Back to La Paz

                    Coming back from the Pampas, I wasn´t sure I was going to stay in La Paz for more than a day. But things changed. I decided to go to Tihuanaco with Aoife and her friend. We took public transport which was a lot like a roller coaster on the way back. If you go to the ruins without expectations or you haven’t seen the ruins in Peru these are good ruins. The main attractions to me, were the large statues that they had put in the center of the sun gate and this lower dwelling that had all these carvings of faces. Some of them were still so intact considering it is a pre-incan ruin.
                   The next day, Aoife and I decided to go on tour of Mount Chacaltaya and the Moon Valley. Mount Chacaltaya is a part of the Cordillera Real and is 5,421m above sea level. In the winter, it is the ski hill for Bolivia, however, due to global warming they only use it for about a month. On the tour, you are bussed up the mountain to 5000m and then you walk the rest. Even after bring in La Paz for a while I could feel the altitude. The buzzing in my ears, the rapid pulse of my heart, and the twisting in my stomach. It is amazing how much it can affect you. The mountain would give striking views on a clear day. But it is the rainy season and clouds were in sight. I still had a lovely time though and would definitely recommend it just for the different lakes and scenery. The Moon Valley in the La Paz was made from a lake. It is all silt that has been formed into craters. Originally, I wasn´t into going because of the moon valley tour I did in San Pedro. However, I am glad I did because their definitely is a stark difference between the two.

Thoughts in the Desert

 One of the views on from the bus on the way to San Pedro.

It is blowing my mind that I am legit in the middle of the desert. Just the variations of the scenery I've gotten a glimpse of is crazy! I am so fortunate to have this opportunity and be able to live my life the way I want. Obviously, by seeing the world. I could spend way longer in each place and I am starting to want that. Constantly being on the move has been good. But its left me lacking the feeling of really getting to know a place. I love that. I can't wait to have a bit of that in Bolivia hopefully.
Making my way up from the south has been interesting. After the marble caves, I encountered a number of small towns with irregular bus systems and very few places to stay. I also had issues with the fact that I wasn't getting to Bolivia when I wanted. I realized that by creating that timeline for myself I wasn't truly enjoying where I was and I just needed to let it go a bit. When I was finally alone again, after Puerto Monty, all the feelings of nervousness came back to me. It is weird to be the only white person amongst a sea of Chileans, but to recognize that you are not the only traveller. You are the only tourist. It really made me want to brush up on my Spanish.
I definitely felt this way on the way to Valporaiso. I had heard and read so many things about getting mugged that I was really nervous when I got off the bus. Everything was fine though and I loved Valporaiso. It reminded me of how I felt when I was in Venice. How I was just content to be lost in the city and take it all in. That it didn't matter if I was alone because I was having this amazing experience with the city itself. That might sound weird... but that's what happened! The street art in Valpo is so amazing! I have so many photos and I am sure there is so much more that I missed. One of the best things though was that I met these guys from Colorado after my walking tour who were going the same way as me and they let me join them so I got to take night photos! As a single girl travelling, I avoid this situation for safety reasons; thus, I never get to do it and I was so thrilled to be able to in such a cool city! I am so happy that I opted to go there and not pass the city up:)
 After Valporaiso, I made my way here to the desert. I have never been to the desert before now, let me tell you.. it is amazing!I was so excited looking out the window on the bus. San Pedro de Atacama, itself, has a charm to it. I haven't really wanted to leave and it is the first time I've stayed anywhere for four nights in forever. I just love the chill atmosphere with the sunshine, stargazing and hammocks!

 The amazing clouds in the desert!

Nefi and I on our private desert tour.

 

 I met my friend Nefi (who I met in Ushuaia) here. It was really cool to meet up with someone you really get on with again. We rented bikes and went to this ruin where we ended up getting a private tour of these caves from the guy in the office. We were both like " is this really happening?" The man (I forget his name) played his wind pipe the whole time and told us a bit of the history etc.

 Our tour guide playing the flight of the Condor. 

Afterwards, we found out that we were the first people he had ever taken up there! So cool. It was one of those moments where you feel like a real traveller and understand that this is why you go to visit new and exciting places.
After the ruins, we went to visit the moon valley. We only got as far as the salt caves because were going to have to return our bikes, but they were so incredible! The desert sunset that day was also amazing!

 Mind blown. I didn't even know where to look.

I went back to the moon valley and had the full tour the next day. It is really crazy to see all the salt mounds that have formed amongst the desert dunes. We watched another beautiful sunset from the edge of rocks as well.

 My camera changed to black and white.. so I guess I am really on the moon?

The view of the amazing sunset!

 

On the tour, I met this really interesting woman from Italy who doesn't believe in money. Her and her boyfriend are travelling the world by bike and doing exchanges for food and board. Thus, an was kind of our tour guide. It was amazing how committed she was to this belief and to hear how she made travel work. Even though I think it is hard to live without some sort of money, I love the concept and the devotion she had. She was really a very cool person to meet!
Yesterday, I went to Cejar Laguna. It is a salt lagoon. You literally just float the whole time! My body was so bouyant I couldn't believe it. It was so neat. They say its like being in the dead sea but not to the same extent. When you walk out you have salt all over your body. After, we went to a second lagoon ths is 500m deep and naturally formed by the earth
 We had to jump off the edge to get in. After watching people I was really nervous and I actually backed out when jumping with Marlene. But once you do it, the rush and the feeling of hitting the water is amazing!
Today, I head to Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia! I can't wait:)