15. Uruguay and Buenos Aires

We flew back to Buenos Aires from Posadas. Still pretty unsuspecting after 2 1/2 months in mostly smaller places, we were fleeced the first day back in the big city. The old "bird poop on the jacket" trick. Suddenly you have people diligently trying to help you clean it off. Meanwhile they are actually trying to clean you out. After they departed we were $50 poorer. Fortunately we purposely left credit cards and passports locked at the hostel.

A backwater in the Delta

Spent a day near Tigre - in the Parana R. Delta. Water everywhere and the only way to get anywhere - no roads. Lots of flowers.

Uruguay is a small country - about 3.3 million -about the size of the greater Toronto area - lying directly

Atop the old lighthouse in Colonia

across the wide Rio de la Plata from Buenos. Aires. About 40% of the population live in the capital, Montevideo. We took the  high speed ferry across the river to Colonia de Sacramento, a small place with an interesting "old city", which we wandered around for a few hours, then caught a bus to Montevideo.

Montevideo was pleasant, but another big city. The old port area has some beautiful old buildings, but is quite run down and not safe at night. We did lots of walking and eating. The Uruguayans are even more red meat fanatics than Argentinians. You get a huge plate of meat with very little else. Back to the cave man days. Visited a great antique car museum run by the Uruguay Automobile Club.

Watched an industrial league football game (read soccer). It was pretty intense, with banners and cheering sections. Before the kickoff, the players all hug and kiss (really) their opposite numbers, then do their best to kill each other after the opening whistle. Firecrackers are constantly going off and each time a big black dog ran into the play. Sometimes there were two balls on the field. Halftime brought a huge smoke bomb.

 Interesting features of most parks are the professional dog walkers. Watching them try to manage up to 20 dogs and their leashes makes for some good entertainment.

After 4 days we headed back to Buenos Aires for the last 3 days of our adventure. Spent a day in La Boca - a pretty rough but colourful part of the city. Check out our tango moves!

The Metro in Buenos Aires is very efficient, but it quite a shock to see the cars totally covered in grafitti. Even parts of the windows.

14. Paraguay and the Jesuits

To quote the Lonely Planet : "For a century and a half from 1609 one of the worlds great social experiments was carried out in the jungles of South America by the Society of Jesus ( the Jesuits). Locating themselves in incredibly remote areas, priests set up missions where they established communities of Guarani whom they evangelized and educated while at the same time protecting them from slavery".

At their peak, the 30 Jesuit missions across what is now Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay were self sufficient and populated by more than 100,000 Guarani, with only about 2 priests per mission. In 1767 for various reasons, King Carlos 111 of Spain banished the Jesuits. The communities then rapidly fell apart.

Very little remains of most of the missions but across the Parana River From Posadas, Ar. there are two remarkably preserved ruins in Paraguay. Just the name of the river dissuades one from trying to swim across. Canadians need a visa for Paraguay. This seems pretty straight forward until you find out that the Paraguayan Consulate in Posadas Argentina only accepts US$ in payment. We had no US$ and it is illegal for the banks in Argentina to sell US$. (They publish buy and sell rates but do not sell ???). So off to another dodgy place to exchange funds while looking over your shoulder.

After clearing the border, it became rapidly apparent that Paraguay was much less affluent than Argentina and Chile. The bus we hopped to go to the first ruin was totally decrepit. We finally got there and ended up hiring a "Tuk-tuk" to visit the second site. On the way back to the border on another bus, we almost had to get out and push to climb one hill.

The mission sites (both Unesco world heritage  designated) were extremely impressive, both in size and state of preservation, especially since they were abandoned in 1767. The churches the Jesuits built were huge - we'd call them cathedrals. Much stonework decoration has also survived. A very interesting day.

13. Salta to Iguassu Falls, Argentina

It seems as though there is always somebody on strike in Argentina. When it was time to travel to Salta, Argentina from San Pedro de Atacama in Chile, it was the bus drivers. So we booked with a Chilean company. They were still operating. The bus strike ended the day we arrived in Salta, but there were still some bad feelings. Just before we arrived, someone threw a huge rock at the bus, shattering the window next to the people opposite us. Fortunately nobody was hurt.

Changed the last of our US$ in Salta in a dodgy place. Got 9.3 pesos to the dollar vs the official rate of 5.0. Don't know how the financial structure of this country can be stable.

Our first full day at Iguazu Falls was Saturday, May 11. It was a gorgeous day. Unfortunately we weren't there. The air traffic controllers were on strike, delaying our flight from Salta (first flight in 2 1/2 months) by a day. We made it for Sunday but our exceptional luck with the weather on this trip ran out in a big way. We spent two days at the falls. The first day we ended up soaked to the skin from off and on rain.  The second day the rain held off till later in the afternoon and we had  an excellent day - did every trail on the Argentine side.

