"Bolivian Altiplano Adventures" (by Phil Clarke-Hill)

Driving through the Salar Uyuni, the largest salt flats in the World. At some times of year they are covered in water making it more difficult to cross, but the reflections make it equally spectacular as when its dry.

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 13:49:23 +0000

Driving through the Salar Uyuni, the largest salt flats in the World. At some times of year they are covered in water making it more difficult to cross, but the reflections make it equally spectacular as when its dry.
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When the Salar Uyuni is dry, it spreads before you like a never ending desert of salt

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 14:53:17 +0000

When the Salar Uyuni is dry, it spreads before you like a never ending desert of salt
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Salt Hotel, Salar Uyuni, built completely out of salt bricks.

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 13:49:23 +0000

Salt Hotel, Salar Uyuni, built completely out of salt bricks.
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Part of the Salar Uyuni tour includes a visit to a train graveyard. This route was once one of the busiest trainlines in south America. It was built by the British in the 19th Century to move nitrates from the Atacama desert to the coast for export.

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 13:49:23 +0000

Part of the Salar Uyuni tour includes a visit to a train graveyard. This route was once one of the busiest trainlines in south America. It was built by the British in the 19th Century to move nitrates from the Atacama desert to the coast for export.
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Spectacular deserted landscapes

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 13:49:23 +0000

Spectacular deserted landscapes
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Llamas enjoying some time in the hot springs at dawn, Eduardo Avaroa National Park

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 13:49:23 +0000

Llamas enjoying some time in the hot springs at dawn, Eduardo Avaroa National Park
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One of the few animals that can live in this remote and barren landscape are the flamingos in Eduardo Avaroa National Park, which is visited as part of the Salar Uyuni tour.

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 14:54:20 +0000

One of the few animals that can live in this remote and barren landscape are the flamingos in Eduardo Avaroa National Park, which is visited as part of the Salar Uyuni tour.
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Volcanoes tower above Laguna Verde, marking the Bolivia Chile border, and the start of the Atacama desert - the dry-est place on the planet

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 13:49:23 +0000

Volcanoes tower above Laguna Verde, marking the Bolivia Chile border, and the start of the Atacama desert - the dry-est place on the planet
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San Francisco square and market in La Paz, the de facto capital of Bolivia, which shares the title with Sucre further south. With plenty of accommodation and restaurants to fit any budget, plus lots of cultural activities, La Paz is a good place to use as a base while exploring the Altiplano.

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 14:57:16 +0000

San Francisco square and market in La Paz, the de facto capital of Bolivia, which shares the title with Sucre further south. With plenty of accommodation and restaurants to fit any budget, plus lots of cultural activities, La Paz is a good place to use as a base while exploring the Altiplano.
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Feeding the pigeons in Placa Murillo - home of the Bolivian parliament and the main historical buildings in La Paz

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 13:50:39 +0000

Feeding the pigeons in Placa Murillo - home of the Bolivian parliament and the main historical buildings in La Paz
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Dried llamas foetuses are seen as lucky, and are sold at carnival time for people to bury in hope of prosperity in the coming year

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 13:53:52 +0000

Dried llamas foetuses are seen as lucky, and are sold at carnival time for people to bury in hope of prosperity in the coming year
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Indigenous Aymara singer at the otherworldly moon like landscapes of Valley de la Luna, just outside La Paz. Unusually for Latin Amercian countries, the population of Bolivia is 80% indigenous.

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 13:55:47 +0000

Indigenous Aymara singer at the otherworldly moon like landscapes of Valley de la Luna, just outside La Paz. Unusually for Latin Amercian countries, the population of Bolivia is 80% indigenous.
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Valley de las Animals on the outskirts of La Paz is another easy day trip to see how the rugged landscape has been shaped by the climate over thousands of years.

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 13:59:58 +0000

Valley de las Animals on the outskirts of La Paz is another easy day trip to see how the rugged landscape has been shaped by the climate over thousands of years.
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Isla del Luna on Lake Titicaca , view from Isla del Sol, Bolivia, Oct 2007

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 14:03:11 +0000

Isla del Luna on Lake Titicaca , view from Isla del Sol, Bolivia, Oct 2007
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Boats at Bolivia's version of Copacabana beach

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 14:04:21 +0000

Boats at Bolivia's version of Copacabana beach
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Crosses outside Copacabana Cathedral, Bolivia, South America, Oct 2007

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 14:05:24 +0000

Crosses outside Copacabana Cathedral, Bolivia, South America, Oct 2007
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The road between La Paz and Coroico in the Yungas is commonly known as the worlds most dangerous road. Every year, thrill seekers come from all over the world to ride the track. Although in recent years a new road has opened making the ride safer, it is still an adrenaline fuelled day out.

