Continuing to fall in love with Bolivia

 

November 13^th - Going from stressed to full fledged adults

Since the campground we were planning to stay at in Sucre had a few overlanders leaving this morning we decided to have a slow start to the day. Since we are out of almost all of our fresh groceries we had peanut butter and jam wraps with the final cups of the best coffee we found in Peru (which is sub par compared to coffee from Colombia). We refuse to switch over to instant coffee so we will have tea in the mornings until we can source good coffee grounds.

After breakfast and a half season of Better Call Saul it was time to hit the road and head to our camping spot.  Since we had travelled a few hundred kilometers since filling up with questionable gasoline sold in 2 litre pop bottles in Toro Toro, we knew we would have to negotiate the price of gas at a gas station. 

We were refused gas at our first gas station due to cameras and the attendant saying he couldn’t sell to foreigners, but our second attempt was successful with Paul even negotiating to pay a rate below the foreigner rate.  What these means is that the attendant put in the local rate under his identification number, charge us the negotiated rate and pockets the difference. We are completely okay with since it saved us about 75 cents CAD per litre.  Since we previously explained about the difference in gas prices in Bolivia, we also learned some new information. Technically it’s illegal to refuse service to foreigners, but they do. Secondly, they often ask us for a pin which has caused a lot of confusion both with overlanders and the station attendants.  The PIN is given at the border to Bolivian Nationals returning to the country in foreign cars, so we now know when they ask us for a pin we have to say that it is only for Bolivians and we are Canadians. We do make sure to be extra respectful to the gas attendants and when they fill our tank for the local rate we tip them, usually the equivalent of $4 or $5 cad, in the hopes that they will continue to fill other travellers gas tanks. Most of the time when we tip, they then ask if we need anything else or need a spare tank filled, and we tell them no, the extra money is for their service and we thank them profusely.  It feels illegal, and technically us paying the local/subsidized rate is not following the law as it is written, but we aren’t going to complain since it means we fill up the van at the equivalent of 45 cents a litre.  We don’t plan or seek out illegal activity, but if it is the easiest way for others to do their job, we support their business. Anyways, we got gas, the pump attendant got some extra cash and we were on our merry way.  We arrived at the campground to meet some new to us overlanders and we ventured into the city of Sucre.

The climate of Sucre is perfect (being 1000 metres higher in elevation from Toro Toro), not too hot and not too cold meaning this is the perfect place to get a few tasks complete.  The first that we needed to do was related to our immigration status, we were approaching the point where our visa would run out so for the first time on this trip we had to extend our visa.

Extending our visas was significantly easier than we had built it up to be in our minds.  We found where the immigration office is located on Google, got copies of our passport photo page and entry stamps, walked 15 minutes from the campsite, and 5 minutes later we each had a stamp for 30 additional days. It was that easy!  To celebrate we went for beer and desert, since we had no issues and now we don’t need to rush out of Bolivia in the next 6 days.

Celebratory cake and craft beer

Next we went to the mercado to get the groceries we so desperately needed.  While buying mangoes to make mango salsa a woman offered us so many samples of her fruit, we will definitely miss these sorts of markets when we return to Canada, especially the price of things.  Typically, things at the markets are half the price of things at a grocery store.

After returning to the campsite Paul decided it was time to take Rupert on an adventure. Since Rupert needs an “anti parasitic treatment” 5-30 days before we cross into Chile. They visited 4 different vets before finding some Nexgard for Rupert. Rupert also got a new rabies shot since sometimes Chile wants one within the last 60 days, and his last one was in Mexico which was almost 9 months ago.   Rupert’s vaccines are now all up to date!!

Throughout the day we had also been trying to purchase insurance.  Insurance is required in all countries we will be going to after Bolivia as well as within Bolivia if you stay over 30 days.   Although this is not the first time we have tried to purchase insurance we seemed to make the most progress today.  We were provided with a woman in Argentina well known in the German overlanding community who promptly returned our emails and was confident that within 24 hours she could get us insurance. We had been whatsapping someone about insurance that was recommended by other travellers (we had even provided this agents name and number to others) and although everyone who knew was able to purchase the insurance from this person we were not.  The agent had stopped talk to us. 

Lastly Paul travelled to the grocery store to find nacho chips, coffee, and wine (while he waited for our insurance to be finalized) so we could further celebrate our successes.  It was a successful day where we were stressed thinking about what needed to be done but we “adulted” and we can begin to look forward to the end of our time in Bolivia!

 

November 14^th - Seeing the Sucre sights

Paul at the top of Sucre's Eiffel Tower.