Iguazu is almost indescribable. Over 200 ft drop with about 275 separate cataracts over 2.7 km wide, it is the largest waterfall in the world. (Not the highest - Angel Falls in Venezuela, nor the biggest volume - Victoria Falls). It is just astounding. We took dozens of photos, but none come close to capturing the scene, along with the constant roar of the falling water.

The falls are on the border of Argentina and Brazil. On the Argentine side, they have built a series of trails and catwalks that let you get up close and personal (and wet!). They also have a small railway to connect various access points. It is really well done. There is an island just below the falls where a boat will carry you across and you can hike around it to see parts of the falls hidden from the mainland.
It took us all day, but we did every trail in the complex. Taking photos became secondary to just soaking up an experience of a lifetime.

With the rain holding off we saw many more birds and butterflies and the ever-present coatis, who roam in gangs looking for handouts.

Many people also go over to the Brazilian side - further away, but a better panorama of the falls. We needed an expensive and bureaucratic visa to cross, so elected not to - just to get one photo. We stayed in Puerto Iguazu for a couple more days hoping for the weather to break, but no such luck. It appears that the "rain forest" is appropriately named! So we caught a bus to Posadas, about 200km to the southwest.

12. San Pedro de Atacama, Chile

The biggest problem we had with San Pedro was getting there from Uyuni, Bolivia. San Pedro is in the far north of Chile, south of the Bolivian border. There is no cross border passenger service of any kind. After some research and plodding all over Uyuni, we found a small company that could arrange this. There were two others with the same problem - 2 young ladies, one from Spain, the other from Belgium.

This was the sequence: We took a jeep halfway to the border, stayed overnight, all 4 of us jammed in an unheated basic room. It was still very high altitude and it was freezing cold. Next day the jeep took us to the border. After clearing out of Bolivia, we boarded a minibus which took us to San Pedro, where we checked into Chile. Quite the procedure, but it worked.

San Pedro is in the Atacama desert, the driest place on earth. It is a dusty town with no paved roads, but it has no shortage of tourists. And it is expensive. Most storefronts are either a tour agent, a hostel or a souvenir shop. There are many interesting places to visit in the area - most of which we had already seen similar or better in Bolivia. We were also pretty tired after 6 straight days in jeeps and basic, freezing accommodation.

We did do a couple of interesting trips. One was to Laguna Cejar, an ultra salty small lake in the desert. We swam there - it was really weird - you couldn't drown if you wanted to. Just bobbed like a cork. Something like the Dead Sea. We then moved to two small ponds called "Ojos de Salar" or eyes of the salt flats. The water there was much fresher and we swam & rinsed off the salt. Then on to another "lake" - a large salt flat with about 2 cm salt water uniformly across the whole area. The water was dead calm and acted as a perfect mirror. People were standing in the middle - looked like they were walking on water. Watched the sunset, while enjoying a Pisco Sour - Chile's national beverage.

Next day we visited Valle de la Luna (Valley of the Moon)- a very arid area with some strange rock formations. Crawled through a long sequence of caves that were used many years ago by the natives to hide from the Spanish. Again watched the sunset on a high cliff overlooking some interesting terrain. No Pisco Sour this time!

Had to change hostels mid-visit due to a loud, howling dog next door to our original pick. Next stop is back to Salta, Argentina, but there was a slight problem - all the Argentinian bus companies are on strike. Finally found  a Chilean company that had space for us.

 Little Girl at a local market

The bus strike was settled the day we travelled back to Salta, Argentina but there was still a lot of bitterness. Just as we arrived in Salta, somebody threw a large rock at our bus, shattering the window mext to the people across from us. No one hurt, but very scary.

11. 4 day Jeep trip from Tupiza to Uyuni, Bolivia

We left the comfortable confines of Tupiza, Bolivia - 4 of us in a 4x4Toyota from Tupeza Tours accompanied by a guide/translator/cook and a driver. We had to pay a little extra for an English speaking guide, which proved to be money well spent. Most of our luggage was tied on the roof under a plastic tarp, along with spare wheel, spare fuel and assorted other stuff.

After about 100 yards of pavement we were on dirt "roads" which would continue for the rest of the trip. They are actually very rough mountain roads which you would never consider tackling on your own. No signs, roads angling off all over to who knows where. Even with a GPS you would be lost in no time.

Day 1

Got to know our companions - the other two were a young couple  from France, Guillaume and Emilie, driver Alfredo  and Janet, the other valuable asset. Visited a few native villages, saw lots of Llama and Vicuna (related) and some great scenery, including snow-capped volcanoes. The jeep travelled well - we each had our own window. The dust was something to behold. Thank goodness the traffic was light.

Overnight at "new" San Antonio was very basic. Adobe building in a small village, no heat, electricity for lighting for 2 hours (7 to 9pm), 4 bed dorm with 4 blankets each plus the sleeping bags we rented. We sure needed them as the temperature dropped below freezing - we were at 13,800 ft altitude. Janet prepared a great supper and we were entertained by 5 local youngsters singing and playing their homemade flutes.

It was difficult to sleep due to the altitude and accompanying headaches.

