Roy Schofield

2016 JUNE

Introduction

The forthcoming trip (or at least part of it) had been on my wishlist for a number of years and was one that I knew would take a lot of preparation and planning.

This trip was to be both different and special.

Different, because whilst I had always travelled on my own outside Europe (apart from meeting up with Ansagan and Mao in Kazahkstan and Cambodia respectively), this time I had a companion by the name of Oliver.

Whilst talking about travelling around five years previously, I had mentioned how I was enthusiastic about travelling to Peru – and especially Machu Picchu – in Oliver’s presence. Oliver – who was then in his late teens responded how he had seen pictures and read about it – and was equally as enthusiastic to go. I (half jokingly) told him I would let him know when I was going and he could travel with me.

Oliver then went to university and I travelled to many other areas of the world for the next few years – but when I had contact with Oliver we often joked about Machu Picchu. Once he finished university, he got a temporary job – whilst I continued my travels – but not to Machu Picchu!

In December 2015 I decided that as I was not getting any younger, I needed to start planning my trip to South America including Machu Picchu for the following summer and so I contacted Oliver and told him of my plans and that he was welcome to join me. Understandably, he asked for a few days to think about it and I was thrilled when he said he would love to come with me.

With the travel plans I already had in hand, it meant June 2016 would be an ideal time to visit South America – and we soon agreed to visit several countries – Chile, Bolivia and Peru. So the plan was started – not only to visit the three countries – but to save Peru – and Machu Picchu – until the end.

The trip was also to be special too – for both Oliver and myself – as within a few days Oliver also informed me that he would be leaving his job at the end of May, travelling to South America with me – and then travelling on to South East Asia on his own before heading to Australia. I was impressed – and excited for him!

The trip was special for me because the three countries we were to visit were the only countries I had not visited in South America (indeed all of the mainland Americas) and also because whilst talking to Oliver about Machu Picchu – and after some consideration – we decided we wanted to walk the Inca Trail – which was a four day trek – and involved walking up mountains at heights up to around 4,215 metres (13,828 feet). I only hoped that with the years passing me by I would be fit enough to complete it – and in preparation I headed to the hilly parts of Yorkshire (especially Malham Cove!) on a number of occasions to help with my preparations.

So with plans developing between us over the next six months, the time for departure soon arrived – with an itinerary that covered seeing three major cities in South America, visiting the Atacama desert, salt lakes, geysers, mountains, llamas, Lake Titicaca and… the 4 day trek on the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu.

Wednesday 08/June/2016 (UK-Chile)

As is normal when starting my travels, I awoke knowing I had a very long day ahead of me – possibly around 45 hours before I was next in bed. I finished my usual pre-travel chores and ensured everything I would need was packed – far more than when travelling to the heat of Asia – as I was travelling to the cold temperatures of high altitude mountains.

Finally, in mid afternoon it was time to meet up with Oliver (Olly) at Leeds City Station for the train journey to Manchester airport. It was good to see him again and we chatted on the train journey a little about how the original comments about travelling to Machu Picchu where hopefully coming to fruition.

We arrived in good time at the airport, checked our bags in and cleared security before enjoying refreshments whilst chatting. It was easy to see the excitement and anticipation Olly had towards the trip – and I had to admit to being excited – and a little nervous – myself. Even though I had travelled extensively I had always felt a certain amount of nervousness and apprehension leading up to most trips – depending on the locations I was visiting (with the exception of Cambodia – of course!).

I asked Olly how many countries he had visited. He totalled five – and all family holidays within Europe – so it was a very new experience for him. He asked me how many I had visited and I told him (with a smile) that he was only 113 counties behind me which was also reflected in his shiny looking passport with few stamps compared to my battered – almost full – passport (and my umpteenth it seemed) – but I was envious that his passport was going to be getting well used in the coming months (although hopefully mine would continue to do so too).

Our first flight took us the short distance from Manchester to Paris where we had around 90 minutes before our next flight to Santiago in Chile – with a scheduled flight time of 14 hours and 30 minutes. Despite all the long distance flights I had made, I couldn’t recall being on such long flight previously – with maybe a little over 13 hours being the longest. So, knowing how I get so bored on long flights I warned Olly I would soon be annoying him! I also knew that it was going to be a very, very long night – and approaching 23:30 the long flight began and we took off into the night sky.