Since we had a successful day yesterday it was time to relax and explore everything Sucre has to offer.  Sucre is known for its colonial architecture and white buildings.  We have been to what feels like a million “cute colonial towns” on this trip but each one has its own flair and personality.

Our first stop was a park that has a replica of the Eiffel tower.  The people of Sucre are extremely proud of this replica and although neither of us have seen the real one in person we are sure it is EXACTLY like this…just kidding, but at least an attempt was made.

Next we walked towards the cemetery.  We took a wrong turn and ended up entering near the dumpsters full of dead flowers, but it was an interesting first impression.  This led us right into the COVID 19 sector of the cemetery. We are not sure why this is a separate section but was a bit odd seeing all the western style graves, which was a stark contrast to the Latin American style plots in the rest of the cemetery. We wandered the cemetery which is famous for showing the historical (and current) class systems within Bolivia. Some families have their own large crypts and buildings while the average local person is buried in a plot that is stacked on top of others with some being 5 or 10 plots high. The cemetery also has places where people who worked in specific professions or belonged to specific unions or alma maters could be buried. While we have been to more cemeteries in the past few months than our entire lives, each one is a little different to showcase the local culture.

 

November 15^th -  How sweet Sucre is

Today started with Paul going to the bank to pay the SENASAG fee to get Rupert’s paperwork for entering Chile.  He was gone about an hour and a half waiting in a line with 150 people ahead of him.  For some reason there is always a line at the banks when you need to pay something. We had read that many people in Latin American countries do not use banks, but every time we need to enter a bank it seems like half the local community is trying to see a teller.  Kendra and Rupert stayed back and cleaned the inside of the van.  It is amazing how much dust and dirt builds up when you live in the vehicle that you drive. 

During afternoon we went to the mercado to pick up a few more vegetables.  It was at this time we realized that this may be one of our last visits to an open air multi-storey market like this so we decided to purchase some of our favourite market things such as a bunch of local kalamata olives and cake.  We made our way back to our campsite where we enjoyed a bottle of Bolivian wine and the cake from the market talking about how different the next chapter of this trip will be for us.

Mani Soup in the market

Next stop for our relaxing day was to find a brewery that was open. It took a few attempts but eventually we found one with sub par beer.  It didn’t really make sense to stay too long so we headed up to a mirador café located in a famous bell tower (showcased on the 100 boliviano bill) where we shared some sangria and banana cake as we watched the sunset on our final night in Sucre.  While we enjoyed our time in Sucre, we are ready to see new places.

Nighttime Views

November 16^th - So long Sucre!

After loading up the van and saying goodbye to our fellow camping neighbours and hit the road towards Potosi.  We have heard that Sucre is much nicer than Potosi so our expectations are quite low for the community but we have a vet appointment and a government contact who can help us with the export paper for Rupert there so we have to go.

We arrived in Potosi and wandered around the city a bit.  While it is relatively close to Sucre it felt completely different.  Paul read a blog saying Sucre is white and clean while Potosi is colourful and dirty, and we definitely agree with that sentiment.  Potosi is a mining town and like other industry focused towns around the world you definitely feel a bit grungier.  The buildings are colourful but also graffitied.

Our German friends were also in Potosi at the time and after wandering around a bit we decided to meet up for dinner.  Our first plan for dinner was not open we ventured towards the centre of town and found a restaurant that had meat fondue.  We ate, drank and thoroughly enjoyed our deep fried meat as we talked about our trips and how things are going and laughed the night away.  It was such a positive first day in Potosi.

 MMM...meat fondue!

November 17^th – Dog gone it.

Today started with us taking Rupert to a vet.  He has not been to one since we left Colombia because the importation rules for a dog to most countries in South America are rarely enforced.  Chile is the exception.  We do always have the documentation required to enter any country with the dog, we just don’t update is as often as we should because no one ever asks.  Just so we’re clear, we’re not breaking the law, the law is just not being enforced at the borders we have chosen to cross…maybe it’s a coincidence?

So, here’s the long of the short; to get Rupert into Chile he needs a vet certificate stating he has had an internal and external antiparasitic treatment, he is treated for rabies and that he is in good health.  Of course, this is when he has a minor skin infection.  All went well at the vet and after an hour of paperwork and examination we got a health certificate. Rupert even getting medication for his dermatitis. 

With this health certificate we can then get the official document from the Bolivian Agricultural office (SENASAG) which will allow us to cross into Chile. 

