Bolivia/Peru Trip: Last Few Days!!!

First of all, we added images to the last post for you to view.

I just have to start by letting you know that if god had a home it would be here in the

Salar... and as most of you know that I, Brandy, am not terribly religious. These pictures do not even do this place justice. We arrived in Uyuni, this dumpy little town that only exists to support the tourism of the Salar, at one in the morning and had to wake up early the next day to find a tour of the salt bed. If yo

u ever want to feel ripped off, head to this town! We stayed in a 4 star hotel the first night, which in

Bolivian terms means they have towels, hot water and has been cleaned in the past week :). This place was probably the most expensive place we stayed (280 Bs or $40) and the bathroom had mould in it and the toilet was actually inside the shower!!! The next day we packed it up to stay at the salt hotel. This is a hotel built completely out of salt, I am talking about everything... the tables, the chairs, even the beds, with a mattress on top thankfully. When you walk out the door you see nothing for miles but flat white salt. The hotel is modest with no running water or electricity. Dinner and breakfast are prepared for you since there is nothing around. For sunset we walked maybe a 1/2 mile out where we enjoyed the beautiful nothingness that exists here. Silence louder than you have e

ver known and visually we were surrounded the white purity of this untainted anomaly. It is truly amazing to think this used to be an ocean 12,000 feet above current sea level! Th

ere are no words to truly describe how this place impacted our souls. Dinner was with everyone staying in the hotel, Paul and I and 4 Japanese people. We ate dinner in candle light and exchanged stories of our travels and cultural differences between everything. How insightful to see the impressions of Bolivia through a Japanese person's eyes and for them to see it through o

ur eyes. We all laughed a lot!!! But mostly, we all learned a lot.

The next day we left on a bus to La Paz and then caught our plane back to the States. This was truly a trip of a life time! This is Paul again... Just wanted to write a little synopsis of the trip. Brandy and I have visited 10 cities that spanned all corners of the country, having spent over 45 hours on buses, mostly traveling on extremely bumpy unpaved roads. We met people from every corner of the country and many others from abroad. We have learned a lot about the country and it's people. On many occasions Brandy and I have written about how shocked and appalled we have been regarding interactions and way of life... this is what you would expect from the poorest country in all the Americas. We hope you also gathered a remarkable sense of appreciation for its people and customs. We have experiences so many situations in the past month that have left both Brandy and I saying, "you have got to be kidding!!!" We have on a number of occasions been is serious disbelief as to how things are run in the country or what people try to get away with... As funny as it sounds, these things bring character to the country and make it unique. Yes, 85% of its roads are unpaved and riding on them leaves you knowing what it must be like to be a victim of shaken baby syndrome, only 20% of the people on the road have there drivers license (that was obvious),

and the bathrooms uniformly around the country require entrance with a HAZMAT suit. This countries backwards policies and traveling awkwardness make it a great place to visit because, it is still untouched! Travelers rarely visit because its unfriendliness is such that you deserve a boy scout merit badge for enduring. We wear that badge proudly and are no longer intimidated of visiting anywhere else in the world!!! :)

As we take our last bumpy bus ride from Uyuni to La Paz I can't help but reminisce about all we have experienced. Just then, I gaze across the isle and notice an elderly french couple (with quite an

unfortunate odor, even more extreme then what is standard for the french). A couple in their 50's experiencing the same adventures as Brandy and I! Yes, Bolivia is rich in natural wonders that can fill the soul, but the country is unbiasedly difficult and unaccommodating to navigate. This is not a country for the meek! Why would they put themselves through this at their age?

It was just then this couple made me aware of two inevitable truths: first, life is fleeting and we must all fight to experience and live the grandest life we can imagine, because we only have this one chance. Secondly, the use of deodorant is of the utmost social importance no matter what country one is from (especially if trapped on a bus for 12 hours).

We are now back in Denver, so this will be our last posting. Brandy and I thank you all for joining us on our trip and for all the positive encouragement you have given us along the way. Writing this blog was quite difficult at times with time and technological constraints facing us in a 3rd world country, but your comments and interest kept us going. Thanks for tuning in and we hope to have you along with us on our next adventure, which is already being planned!