First Impressions of Bolivia.

Luckily they let us in! What a welcome Bolivia gave us. Our nerves quickly subsided after the border crossing at Villazon.


Hundreds of children in the streets of Villazon for a carnival. That was the least the Bolivians could do for our arrival :-)


The precession was loud and impressive.


We made a bee-line for Villazon station. Our train, surprisingly, was on-time.


Suvi queuing at the luggage car. I hope we see our bags again at our destination.


Passing Bolivian villages on our decent towards Tupiza at 2900m.


View of a spectacular Bolivian valley from our dining car....a taste of what lay ahead.


Uyuni at 3600 m.a.s.l. Busy market scenes are deceiving as the town closed for business just after sun down, 7pm.


Traditionally dressed local women at the market.


This was really a railway town. Spot the idiotic tourist! I always wanted a go on one of those.


The center of town was nice...


....the outskirts were literally a dump....


.....spot the locals sitting in garbage. What are they doing? Perhaps an indication that Bolivia is the poorest South American nation.


OK, so now for the dad porn!
I took an evening stroll to the Train Grave Yard, 3km outside of town.....


...passing Lama shepherds this time...


...to the place where the Bolivian steam fleet now rusts...


....providing great desert photo opportunities....


....I would say a world destination for train enthusiasts....


.....getting creative as the sun went down....


.....piles of rusting train parts....


....sad former glory of a once richer nation.

North of Argentina

If Iguazu was one of the wettest places visited so far, then Northern Argentina was one of the driest - what a contrast!
We travelled approx 1800km to Salta (26 hours by bus which broke down) and then north 300km to Tilcara (2500 m.a.s.l) where our acclimatisation for Bolivia could begin.
Both great places for a short stop over :-)


Historic / Religious Salta.


Our hostel in Salta - at last, some pool time for Suvi although the water was too cold to swim :-(


Climbing the 1060 steps to the hill above Salta - the cable car at 10 pesos is too much for a backpacker budget...besides we needed the exercise.


Fine vistas from the summit if a little sweaty.


Suvi posing amongst the cacti.


Some monument in Salta.


Historic Salta....where´s the terrance :-)


Ahhh....thats more like it. Sampling a fine Argentinian white this time.


Gimme some steak!


Deserted streets of Tilcara in mid afternoon, siesta time!


Most of the houses here are made of clay bricks with straw/clay /cactus roofs.


Our local butcher....2 big steaks please :-) Only 1.60e...bargain.


Our hostel had a bbq...so we cooked up a feast!


Hmmm.


Proud Cactus in Tilcara.


They need river bridges here...where´s all the water??


Impressive cactus flowers at the Botanical Gardens, Tilcara.


...and another one.


Little did I know, I would be eating Lama for the first time that night - very tasty.....still cute though.


Cactus forests above Tilcara.


At the ancient Inca settlement, Tilcara.


Views from the settlement.


Restricted area.....hmm.


Re-built Inca houses....very cool inside.


Suvi in a museum....thats a 1st :-)


Above Tilcara.


The valley continuing north from Tilcara.....uphill all the way to Bolivia.


Friendly goat shepherd in the hills above Tilcaca.


The sunset that night was amazing....


....back at the river-less bridge.


Pushing the boat out for the last night in Argentina - this amazing desert included cheese, cherries, plums, figs and fruit dressing.....yammy.


Far North Argentina from the bus window. Almost at the Bolivian border.


Suvi, passport in hand, in no mans land. Have stamped out of Argentina....I hope they let me into Bolivia :-)