Bolivia Part 1

My first touch with Bolivia was via the dodgy border town of Desaguadero. Even my guidebook said this was a "desolate and unscrupulous place". I'd only chose to go through here because it was cheaper and quicker than passing through the more touristy Copacabana on Lake Titicaca (which I'll do on the way back). For the first 2 weeks of this 6 week Peru/Bolivia trip Marcela and I had pretty much worked out how to eat, sleep and travel comfortably within a certain budget. So I planned for the last 4 weeks travelling on my own that I'd keep to a tighter budget and the same principles of eating where locals eat / not booking anything too far in advance / and booking direct with the operator etc, in order to not get ripped off like many unsuspecting tourists. In addition I'll have to stay in dorms in hostels and occasionally "couchsurf" with some locals when it worked out. (Couchsurfing is a worldwide network for travellers to connect with locals - see couchsurfing.com)

While walking thru Desaguadero, checking thru border control, getting my bags inspected, and walking to find a local bus to La Paz, I didn't see one other tourist, which felt kinda strange. Actually Bolivia has yet to learn the art of tourism as well as Peru, so it is nice to not be hassled by touts every time you walk along the street. The military / police / army etc presence here in Bolivia is a lot more prevalent than anywhere else I've ever been. Yet the stories of robberies, kidnappings etc are all still very prevalent...

Snowy mountain peaks over 6000m look over La Paz

The bus to La Paz was a minibus, like a Tarago, that can somehow fit up to about 20 Bolivians. One of the first things I saw on the drive was a guy doubling a sheep on his bike (no kidding!). The bus was freezing and dropped me in the middle of the street in the cementary district in La Paz (which I found out later is a prime crime area for gringos). I eventually worked out where I was and found a hostel for a couple of nights before couchsurfing a couple more nights in the living room of some French girls who I met in Arequipa when I was couchsurfing there. La Paz is quite an interesting, busy town to walk around in for a couple of days, but I was more interested in the sights outside of town.

The first of which was a day tour to the only Bolivian ski field, and the highest in the world at 5300m, the "Club Andino Boliviano", Chacaltaya. This place was really fascinating: a solitary ski slope on a glacier serviced by an archaic cable tow that rarely functioned; the closest ski field to the equator; established in 1939 but only open in the summer months when conditions are kind enough; but unfortunately now due to global warming, the size of the glacier (and hence ski run) has shrunk to almost nothing. Still worth a visit and a relatively easy way to climb a 5400m+ mountain (only an hours hiking!) - and an awesome view all the way across the altiplano down to La Paz.

Looking back down to the clubhouse at the top of the "cable tow"

At the peak of Chacaltaya (5450m) - despite how warm it looks I was freezing and regretting not bringing the woolly hat and gloves up on the hike!