We left Argentina yesterday morning on the earliest bus available taking us to the Bolivian border. None of the public buses offer the convenience of taking passengers out of one country into another. So when we reached La Quiaca, Argentina (very close to the border) we had to find our way from the bus station to the immigration offices of both countries. It was a short distance, no hassles or delays and seemed very casual (thank goodness!). Once into Bolivia (the town of Villazon) we found our way to the very small bus station which hardly looked like a station as there were no buses, just minivans lined up. The drivers were asking people as they showed where they were going and filled the minivans - tourists and local alike. So no more waiting, we were on our  way to Tupiza, our destination. We arrived safely, found our hotel and once settled in for the night we slept soundly. The altitude here is approximately 3000m, enough to make us feel oxygen deprived. We are taking medication which seems to help, neither one of us feel sick or have a headache, just notice how quickly we feel winded and exhausted! We’ve also been drinking lots of coca tea, chewing the leaves and even sucking on coca candies. Coca products are readily accessible everywhere, and we see people walking around with cheeks puffed out with what we think must be coca! Also the air is extremely dry, the sun super intense, and once it sets the air cools off almost immediately. 
  Today we took a private tour of several parks in the surrounding area. It was another day filled with incredible sights of geological formations. Bolivia is rich in natural resources, we haven’t seen much recent mining evidence but on our park visits we’ve seen lots of raw tin, lead, copper and salt. All the gold and silver is found in different regions of the country. 
  Tomorrow, Saturday, will be a restful one. We planned to stay here a few days to be ready for our four day tour starting Sunday. It will be a private tour led by a local couple. The itinerary takes us in a big circle, travelling west then north to the city of Uyuni. The largest salt flats in the world are there! Nico, our guide told us we will be out of cell range for most of the time, even electricity will be scarce! Having mentioned that, I probably won’t be able to post anything until we get back here to Tupiza on Wednesday night. I’m having internet problems right now so if I get this post finished I’ll be really lucky! 



Leaving Argentina, catching a bus to Bolivia 

  Sunday was Mother’s Day in Argentina so most of the commercial activity was shut down in their honour! Our main focus was getting some groceries as we’ve been staying in places with small kitchens so we can fix most of our own meals. We were thankful to find a few grocery stores open. I always have fun exploring the various stores we go into when travelling, so many different brand names, products and selection. It reveals a lot about the culture…

  Today we went on a tour with a small group out of the city to see the mountains near the town of Purmamarca. The mountains we wanted to see represent a geological formation known for their striking, multi-coloured rock layers. It was a clear day, the sun intense, as it often is at that high altitude, the landscape was incredibly beautiful. The town appeared to rely heavily on the tourist trade, small, clean and quaint. The other focus of the tour was further along but at a lower elevation - the salt flat of Salinas Grande. It too is a wonder of nature! It’s a vast white desert of salt, covering an area of approx 200 sq km, known for its hexagonal formations and salt mining. It was a long, full and very fun day! 


Salta and excursions to Purmamarca and Salinas Grandes

These past two days have been pretty restful and quiet. We both needed some ‘restorative’ time and there’s always laundry to do after nearly two weeks of living out of a suitcase! The weather has warmed up, the air super dry and the daylight almost 2.5 hours longer than in Victoria. Lots of incentive to be outside making sure we find a nice bench in the park and definitely under cover of some shade! It’s spring here and the jacaranda and cebio (national flower of Argentina) are in bloom giving the parks a real splash of colour. 
Yesterday we took a tram up to the highest nearby hilltop. We were surprised by the manicured park laid out on the top, inclusive of a man-made water feature, and enough paths to see every direction. We were mystified by Jim’s compass app, which took a little ‘fiddling’ with to get it to read correctly, and not 180*off (the sun always sets in the west, right?!). Thank goodness being oriented anywhere we are is one of Jim’s extraordinary skills, otherwise I’d be lost all the time…

Today we felt like just wandering around checking out a few different neighbourhoods. We landed at a daily public market situated on the edge of a big pond - very relaxing. Unfortunately for the merchants we’ve gotten saturated with that kind of market - mostly snacks, cheap clothing, matè bowls and souvenirs for sale. We enjoyed the park though and walked back to our apartment in a roundabout way seeing lots we hadn’t seen before. The city has a population of approximately 628,000 and there’s lots going on constantly! 
Tomorrow, Thursday, will be a travel day. We’ll catch a bus at 5:30, then it’ll be an all day ride until we reach Tupiza, Bolivia. 



Where the path takes us!

Two days hanging out to explore Salta

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Leaving Argentina, catching a bus to Bolivia

Salta and excursions to Purmamarca and Salinas Grandes