Thursday 09/June/2016

Soon after midnight, dinner was served on the flight and there was various in-flight entertainment available. In the early hours the lights were dimmed to enable people to sleep, Fortunately Olly and myself had three seats between the two of us and so we could try to get a little more comfortable and we both managed patches of sleep as the night progressed. The long, long night appeared to go on for ever – and travelling virtually all of it in the darkness of night. A couple of hours before landing another meal was served before we finally landed at Santiago Airport a little before 08:00 – just as the day was starting to get light.

We had no problems going through immigration and after collecting our bags went through a final security scan – where interestingly we saw a couple of officials with a sniffer dog in training!. Once we had made our exit through security and customs we were met by the usual crowd of people waiting for relatives and touting for business. We decided to get the bus to the centre of Santiago and then a taxi to the hotel. The bus departed from outside the terminal building and we were soon on our way.

The journey showed both the scruffier side of Santiago and the smarter area once we approached the centre. On leaving the bus we flagged a taxi to take us to the hotel but sadly the traffic was severely gridlocked - apparently due to a large water mains burst which was causing many roads to be mini rivers – with an inch or two of water running down them, Our taxi driver advised us to walk the last few blocks – which we did – and we arrived at our hotel around mid morning. As our room wasn’t ready, we left our bags at the hotel and started off walking into the centre.

The city looked to be going through its normal daily life and we were enjoying walking around the central area getting a feel of the place and seeing some impressive buildings - both old and new - until we rounded one corner where several Carabineros police were grouped. As we then entered the main boulevard running through Santiago we saw a small group of students marching along in some kind of protest. 

We continued to walk along the avenue and passed several other groups protesting as they walked along. It was also noticeable that there were many groups of Carabineros police along our route – and several heavily protected police vehicles too!

As we walked along, we took a number of diversions to look at various buildings and plazas and could hear the drums of the protesters in the distance. Due to our various diversions sightseeing around the area, the protesters gradually caught us up. It was obvious that most businesses had shut and police numbers had grown considerably. 

Looking at the marchers it was clear that their numbers had grown many times over and almost stretched as far as the eye could see both behind and in front of us. The air was filled with the sound of whistles, chanting and the sound of drums – all banging fanatically in each group as they marched along.

Many students were now spilling over onto the pavement where we were walking along and sadly the atmosphere changed from determined but good spirited protest into one of anger as police vehicles charged along using water cannons and tear gas.

The anger turned into violence and there was conflict between the students and the police – where police vehicles were hit with stones, concrete and paint – whereas the police continued to fire their water cannons and tear gas. Clearly some students had been expecting this and were prepared by having gas masks. Other innocent people – Olly and myself included – suddenly had to take what actions were available to lessen the effect of the tear gas. 

Sadly, the situation continued to deteriorate in minutes. Several small fires were started, painted slogans appeared on most walls and buildings, church windows were smashed and a statue of Christ from the church was attacked and broken up. Barriers that had been put in place to control the crowds were now being dismantled by the students and moved to be used as blockades to prevent police vehicles from charging along the road but alternate lanes were used by the police – who began to charge at anyone and almost everyone in the area. Side streets became blocked as people took refuge and even office workers were seen leaving their buildings badly affected by the tear gas.

One part of the central area of Santiago had become a battleground and the ‘mist’ hanging over the streets was indeed tear gas. Thankfully Olly and myself were okay – apart from stinging eyes – and we were quick to escape down a side street when the police vehicles turned in our direction.

After a while the situation appeared to calm and as we slowly made our way back to the area of our hotel the boulevard was starting to recover a little as others were beginning to use the area once again whilst the cleaning up process began.

We decided it was time for refreshments were soon sitting outside some side street cafe in the streets away from the main boulevard. Olly had experienced his first lesson as to how different life can be in other countries and made me laugh when he turned to me and said;

“Well… I wanted to travel for excitement…” – and shook his head with a smile.

After Olly had eaten his large burger we headed back to the hotel for a rest. The evening was dark by 6pm and Olly was content to stay in the hotel room and have a relaxing evening after such long day – whilst around 19:30 I went for a walk downtime where the streets were still very busy but peaceful. 

The evening was turning very chilly – and with sunset being well before 6pm, it felt like a November evening in the U.K. I searched round for somewhere to eat and found an arcade full of eating places – all serving excellent value meals. I made my selection and enjoyed my steak slices with onions, chips, two fried eggs and three small bread cakes – with coffee!

