as Coca leaves (which they chew constantly against hungre and fatigue), cigarettes and dymanite (yes, four explosions went off while we were in the mine!)

Last destinations were Sucre (the Old Capital of Bolivia) and today Sante Cruz (Selva). The most amazing thing in Sucre are the hundreds of Dynosour tracks (footsteps) you can see in a nearby mine. For the rest it's just a colonial, old city. Sante Cruz on the other hand is a lot more modern. I'm only here to catch my bus to Asuncion, Paraguay!! Cheers, Floris