Day 2

We were awaken at 5 am for our breakfast, packing in the dark and 6 am departure. The sun didn't rise until about 7.

First stop was "old" San Antonio - a large former Inca village of 2000 inhabitants. Apparently it was abandoned sometime during the conflicts with the Spanish. It was amazing how well preserved the buildings were - they were all made of stone and the roofs were the only parts that were missing. Contrast the construction of these houses with the ones in "new" San Antonio where we spent the previous night. There the homes were all adobe brick, which would be gone in no time if the village was abandoned.

An interesting creature inhabited the ruins of old San Antonio - a vizcacha - rabbit-like with a long curled tail and jumped like a kangaroo.

We visited several lagoons, some with pink flamingos. There are many mineral-laden lagoons with salty composition in this area, some of which are being mined. Entered the huge National Andean Fauna Reserve. We stopped at a hot springs for lunch and had a welcome hot soak in the cool air. You didn't need to towel off as in the dry, high altitude, you were dry in minutes.

Shortly before lunch we had a flat tire on the jeep. No problem. Alfredo had the spare off the roof, changed the tire and we were underway in 10 minutes max. Over lunch, he and some fellow drivers patched the tube (they use tube tires as they can be repaired anywhere) and put the tire back on the jeep.

We visited a beautiful lagoon with Volcan Zabaleri as a backdrop - the peak is a demarcation point between Chile, Argentina and Bolivia. At the end of the day we realized that we had met ZERO vehicles coming the other way during the entire day.

Almost 16,000 ft. Elevation

 Accommodation (unplanned by the guide as we were running late and that was all that was available) was  at 14,100 ft and was even more basic. Pit toilet (1) and no running water. Oh well we still had the 4 blankets and the sleeping bag. It was even colder than the night before. Still difficulty in sleeping and headaches due to the altitude.

Day 3

Were woken at 6am - real treat to sleep in! First stop was at Salta Manzana - a fantastic geothermal area. Lots of steam shooting from vents in the soil along with bubbling mud. Totally surreal. Took lots of photos but found sulphur deposits all over the camera and ourselves.

Next stop was the Red Lagoon - named for the colour of it's water - lots of pink flamingos. The red water is due to the mineral content. Then saw a volcano that is still smoking. Checked out of the national park - a great asset for Bolivia.

The Siloli Desert was next - some weird rock formations. We climbed some of them and took too many photos. Then Laguna Honda with more flamingos - there is a hotel there so the birds are a little more used to humans - got quite close for photos. We are flamingoed out!Towards the end of the day we drove over the Chiyana salt flats at great speed towards our accommodation for the night in Jyaca.

Interesting place to spend the night. All the walls and floors are made of salt from the huge Uyuni salt flats nearby. Also the tables and chairs. We had our own room - more like a closet but they had a !hot shower! - first in 3 days yaay! Still having trouble with the altitude.




Day 4



Sunrise over the salt flats

5 am wakeup for 5.30 departure. Drove right onto the Uyuni salt flats  - went about 20 km and stopped to watch the sunrise over the totally white salt. Awesome. The Uyuni salt flats are the largest in the world (about 12,000 sq km and also the highest at 12,000 ft. The surface is so uniform that it's elevation varies by less than 1 metre over the entire surface.It's so even that it is used to calibrate the altimeters of Earth-observation satellites. When it gets flooded in the rainy season, it becomes the worlds largest mirror!

Next stop was an "island" - Incawaasi Is. in the salt flat. Apparently when it rains a lot (not too often in this desert environment) it does actually become an island . Otherwise you can drive right up to it. It was originally underwater and was covered with corals, which still cover most of the island's surface. It is densely populated with several varieties of cacti that are very similar to the saguaro cactus in Arizona. Hiked to the top - really noticed how laboured our breathing was in this altitude - 12,000 ft. Had a tailgate breakfast at the jeep.

The Uyuni salt flats have to be seen to be believed. They are immense. That day we drove about 140 km across them. The deepest is about 120m - all salt! Due to the whiteness and

uniformity of the surface, life becomes almost 2 dimensional. Distance perspective is lost. We had a blast in the middle of the flats taking weird photos of each other using the illusion of distance. Also got a sunburn - we were well covered due to the chilly weather but the sun plus reflection off the salt made for some red faces. Driving on the salt brings back memories of driving on frozen lakes in Canada.

Arrived in Uyuni about noon. Janet prepared our lunch while Alfredo drove us to the Train Graveyard. A huge area covered with ancient steam locomotives, coaches and all kinds of old railway equipment. Despite the graffiti it was an interesting spectacle. There must be a lack of ability to recycle the metal here - in Canada the scrap value would be huge.

Finally said goodbye to our team of Janet and Alfredo. They were excellent. Driving on those mountain roads requires constant focus on every rut and bend. Janet had to be up earlier and stay up later than us to prepare meals and wash up. She was awesome. Based on our experience, we would highly recommend Tupiza Tours.

Train Graveyard in Uyuni

The 4 day trip was nothing short of fantastic.