Soon after, I decided to leave the evening chill and return to the hotel – buying Olly some crisps on the way back. However on my return – the long day had caught up with him and he was already in a deep sleep. I showered and wrote some blog before ending what had been an eventful time since leaving home!

Friday 10/June/2016

Both Olly and myself awoke a little before 08:00 just as daylight was breaking. The outside temperature showed 2C even though there was a beautiful blue sky and the sun beginning to appear. We enjoyed our breakfast and afterwards returned to our room to pack and check out of the hotel – but leaving our bags there until early afternoon.

We were then out on the streets enjoying the sunshine but cool temperature. We headed for some of the areas we had visited the previous day where some roads were still being cleared of debris from the riots. Newspaper stands displayed several newspapers where their front page covered the story. 

We walked along the large boulevard for a couple of miles before starting our return. Late morning called for refreshments and we sat at a pavement cafe to enjoy our drinks and watch the Santiago people go about their daily business. We also chatted about travel – and about Santiago.

After a relaxing 45 minutes we continued our journey back to the area where our hotel was and after a while returned to collect our bags and make our way to the airport. As I strolled around the airport waiting for my flight I noticed some footballers in their tracksuits and was amused to see the badge of Cola Cola – the Chilean team I went to see play a friendly game against Leeds in Melbourne (Australia) many years previous.

Early evening and our flight was ready to board – departing a little after 6pm. Two hours later we landed at Calama – a small city in the northern half of Chile. From there we caught a taxi to our hotel – arriving around 9pm. We both wanted food and so we walked to the centre so see what was open. The immediate things we noticed were the number of stray dogs on the streets, the number of homeless people, the steel shutters on every building that was closed and the graffiti. Not the most impressive indicators.

Surprisingly though, we found several large pharmacies that were both very large and open. There were a number of bar/restaurants open too and we soon decided on one – where we had a meal. On leaving, it was noticeable that it was getting very chilly – and there were also less people on the streets – with many businesses closed – with shutters down!

We returned to the hotel where we spent some leisure time before starting our sleep.

Saturday 11/June/2016

We awoke, showered and enjoyed breakfast overlooking the hotel pool – chatting about our plans. Then, after packing our belongings, it was time to walk downtown again – to see if the place looked any better in daylight. Our initial impressions were that it did not. The stray dogs still followed us and even though it was around 09:30 everywhere still appeared closed with their graffiti filled shutters locked.

We had two main objectives – to book the 13:30 bus from Calama to San Pedro De Atacama and secondly to finally try to book a bus from Calama to Uyuni (in Bolivia) the following Wednesday. We soon found the bus station (well, an office with a yard at the side of it for one bus!) and the tickets for the 85km journey to San Pedro were purchased at around £3 each. Sadly – and frustratingly – booking the second bus for the Wednesday was not possible as it wasn’t running.

I had been checking their website for a month or two and the route we required ran each Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Thursday – and indeed the reservations could be made on their web site several days before departure – and I had checked the Wednesday bus had always operated – which it had. So it meant we had to book the Calama to Uyuni journey for the Thursday necessitating several changes to arrangements already made or planned.

As always, when these kind of things had happened in the past, I had treated it as one of the ‘joys’ of travelling – and looked for positives! 

We then continued to walk around the centre – and slowly the place appeared to be coming to life. Once some of the shutters were raised, the place looked a little more inviting. After a short while we returned to the hotel, checked out and walked down towards where the bus departed from. When almost there we had plenty of time to kill so we sat in the sun at a nearby ‘cafe’ and ordered water and coffee. They did not have coffee! – so two waters it was then.

Once it was nearing time for departure, we crossed the road and was soon climbing onto the bus ready for our 90 minute journey to San Pedro. The bus left the yard and we were soon on our way. The roads were good and the bus wasn’t bad neither. As the journey progressed the scenery got better and better – and as we entered the second half of the journey suddenly the scenery became something special. At one point Olly looked out of the window and just said “Ohhhh…” and my camera was in overdrive too. We laughed afterwards how all the locals didn’t appear to be interested in the views – whilst we were both in raptures!