With one of the big tasks complete we were finally able to properly wandering around Potosi.  We had originally tried to organize a mine tour for tomorrow, the must do thing while in Potosi, but as it is Saturday tomorrow there would be no one working.  Since we had been enjoying Potosi it seem like a good decision to wait until Monday to do this tour.

With Potosi being a working class town there were many shoe repair shops, and since her hiking boots had a hole in the side from falling while hiking in Calle de Cocora, Colombia it was time to get them fixed.  For about $6 cad both her boots would be put back together and hopefully will be as good as new.

After leaving Rupert in the van we explored the Cathedral of Saint Francis famous of its crypts and rooftop view point.  The tour was all in Spanish but Paul did his best to translate as much as he understood so Kendra could understand.  The crypt in the church is now empty but we saw aspects of the traditional Franciscan brother burial rituals and a few human bones. 

The view from the rooftop was amazing as it overlooked the entire city of Potosi with Cerro Rico in the background.  

After all the exploring it was time for the traditional Potosi soup called K’alaphuraka. It is a soup that is served boiling hot due to the addition of a hot lava stone.  This causes the soup to boil and is a unique experience.

 

It's like "stone soup"

November 18^th - Haunting Hot Springs

Since we have a whole weekend until the office for Rupert’s paperwork opens Paul decided to venture out of Potosi.  Tarapaya is an area just north of Potosi known for hot springs and thermal baths.  When we arrived at our first stop Ojo del Inca, we were a bit confused as it seemed like this natural hot pool located in an ancient volcano was closed.

After a bit of exploring an old woman appeared out of no where to inform us that the site was indeed closed.  The old woman was willing to show us around and even said we could swim in the thermal lake if we wanted but then gave us a brief history about the pools. In 2018 at least 3 people died in the thermal waters of this lake.  This continued year after year with people disappearing in the lake then their body appears back in the lake 24 hours or so later.  She then continued saying that the police are still investigating a body that was recently dumped into the thermal lake we could not walk around the entire lake back as someone had died in the last 24 hours and they suspected the body will remerge in the next little bit.  Something about the prospect of a dead body randomly appear while we were swimming convinced us not to swim.  No one knows how deep this volcanic lake is or the caverns it holds, but it definitely has some bodies.

Next thing we knew there were two other Bolivian families coming and her demeanor instantly changed to frustration as the Bolivian families were in no mood for anyone to tell them what they couldn’t do. 

After that chilling experience at the natural thermal bath/lake we headed into the town of Miraflores to check out the established thermal baths.  These baths are pools the size of most in any recreation centre in Canada and have hot water pumping from the thermal source . For about $2 cad we figured we would check them out.  It was a Saturday so the pools were all busier than usual but we still enjoyed ourselves. 

Interestingly the place we chose had signage stating that you must shower with shampoo and soap BEFORE entering the pool.  Kendra thought in Canada we shower to rinse off any soap and laundry residue to keep the water clean, but here you must clean your body first to keep the water clean…an interesting cultural learning moment. 

After the hot spring experience, we decided it was time to find a campsite. Since there are no official campsites in the area we pulled into the canyon close by and found a spot hidden from the road where we could enjoy the canyon views and look out at some old ruins.

 

November 19^th - Back to Potosi

We woke up in a beautiful canyon, after enjoy the sites and a delicious breakfast we returned to Potosi so we could get our final errands done. 

First we needed gas where the nearest station refused to sell us gas. He informed us a station 30 minutes up the road would have gas for foreigners, but that was 30 minutes in the wrong direction, plus we still had half a tank. We then tried a station in Potosi and we were successful. We thought we would have luck because they had the foreigner price posted along with the phone numbers to phone or text when you have a problem with a gas station, like them not selling to foreigners.  We returned to our parking lot campsite that we had stayed at before and wandered the city.  We looked for more soup with the volcanic stone in it but couldn’t find anywhere open.  We went to an actual supermarket and picked up a few things for a pizza dinner.  We even bought some Singani (Bolivian version of Pisco) and made our own Bolivian version of Pisco Sours, which were very tasty.

We had some overlanding neighbours who are travelling South to North so we talked with them about recommendations before hitting the hay for a busy day tomorrow.

Pizza on the stovetop. We will miss olives from the market.

 

November 20^th - Drinking with Miners

Dynamite and Alcohol...what could go wrong?

Wilson, our guide

One of the must do things in Potosi is a mine tour and today was our day! Our tour guide and driver ended up being late to pick us up, which they profusely apologized but they could not understand why traffic was so bad today (we did eventually find out why later). Outside of our camping place/parking lot the gas station was lined up for at least 3 or 4 city blocks and was always growing longer and longer.  It was amazing seeing vehicles trying to cut in line as we waited for our guide.  Eventually Wilson (our guide) showed up and a few minutes later our tour bus did as well.

