Bolivia - Uyuni

After spending a day in Cochabamba, we took the 14.5 hour bus ride to Uyuni.  Whenever we tried buying a bus ticket at the tourist offices in town, they looked at us with confusion and mentioned the train.  Well, the train left at weird hours, and we didn't have too many days left on our trip, so we just went to the bus station and hoped for the best.  

The ride was pretty uneventful except for the last four and a half hours.  The road was unpaved and bumpy, and an icy draft seeped through the window.  No sleep was to be had, but it was quite the adventure, and we finally understood why no one sold bus tickets to tourists.

We arrived in Uyuni at 3:30 in the morning.  At about 12,000 feet above sea level, this small town is bitterly cold.  Some man approached Kerri and offered us a cheap hostel, so we blindly followed him through the ghost town for a few minutes, hoping for an already heated room.  No such luck.  Of course, as soon as the man brought us towels and a little portable heater, we fell in love.  It just doesn't take much when one is freezing.  The poor heater tried its best, but we still ended up sleeping in several layers to avoid frostbite.  

The next morning, we switched hostels to one with heated showers and proceeded to scour the town for warmer clothes since our tour the next day would have us in even higher altitudes.  

There was this lady selling used clothing on the street where I bought my purple ski jacket (so warm!) and black scarf.  She was fascinating to talk to, and I was quite impressed with her.  She was raised by her grandparents and only attended school for a year or so due to the three-hour walking distance.  Even so, she still speaks Spanish, Quechua and Aymara but cannot read or write.  She was  a cook on the tours for ten years and now is working for herself with the used clothing.  Like most of the people we saw in Bolivia, she worked all day everyday, so her upbeat attitude was admirable.

I also purchased an extra pair of gloves and long johns.  Okay, everyone has always ranted about long johns, but I have never had an opportunity to try them.  They are amazing and did not leave my body for the next three days.  Best....invention.....ever!

Kerri and I did everything we could to keep warm.  The hallway of our hotel room trapped in the day's heat wonderfully, so we hung out there until the sun went down.  Our solar-heated showers were a huge plus and worth every penny we paid for the place.