Once we came to our destination, we collected our bags from under the coach and walked to our hotel where we checked in. As usual, we were soon out on the streets to have a look around and we were both bemused at such place – where if you had taken down the current signs, it could have been an old wild western town! It almost appeared the there were four streets leading from the little crossroads in the centre. One street was travel agents, another money changes, a third restaurants/bars and the forth souvenirs.

We walked around for a while, enjoyed a cool drink, visited the market area and several shops before returning to the hotel for a short while. We watched the sun setting and the impact it had on the mountains in our distant views. Darkness fell around 18:30 and soon after we headed off into the small town again. It was interesting to see the array of shops – with some very dowdy looking local grocery type shops – to several very bright and modern looking boutique style shops selling clothes or jewellery. 

As we walked round we looked for somewhere to eat – and found a local restaurant that was only partially enclosed. We were invited to sit at a table adjacent to an open fire – burning wooden pieces. We both ordered our food – and we selected the dish I had certainly wanted to try – Llama! Soon after the stew and the steak came – and very nice it was!

After enjoying our meal we had another walk round looking at tour agents for the options for various tours in the area to enable us to try to assemble some kind of mini-itinerary. With information in hand we headed back to the hotel amazed at what we had seen en route to San Pedro de Atacama – but also full of excitement and anticipation as to what we may see in the forthcoming days.

Sunday 12/June/2016 

The morning sun didn’t rise over the mountain tops until around 08:00 with a definite chill in the air (approx 6C). Soon after we headed for breakfast and it appeared to be the usual ham, cheese and salami slices, scrambled eggs, fruit, coffee and tea – only in this hotel one of the options was coca tea – something we knew we would be offered often once we got on our trek. So… we tried it!

After breakfast, it was a walk in the town again. Interesting that even at 10:00 the streets were very quiet – with few places open. It was also very noticeable that whilst it was maybe chilly (not Chile) first thing at morning, the locals appeared to wear clothing that we would only wear in the depths of winter. It was interesting seeing them in ski type jackets, wool hats, scarves, boots etc. whilst we had shorts and t-shirt – albeit with boots (due to the uneven surfaces and dust etc).

We had a look around again and the visited several tour companies. We decided that our first trip would be to Valle de la Luna which would depart that afternoon. This gave us time to take a walk to the outskirts of the town and take a few more pictures – as well as enjoying the pure blue skies and sunshine. The temperature was up to mid 20’s by lunchtime and much warmer in the sun – and so gave us the opportunity to relax in the sun before preparing for our first trip.

As the time approached for us to meet at the travel company we had to ensure we were prepared with the likes of water, boots and warm clothing (as the temperature fell quickly after sunset). We met with 4 others and our driver/guide and set off out of town. Immediately the amazing scenery was surrounding us as we drove to our first location – and stop.

Here we got out of the minibus and started our walk up a sandy track alongside huge rocks and sand dunes. It was an uphill trek for around 20 minutes but once at the top the scenery… well… was stunning to say the least. Vast sand dunes like small mountains, rocks of many different colours and layers, mountains in the distance and salt flats too. The colours, the landscape, the scenery, the stillness – all led to something I had not witnessed previously.

After around 90 minutes at this location we then progressed on a journey that continued the amazing theme. Over hills, down valleys, the scenery continued to amaze. Any descriptions I attempted would not do it justice. Any photographs still would not do it justice. We stopped at various locations and photographs galore were obviously taken.

Probably – and almost unbelievably, that was surpassed by the finale – approaching sunset and at a great height overlooking these amazing scenes for miles – and as the sun went down the colours of the landscapes changed too. It was a finale to take your breath away!

Olly was laughing at the number of photographs I was taking and I kept insisting that it was the last one but I could not resist taking every change of shade on the mountains etc – even when I realised I had taken in excess of 300 in the few hours of the tour!

After the sun had gone behind the distant mountains we returned back to town – where Olly needed to eat. Afterwards we returned to the hotel and relived the previous few hours before I went for a meal – again Llama and potatoes – with a small spicy dish of salad with small breadcakes. I returned to the hotel and we both fell asleep amazed at the sights we had seen.

Monday 13/June/2016

It was the usual breakfast to start the day – as the sun began to shine and warm the cold (~2C) morning air. Olly and myself again chatted about the previous evening and about the plans for the day – which we already knew what tour we wanted to experience. This too – like the previous day was an afternoon departure.

