La Vida Errabunda

Back in Argentina meant recovery time from the wild, untamed Bolivia. SLEEP. SHOWER. WARM BED. That may seem basic, but those were not existent during our trip.  The first day, after SSWb, we headed to the infamous museum with momias . Inca mummies. The Museum of High Altitude Archaeology has an entire exhibit dedicated to three frozen Incas, perfectly preserved due to the extreme cold and high altitude at Mt. Llullaillaco (22,000 feet). They were discovered in the late 1990s. It surprised us that the "Inca Trail" extends through northern Chile and Argentina, Bolivia, and Peru. Only one of the three frozen children is displayed at a time due to the religious context, respect, and controversy. It was amazingly intact- hair, teeth, and skin. Saturday was outdoor day. Salta is surrounded by beautiful mountains, so we headed for the nearby Quebrada de San Lorenzo. We decided to fill up on some delicious regional goat cheese, bread, and salami before he went. Full an...

After fitful night of sleep and ice freezing temperatures, we rose early for the least exciting, yet rather short day. Fortunately the incredible view lifted our spirits, along with the excitement of leaving behind the shack. It was a day of rocks and lakes. We first saw the Arbol de Piedra , a rock that looks like a tree. We could climb the other rocks and the early morning sun and air was refreshing. Arbol de Piedra The lakes started with first Laguna Hedionda Sur , then Laguna Hedionda Norte , and finally Laguna Negra . Laguna Hedionda Sur Laguna Hedionda Norte Laguna Negra The trend continued with La Valle de Rocas , a vast plain full of red boulders. The boulders were massive and each one had a lot of character. Favorite rock of the day Random fact: I used to collect rock. Maybe this helps explain why I loved this valley so much. We continued to a field for lunch, were there happened to be many llamas, my new animal of choice. We go...

The morning was cold and clear, the tea and coffee were piping hot. A perfect combination in the mountains of Bolivia. We left the pueblo around 8 am, bursting with coffee, wearing several layers, and swimsuits out for the Aguas Termales . We first drove by Volcán Uturuncu , a giant beautiful mountain spitting distance away. The edge of the swampy lands Volcán en the distance We stopped by Laguna Hedionda briefly, but dubbed it an ugly lake and kept going for Kollpa Laguna , which included our first spotting of wild flamenos flamingos. At this point, we had climbed to a desert, where there was little water of air. There were few animals and not much vegetation, just miles and miles of rocky, sandy earth. We zoomed past an old mine, which was the business for many years until the area was protected. It just employs a few people now, which is why there are many abandoned houses. Desierto de Dali truly did look like a Salvador Dali painting . The fir...

Donde estoy? Porque Bolivia? Que es la fecha? Where am I? Why Bolivia? What day is it? These thoughts swirled through my head early Sunday morning. Oh right, my 21st birthday. In a third world country. In the middle of nowhere. A town with no wifi. Certainly not conventional, but it ended up being one of the best days of my study abroad experience. Starting with a traditional Bolivian breakfast of bread, coffee, and milk, my lovely roommates surprised me with white chocolate m&ms! Oh the joy! Notice GIANT water (less than 1 USD) A Tupiza tourist staple is montar los caballos horseback riding, less than 15 USD with tip for three hours. After walking to the edge of town, we met our 15 year-old tour guide for an exhilarating few hours. I have always ridden Western, not English saddles. English are much more difficult to ride (there is no horn), but that is Bolivians ride. After getting settled, my speckled horse and I were really getting along. I was seeing amazing sce...