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| dynamite! |
This is in Potosi, Bolivia where we went on a tour of the silver mine which has been producing silver since sometime in the 1600´s. First we bought gifts for the miners, such as dynamite, water, soft drinks, or coca leaves, and then we spent about 2 hours crawling through the tunnels. It is hot, hard work. Currently the miners are still profiting, however they don´t expect it to last much longer.
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| Potosi |
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| ready for the mines |
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| the miners come running along with their carts... |
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| crawling through the tunnels. very hot inside, about 110 F |
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| also very dusty |
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| we survived! |
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| Silver Mtn. |
Uyuni. The town was brown and dirty, but the 3 day tour we went on was amazing!
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| starting with the train cemetery: a collection of rusty train parts with tourists climbing all over them |
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| hotel made out of salt |
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lots of salt. this was at the primitive processing plant;
after heating and sifting they scooped it into little baggies
which they sealed with a hot metal rod |
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| Uyuni Salt flats, an awesome place |
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| because of the water on the surface during the rainy season, it was often hard to tell what was reflection and what wasn´t |
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it is the largest salt flat in the world
we heard different numbers-over 4,000 sq miles, several meters deep(in salt)
and 12,000 ft above sea level |
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lots of llamas, they all trooped past followed by
a lady all bundled in skirts |
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crazy place. ¨the rock gardens¨ I called them. we could have spent
days exploring and camping out here |
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| the ¨condor¨ |
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| spent 3 days in this car |
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| rainy season! many areas are susceptible to flash flooding |
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| flamingos |
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| vicuñas |
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| some sort of a cross between a rabbit and a squirrel |
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| awe-inspiring. vast desert surrounded by massive snow-capped peaks |
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| the rock tree |
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| laguna roja |
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| huge flocks of flamingos in a place where there appears to be very little other life |
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| steam geyser, very loud-sounded like a jet |
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| this was an eerie place; steamy, smelled of sulphur, weird crusty holes- some filled with bubbling mud... | | | |
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| boiling mud pit |
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| hot springs! a beautiful soaking spot |
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| more desert |
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| laguna verde |
Tupiza. Could be a back-drop for a wild west movie-
red rock canyons, tall cactus, dry dusty roads...
We took a 3 hour horse ride. The horses were slow but the scenery was great.
We were unprepared for the flooding of the streets: after a half hr downpour the streets became rivers! Rushing, swirling, brown rivers- I wished I had my Xtratufs.
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| our horse riding guide- Marcos |
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| beautiful canyon and cactus country |
Argentina! We have been spending many hours on the buses- all dayers, overnighters, both...ugh.
Nearly to Santiago though! We are now in Mendoza, where the temperature and
the prices have gone up considably.
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| Governers house in Tucuman, Argentina |
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| massive park! several square miles. they do parks very well down here |
Very Very cool!! Thanks for sharing!
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