We again walked into the town and visited a couple of travel agents – from the many that almost lined the road advertising their tours. We discussed our requirements and soon found the next two tours that we wished to do at a reasonable price. After changing some money we returned to book the two trips and could look forward to hopefully another two amazing experiences. 

We walked around the town a little – where the small main square sat adjacent to an equally small church. There was a souvenir market too – where every stall catered for the tourist who wanted virtually any type of souvenir. We then returned to the hotel for a while to relax and sit in the sun.

Again before departure on our next tour to Laguna Cejar, we stocked up on water and ensured we had our boots and warm clothing before setting off again to the town. We met up with the the other dozen or so people who were on the same trip and were soon en route for the laguna – which (like the Dead Sea) had a very high salt level and therefore was fun trying to swim!

Once we starting arriving in the area – which was part of the salt flats – the scenery was interesting once again with all around us being so flat and almost white. The was some vegetation, obviously plants that could survive the desert conditions. As we approached the laguna our guide told us a little about the area before we got off the bus, went to the changing rooms (a small block of several cubicles) and proceeded down to the waters edge. The hard rocky surface was difficult to walk on in bare feet but once at the waters edge there was an easy access to the water- albeit a deep part of the laguna.

The water was surprisingly very cold considering it was located in the heat of the desert. I could only assume that the cold nights dragged the temperature of the water down. It was fun – and ‘refreshing’ swimming about – although steadily due to the altitude. It appeared that the way to stay warmest was to ‘stand’ upright in the water with little action needed to keep afloat.

Once we had dried and changed, the small bus left for our next destination which was two deep circular pools surrounded by the distant beautiful mountains – and another wonderful photographic opportunity. Shortly after we moved on to another amazing location that was once again going to produce some amazing scenes as the sun set.

Again the colours of the mountains changed as the sun lowered – with deep purples, browns, pinks, sandy colours all being prominent and the colours were gradually changing as the sun lowered. To add to this totally magical display, the water of this laguna gave a wonderful reflection of the mountains. Again, it really was a breathtaking experience.

Olly and myself just kept whispering superlative after superlative as we tried to take it all in – and accept it was not some type of mystical dream. At one point Olly turned to me and said 

“If a single air fare is £500, it is worth paying just to see this.” I think he was impressed.

Again my camera and mobile phone were capturing wonderful images that would be viewed for many years to come – as I reminder of how wonderful nature could be. It was clearly one of those times when you wished time would stand still so the experience never ended.

Sadly, as the sun lowered and lowered the experience was coming to an end – although it was extended a little by the guide placing a table outside the bus with a selection of nibbles and drinks – and passengers exchanging stories of their travels. As darkness approached it was time to get back on the bus and head for San Pedro with another amazing and unforgettable experience completed.

On return to San Pedro it was time for food – and we found a small cosy restaurant to enjoy good food. Olly had a spicy chicken dish that he was in raptures about – whilst the chicken dish I had was possibly the most tender chicken I had ever enjoyed. Again we enthused about the sights we had experienced before heading back to the hotel for showers and an early night to bed in preparation for an early start the following morning.

Tuesday 14/June/2016

My alarm woke us both at 03:40 – giving us time to quickly get ready and prepare ourselves for the trip ahead. As we left the hotel, the cold night air (2C) quickly surrounded us – but that was to be far warmer than our destination – the Geyers of Taito – one of the highest geyser areas in the world.

The minibus collected us from outside our hotel around 04:30 and we collected a number of other passengers from their accommodation as we started the journey in the dark and cold. Everyone was wrapped in their thermals and other clothes to keep out the cold. As we set off out of town the roads became bumpy tracks for parts of the journey. Around 90 minutes later – and after ascending a fair bit of the journey – a little bit of light was just beginning to show beyond the mountains.

Within minutes we stopped at a small parking area where we had to pay our entry fee before returning to the minibus and moving on a short distance. There, in the near darkness, the grey steam could be seen leaving the ground and floating into the air. We were now at 4,320 metres (14,173 feet) above sea level, the temperature was -7C and there were clearly reduced levels of oxygen in the air.

For what reason, I don’t know – but the geysers are more active around sunrise apparently and true to the word of the locals they came much more to life as the daylight brightened. Of course the camera was in action again – trying to capture images to show the height and extent to which the steam flowed. The other image that I was trying to capture was with the sun rising behind columns of steam. 

