Bolivia

We made it.
We left the Southern Cone, and entered Bolivia.
No pictures, cause the netbook is down. We´re working on it...

After a four day tour through northwestern Argentina with three guys from France (Olivier, Caro, Lea visited multi-colored mountains and steep valleys with us as well as the Argentinean Salinas Grandes) and a nice couchsurfing stay with Horacio in Salta, we took the bus to the bordertown La Quiaca.
Having arrived at 6 in the morning, we crossed the border on foot - and Cris only got a 30 day permission to stay despite her 90 day visa.
In the Bolivian bordertown Villazon, things were already very different. Most places on the so-called Altiplano Bolivia is situated on are higher than 3000 meters high, the sun is intense. Smiley people, a whole lunch for 1,50 Euros, and for the first time we could take a train.
In the evening we arrived in Tupiza, a good place to start the tour through the Salar de Uyuni from.

By chance, we met a nice Aussie couple that had found the right tour operator. They sat next to us in a bad "Italian" restaurant (one of a chain of 5 in two blocks...) when we discussed which of the several unappealing options we should take. The problem is that most drivers drink, chew coca leaves and drive. Falling asleep or being unattentive, crashes are frequent.
We went with "La Torre", our driver Juan Carlos and his mama as cook (which already gave me a good feeling ). He and his 1998 Toyota Landcruiser were in really good shape, so no worries anybody!

We went 1200 k in four days, seeing active volcanos, a lot of cacti, lamas, salt desert, lakes of different colors, sand, stones - and slept in a salt hotel last night. :D

The highlight was the sunrise in the salt flat this morning - so many colors in the calm.

Tomorrow we´ll take the bus to Potosí, the highest city in the world - our first bus ride in Bolivia, which is gonna be thrilling, too.

Looking forward to finally upload pictures again.
mart

PS: If you go somewhere close, let us know! So far there were only two messages implying a chance to meet up... :D