Wilson took us to the miner’s market where many miners will eat breakfast and buy the explosives and tools they need to extract metals.  We learned that many miners will use 50 coca leaves to keep track of how long they have been working for.  When the cocoa loses its flavour, they take a break.  This break often consists of stopping for just a few minutes to an hour to drink and replenish their coca leaves within their mouth before continuing there work. We picked up some juice and coca leaves to give to some miners as gift for allowing us into the area they are working and when we came upon miner will gladly shared our gifts. Many metals are mined in Cerro Rico, the rich mountain such as silver, zinc, and lead. 

At the entrance of the actual mine we donned our miner clothes, basically polyester pants and jacket because it is easy to clean and doesn’t use a lot of water, and our helmets and head lamps.  We ended up walking a little further than usual due to the traffic but we found a mine we could enter.  Many miners are superstitious and women are not allowed in some mines, so if you do a men’s only tour you may see different things.

We finally arrived at the entrance to the mine and realized we would not be good miners.  In this particular mine the miners would use wheelbarrows to move the minerals they extracted out of the mine. There was barely room for a wheelbarrow to pass us but the men were hustling. We made sure to hit our helmets on the low ceiling multiple times, even when we were told to duck down.  The working conditions in these mines made us think of back in the olden days where workers would use pickaxes and hammers and chisels to work.  The miners who have made money can rent or buy pneumatic tools, but some miners still use hand tools. There were many paths leading up and down and to the sides from where we were walking. It is easy to get lost in these tunnels.  Wilson told us that the best tool to have for mining here is Good Luck.  There is no guarantee you will get rich or that you will find anything.

The mines in Cerro Rico are part of a cooperative, and while that sounds pleasant our guide assured us that it is not all about cooperation, it is every man for himself; some will get rich and others will still be working forever, or until the age of 46-50 when the average miner dies.  In the cooperative you must work for 3 years under someone who is willing to hire you and pay your wage. If you have proven yourself to be hard working then you will be given the opportunity to buy your own membership into the cooperative.  If you are lucky other may want to work for you under the cooperative where you will pay their wages but get a percentage of anything they find. Interestingly some miners are able to skip the three year process and inherit the mine areas that their fathers mined.

We met a few miners working and taking breaks or refilling their cheeks with coca leaves.  Many start working when they are 16 or some even younger.  Many of the miners spoke Quechua and believe in Pachamama, which is similar to mother earth.  If you give to Pachamama she will give to you. The alcohol that the miners drink is 96% and made from cane sugar. It is smoother than you’d expect but would not be our first choice for alcohol. Its is a first choice for miners because it is cheap and you don’t need a lot to get drunk.   When giving anything to Pachamama it must be done in even numbers. If sacrificing a llama, you must do 2 or 4, when pouring drinks to the ground it must be an even number. Miners do not mix their alcohol with anything because they believe that mixing the alcohol makes it impure and by drinking mixed alcohol they will get impure minerals. Mining in Bolivia is a religion filled with superstition and strong beliefs which was highlighted when we sat around the miner’s deity drinking pure alcohol with miners.  

Miner's restocking their mouths with Coca Leaves.

Once we finished touring the mine we went to see how they grind the rocks to extract the precious metals.  The silver oxide we were shown at the end had only about 5% silver in it and it would be exported to a different country to get the silver out. Once the tour was over we made our way back to the van getting dropped off 5 blocks away due to traffic.

Luckily when we got back to the van we were able to make our way around the line up at the gas station and make our way to the SENASAG office.  After an hour Paul had returned with the export/import paperwork for Chile and had learned the reason why the traffic was so bad. Supposedly the Bolivian Government did not pay its fuel bill.  The Bolivian government buys in bulk then subsidizes it for its citizens.  By no paying for the gas people were concerned the fuel would run out so people started to panic buy.  We were so thankful we purchased fuel yesterday.

Once we were out of the city of Potosi making our way towards Uyuni it seemed like other towns may not have heard to this development with the government and gas because there were not any lines at the gas stations like we saw in Potosi.  We even filled up our tank in Uyuni and the line was normal, so no panic here.

Before settling in for the night we purchased some bread and meat for dinner.  Paul thought he was buying beef, but he got llama instead, so we will had some llama steaks tonight for dinner while we camped beside a train cemetery.  The trains and their engines were all used in the mining heyday, but since that heyday is over the trains were left in the desert to spend their final days.