A breakfast was served on a small table at the side of the bus – consisting of bread cakes, ham slices, cheese slices and an avocado paste – with hot tea or coffee (which was most welcome in the freezing temperatures). More photographs were taken as daylight began to flood the area before it was time to leave for the next adventure.

We drove a short distance from the geysers to a nearby geothermal pond – where you could change and swim. If changing into swimwear in those temperatures appeared cruel – then walking barefooted on the rock floor was even more cruel. Thankfully the waters were warm and it was fun to swim around in those temperatures – although the reduced oxygen levels did have an impact on my breathing after swimming for a minute or two.

Another battle with nature was when leaving the warm water – into the cold air – and bodies looking like mini geysers as the warm water evaporated into the freezing air. It did ensure a quick rub down and getting warm clothes back on though – and soon we were setting off through more wonderful scenery where there were opportunities to photograph wildlife – including llamas and various birds.

Continuing our journey, we visited the tiny village of Machuca – where old traditional houses were still in use alongside the tiny village church. Llama kebabs could be purchased and some goats cheese pasties – freshly made. We stayed to admire the scenery and enjoy the local food before returning back to San Pedro at lunchtime. Again, our trip had been a remarkable experience and another selection of amazing scenery to photograph and enjoy.

After our return, we relaxed in the sun at the hotel for a few hours – and discussed our travel plans for the next few days. In the evening it was time to enjoy our last evening meal and we found a local restaurant showing football (Chile of course were playing) and enjoyed a pizza each. As we walked back to the hotel we enjoyed strolling along the main street looking in a few of the shops. We also commented on how the walls appeared to store the heat from the sun during the day – and radiate it back into the streets at night. 

On our return to the hotel we also noticed (as on previous nights) how clear the sky was – and how an infinite number of stars could be seen across the whole sky. Another wondrous experience – due to the location we were in – to end the day.

Wednesday 15/June/2016

It was our last breakfast and last few hours in San Pedro de Atacama. Once we had enjoyed breakfast it was a short walk to the bus station to decide which bus we should catch. The morning was as all the previous mornings – blue skies, sunshine but a little chilly – although it would warm up as the morning progressed.

Once at the bus station we decided on the 3pm bus back to Calamar and booked our tickets. Olly was thinking of hiring a bike and cycling for a few hours whilst I was thinking more of sitting in the sun! Olly finished packing his bags before going off to try to hire a bike – whilst I was repacking my bag and catching up on several things.

Around 45 minutes later Olly returned – as he had been unsuccessful in hiring a bike. I needed to go into town to buy my customary souvenirs – and so we walked into town and headed for the ‘souvenir’ market – where every stall sold souvenirs. Such vast choices always made selection difficult – and this was no exception. I purchased a couple of things – and likewise did Olly.

We then decided to look at a few shops on the main street and here I completed my purchases. We strolled around in the lunchtime sun before returning to a cafe where we had visited the first day – where we both enjoyed a drink sitting in the sun and reflecting on our amazing time in San Pedro.

Sadly the time moved on and it was time for us to return to the hotel, collect our bags and walk down to the bus station. We had both had a wonderful time in the area and felt some sadness at leaving – especially to return to Calamar!

At 3pm we were on the bus (which was very new and luxurious) and starting our journey back to Calamar. The scenery again was wonderful – albeit may be not as stunning as we first thought as we had seen so many unbelievable sights since. The journey back to Calamar took the expected 90 minutes and once there we returned to the hotel where we had stayed a few nights previous.

As it was still daylight, we decided to go for a walk round the centre. It didn’t appear quite as bad as our first visits there – but was still not the nicest town I’d visited. We walked around for a while before Olly decided he wanted to eat and return to the hotel – whilst I was content to continue walking about – so we went our separate ways.

The town remained very busy – which was a surprise as on our previous visit, it had been deserted by just after 9pm – but this time there appeared to be no sign of the place closing up for the day. After walking around for about 90 minutes I decided to eat in a local cafe/restaurant where my meal entailed a huge oval plate covered with rice and french fries and topped with four chicken steaks. I have to admit that it outfaced me!

I then returned to the hotel to prepare for the following day – as it was another early start – before showering and sleeping.

