B is for Bolivia: Part 4 - The Road to Potosí

Cerro Rico (Rich Mountain), Potosí

Previous: Part 3 - Salta

My journey to the Argentine border town of La Quiaca began very early in the morning from Salta at 6am. I needed to give myself plenty of travelling time to reach Tupiza so that I wouldn't get stuck at Villazón, the Bolivian border town known for seediness, so an early morning start it was. La Quiaca was a 6 hours bus ride through magnificent mountain views and dusty Amerindian towns, the journey was a joy but when the bus finally stopped, my nightmare begun.

As soon as I arrived, I realised that in order to get to the border post, I had to walk from the bus terminal, which is about 1km. Without proper signage on where the border is, I had to ask, in my crappy Spanish, donde esta Bolivia? (where is Bolivia) and the locals would point to the correct direction. In that fashion, I checked out of my beloved Argentina, on an unimpressive concrete bridge and farewelled by handsome and flirtatious border guards.

Argentine and Bolivian border, view from La Quiaca

I walked into Bolivia feeling the glares of stern faces, two border guards even went through my passport page by page, as if admiring the number of stamps I've accumulated. Fortunately the rumoured fee was not mentioned, my passport was stamped and welcome to Bolivia!

Villazón is a typical border town with many shop outlets, hawkers, and people just hanging around the streets, here I saw many Bolivian ladies in their traditional outfit - bowler hat, big and bulky looking umbrella skirt, thick brown stockings, black platform-less/open toes shoes, and some with colourful aprons. Many ladies also carried their child wrapped in colourful rug looking material that tied around their shoulders. After changing my Pesos into Bolivianos and 2 hours waiting around, I was ready to get on my bus to Tupiza.

El Dusto bus ride from Villazón to Tupiza

The bus ride was a nightmare, and unbeknown to me, Bolivian roads are a nightmare in the south-west, it is gravel all the way! The vehicle I travelled on was old, possibly an ex-Greyhound bus that has seen its heyday in the US back in the 50s, another reminder I had arrived in Bolivia, there is no such thing as Cama or Semi Cama nonsense here.

The locals all scrambled aboard way before the bus starts and have a habit of leaving their luggage or bags on the aisle, they also like to wait patiently by the exit at least 5 minutes before their stops, often leaning against the passengers seated by the exit for balance. I was seated closest to the exit for the first half of the ride...

Bus ticket booth, Tupiza

The bus journey can only be described as dusty - dirt flew into the bus through the open windows from the gravel road, sand coloured adobe villages along the way looked like chalk work, even the sign post showing Evo Cumple (Evo Fulfills) were partially covered in dust.

To add to my discomfort, most locals has an unpleasant body odour, it was especially unpleasant when their behinds were in my face as they bent over to pick up their luggage. At the end of the journey, I was covered in dust, my bags are covered in dust, there was dust in my hair, in my eyes (contact lens wearers be warned), in my ears, in my nose, everywhere! I was totally exhausted from the bumpy ride and was so happy when I finally took a hot shower.

I've also learn an important lesson to never take the seats closest to the exit in a Bolivian bus!

Downtown Tupiza

Tupiza is another dusty Bolivian town with few unimpressive buildings, the most notable historical event was that Butch Cassidy and the Sundance kid were gunned down in the nearby mine they were robbing. Most travellers used Tupiza as an overnight pit stop to go on to Uyuni (to see the giant salt lake) or onto Potosí, like myself. The bus ride the next morning from Tupiza to Potosí took 8 hours, 7 were on gravel road. I have never been so dusty and uncomfortable in my life till travelling on a bus in Bolivia, many times I wished I could beam myself to the destination.

Casa de Moneda, Potosí Mint

Potosí is the highest city in the world at 4,090 meters above sea level, it also made walking a challenge when suffering altitude sickness, I felt like I have walked up 5-storeys after just walking about 100 meters. Minerally rich, Potosí was the richest city in the world in the 1600s, but the silver ran out in the 1800s resulting in its decline.

Balcony, Potosí

Today, the once impressive colonial buildings are slowly deteriorating, it was still possible to admire the craftsmanship of centuries long gone walking on its cobble stone alleys. Unfortunately the Bolivian drivers are fond of tooting their horns at every corner, creating a sense of chaos in an otherwise tranquil town.

Up to this point, I've found the people are not as friendly comparing to the Argentinians, perhaps the Amerindian's hook nose and stern eyes doesn't seem as friendly. Instead of the friendly smiles I got so used to in Argentina, I got stared at often in Bolivia, maybe I was as exotic to them as they were to me!

Next: Part 5 - World's Highest Everything