Hi,
First of all, I want to thank you for answering my e-mails. And I also want you to know that I am very happy to hearing from you, because this way, it`s like someone else can share what I have seen- it would feel so greate having someone with meÃâ‚
I`m in Potosi . As I had hoped, I made it in 3 days from Sucre . I left late on Wednesday, at about 2 o`clock in the afternoon and got to Millares, 60 km far from Sucre . The route starts from Sucre , at an altitude of 2790 m, then descends for 17 km to Yotola and climbs for 400 m up to 2860 m. Two descents and one short climb are yet to come until Millares, a village situated in a valley (torrent or quebrada), with about 3-4 shops, 2 restaurants and some houses. Here is a road paying point and each time a bus or a minibus stops, about 10-12 girls and women run to the windows for selling juice and food to the passengers. Other buses stop so the passengers can eat at the restaurants.
The night from Wednesday to Thursday was a rainy one. So on Thursday I set off on a cloudy sky. The first pass was at about 2800 m, the difference in altitude of 650 m were made with the help of a truck, then followed a descending, the average speed being 68 km/h. Here`s where the real climb to the altiplano starts, from 2300m to 3860 m!!! 5 km I climbed on my own, then a slow truck was coming closer and I gripped it for the next 8 km. Really great this cycle(truck)tourismÃâ‚ Anyway, outside it was already getting cold and I was wearing just a shirt. When I got on the altiplano, the temperature had lowered 5 Â C and it started to rain. When I was in the low areas of Santa Cruz , I kept hoping the rain would fall and now I was praying the rain to stop and the sun to shine. For 12 km, the road is flat, even descends to its ending. It brought to my mind the last km before Nordkapp, same weather, same landscape.
Just that now I had a better equipment, regarding the clothing and I wasn`t soaked to the bones. Despite the weather was fine for the ducks, it was something special riding the bike, on this high plateau. It is a very interesting natural and cultural landscape. The peasants cultivate on up to 35 degrees steep slopes. The altiplano is a high plain at altitudes from 3500 m to 4000 m, characterized by adobe houses (mud and straws), covered with tiles (in a Mediterranean style) or simply covered with straw. Usually, people are poor, living from agriculture (they cultivate potatoes, corn and grain). In few greenhouses, one can find salad and tomatoes. Onion is widely cultivated. They have irrigating systems, but are not using terraces. One big problem people in this area have to face is the soil erosion of the steep lands and the lack of water in the dry period. At about 3-4 villages, there is a school and along the highway there are sanitary points. On a pouring rain, I climbed again, to 3860m to Betanzos, the last important village before Potosi . I got there at about 14:30, pretty discouraged to keep on cycling that day as I was sweat and freezing. I found a cheap alojamiento and then I went to eat something hot. For the rest of the day, I took a walk and sew some rain protectors for my feet.
When I woke up in the morning, I was blinded by the light colors of the sky. Indeed, up here, the color of the sky is much more intense. The last 50 km, from Betanzos to Potosi were easy to climb, with flat parts of road and few more difficult slopes. It climbs up to about 4200m. I got here early, at 13:15. I got a cheap room (as always, 15 bolivianos = 2 USD) and I hurried to an agency which organizes tours to the local silver mines. The city of Potosi was once the richest in the world, on that time (sec 17.-18.) having the richest silver deposits worldwide. This time left its mark on the city, through the monumental architecture of some houses and churches. It's a real pleasure walking down the narrow steep streets, guarded by the well preserved and renovated houses. As Sucre , it is also included in the cultural patrimony of UNESCO.
Along three other tourists, we went to visit a little private mine, where 4 Ãâ‚Å“managerÃâ‚ miners are working, helped by 3-4 mine workers, each. Maybe it is the most difficult work that is to be done here, because they have no machines, they are striking the holes using only their hands and dynamite for the required explosions - many accidents are happening there this way. They are staying in the mine about 16-20 hours a day, only with their coca leafs, 96% alcohol and water, using their carbide lamps to lighten the galleries and haveing very bad ventilation.
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At the moment, the price of the silver has lowered a lot on the world wide market. Only the industrial exploitation mines still have a real profit. The rainy period must have started. The Uyuni salar already has 5-7 cm of water, so I wonÂt be able to ride my bike all the way to Isla de los Pescadores . The water does not infiltrate, it just can evaporate. Maybe i`ll try a jeepÃâ‚
To Uyuni, there are 220 km. I think in about 4-5 days i`ll be there, the road is unpaved, they say it climbs for the first 50 km, then the road is flat. Villages are more rare here. It seams I have to carry more food and start cooking.
OK, this is kind of it, anyway I wrote too much and you might not be in mood to read all these details. Maybe when you get bored, you`ll come back and read some more. I`m going to sleep, it`s already 11 and it`s been a while since I haven`t stayed awake so late.
See you in Uyuni