Thursday 16/June/2016

We awoke to the alarm at 05:00, finished packing and preparing for the day and checked out of the hotel to start our walk to the centre of town. It was dark and cold – and the streets were empty – apart from the usual stray dogs – and some taxis and buses. We arrived at the bus station around 05:40 – ready for our departure to Uyuni in Bolivia – and joined a small group of people who were already awaiting the staff to open up and prepare us for the journey.

The small group of passengers increased in numbers – and within minutes it was time to load our bags onto the coach. Sadly, at this point Olly realised his small bag wasn’t at his feet – where it had been – but another similar bag was there instead. There had been some confusion with one ‘passenger’ – and some distraction – with the ‘passenger’ eventually leaving maybe for another coach a little further up the street. Olly ran up to the coach to search for the man with the bag but he was nowhere to be seen.

With only a few minutes to departure, Olly reluctantly had to accept that he wasn’t going to see his bag again – and decided we should continue with our plans to travel. Sadly it meant the loss of several valuable items including his Ipad, credit cards and cash – besides other miscellaneous items. He told some of the staff and one of the passengers kindly translated – but sadly told him the news that he had been robbed! We chatted a few minutes about the consequences of this and the actions he needed to take. Thankfully his mature attitude meant that he would learn from it – but not allow it to spoil his travels – which was great considering he was only a week into his travels.

The journey began and we left the dark and deserted streets of Calamar behind us and headed for the border with Bolivia. As daylight broke we could see the scenic route as we travelled along. The journey was uneventful for over two hours – when there was a loud bang. A few minutes later the driver stopped the bus and could be seen checking round it. He got back on to the bus and we continued our journey.

A little after that he pulled up again by the roadside and asked for a few men to help. Luckily finding large wooden blocks, some rock and a large pole, he managed to jack the bus up – as a tyre had blown – leaving a gap your hand would fit through. It then took five of us to manage to get the spare wheel from the boot of the bus.

Whilst the driver and his colleague were changing the wheel, the young lady who had translated for Olly in the bus station began talking to him and as I approached them I heard the young lady say “Leeds”. I smiled and told her I knew that place. She told me she did too – as she studied there. I asked if she meant at Leeds University – to which she replied “Yes”.

I told her she would know the Parkinson Building then. To which she told me “Of course!”

I then asked her if she used the computer clusters – and she grinned and said “Oh…I love the clusters”

I was gobsmacked! But it was good to meet someone who appreciated my work – even if I had finished over 5 years previous – and I went on to tell her how I was Project Manager for the design and installation of all the computer clusters (often over 100 PC’s in old converted chemical labs etc.). We all laughed at the amazing odds of meeting up in the middle of nowhere near the Chile/Bolivia border! She went on to explain that she was born in London, now based in Santiago (Chile) but studying at Leeds University.

Soon afterwards the tyre had been repaired and we were ready to continue our journey. Around an hour later we arrived at the border crossing. We all got off the bus at the Chile side and had our passports stamped out – before getting back on the bus and driving around half mile to the immigration office of Bolivia. Here we were made to line up in single file to enter what appeared little more than a portacabin.

Once inside, a grumpy looking uniformed official took my passport and forms. After checking the forms he then progressed to open my passport. He got frustrated trying to find a space for him to stamp it. I realised what his problem was and shortly after he gave me my passport back muttering in Spanish. I took it from him and fortunately and immediately found a page where there was a space to accommodate his stamp. He looked at me, looked at my passport page and reluctantly stamped me into Bolivia!

We then had to get onto another bus from Bolivia that would continue our journey to Uyuni. It was even more of a wreck then the first bus! The scenery became much less impressive too. It was also surprising that several times we stopped in the middle of nowhere to pick up passengers. Where they had come from remained a mystery to me.

Around 3pm we arrived in Uyuni. We said our farewells to the young lady who was studying at Leeds before changing some money and getting a taxi to our hotel. After dropping our bags, we walked to the centre and sampled Bolivian life at the market- seeing many ladies wearing bowler style hats.

In the town itself there was little to attract tourist – apart from the nearby salt flats – which we had been hoping to see but because the bus from Calamar to Uyuni did not run that particular Wednesday we were unable to – as we also had a flight booked the following morning.

We sampled the busy life of the town – amused at seeing many ladies in their more traditional dress. As the evening approached the temperature rapidly dropped and was forecast to be -5C that night. We ate in a local restaurant before ending a day of very mixed emotions – especially for Olly!