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 14:07:36 +0000

The road between La Paz and Coroico in the Yungas is commonly known as the worlds most dangerous road. Every year, thrill seekers come from all over the world to ride the track. Although in recent years a new road has opened making the ride safer, it is still an adrenaline fuelled day out.
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Not for the faint hearted

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 14:08:59 +0000

Not for the faint hearted
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During the ride, the road descends over 3000m, starting in the high Altiplano and ending in the tropical heat of the Yungas

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 14:10:48 +0000

During the ride, the road descends over 3000m, starting in the high Altiplano and ending in the tropical heat of the Yungas
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Gravity Assisted Mountain Biking are the original company that started doing the ride, with high quality equipment and professional instructors, they are a choice you can rely on.

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 14:12:23 +0000

Gravity Assisted Mountain Biking are the original company that started doing the ride, with high quality equipment and professional instructors, they are a choice you can rely on.
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Cerro Rico: Rich hill - the key to Potosi's wealth which has been mined for hundreds of years, continuously producing silver, and later tin

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 14:14:49 +0000

Cerro Rico: Rich hill - the key to Potosi's wealth which has been mined for hundreds of years, continuously producing silver, and later tin
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Various offerings can be taken down for the miners in the form of fizzy drinks, coca leaves for chewing, cigarettes and sometimes even dynamite, a technique that is still used today to hunt for the elusive veins of silver.

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 14:16:36 +0000

Various offerings can be taken down for the miners in the form of fizzy drinks, coca leaves for chewing, cigarettes and sometimes even dynamite, a technique that is still used today to hunt for the elusive veins of silver.
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The mines are a dangerous but fascinating place, a lot of the techniques used haven't changed for many years, so it's certainly best to excercise caution when taking part in one of the tours.

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 14:18:19 +0000

The mines are a dangerous but fascinating place, a lot of the techniques used haven't changed for many years, so it's certainly best to excercise caution when taking part in one of the tours.
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Every mine in Bolivia has a statue of El Tio - the God of the underworld. He is feared and revered by the miners, and every day they must give him offerings of alcohol, coca or cigarettes to appease him and keep them safe in the mines.

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 14:23:13 +0000

Every mine in Bolivia has a statue of El Tio - the God of the underworld. He is feared and revered by the miners, and every day they must give him offerings of alcohol, coca or cigarettes to appease him and keep them safe in the mines.
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Even in the windswept Altiplano, there is fertile soil and abundant agriculture. The vast majority of food consumed in Bolivia is grown there.

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 14:25:17 +0000

Even in the windswept Altiplano, there is fertile soil and abundant agriculture. The vast majority of food consumed in Bolivia is grown there.
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The locals still live a very traditional way of life in most of Bolivia, living from the land and keeping their ancient customs alive.

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 14:26:24 +0000

The locals still live a very traditional way of life in most of Bolivia, living from the land and keeping their ancient customs alive.
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The negritos

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 14:27:36 +0000

The negritos
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Female dancers in the Carnival procession, Oruro

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 14:29:17 +0000

Female dancers in the Carnival procession, Oruro
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Getting into the spirit of things in the crowd

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 14:30:28 +0000

Getting into the spirit of things in the crowd
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During the festivities, the town of Oruro swells to as much as 5 times its usual size, so booking ahead is strongly recommended.

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 14:31:39 +0000

During the festivities, the town of Oruro swells to as much as 5 times its usual size, so booking ahead is strongly recommended.
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Members of the procession spend months practising for the parade, having to swear a vow of allegance to march for 3 years running. It is seen as a very serious business, with performers saving up all year to pay for their costumes, most of which are made on calle La Paz in Oruro.

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 14:33:46 +0000

Members of the procession spend months practising for the parade, having to swear a vow of allegance to march for 3 years running. It is seen as a very serious business, with performers saving up all year to pay for their costumes, most of which are made on calle La Paz in Oruro.
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Performers come from all over Bolivia and neighbouring countries to take part in this event, which is second only to Rio Carnival in size and importance.

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 14:35:41 +0000

Performers come from all over Bolivia and neighbouring countries to take part in this event, which is second only to Rio Carnival in size and importance.
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The procession consists of 18 different types of costumes, these are Kallaways - the traditional fabled medicine men of the Altiplano. There are also Morenos and Negritos based on African and Afrobolivian slaves, the doctors based on the missionary doctors of the colonial era, and the most important of all - the Diableros: Devils.

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 14:41:41 +0000

The procession consists of 18 different types of costumes, these are Kallaways - the traditional fabled medicine men of the Altiplano. There are also Morenos and Negritos based on African and Afrobolivian slaves, the doctors based on the missionary doctors of the colonial era, and the most important of all - the Diableros: Devils.
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Devil costume

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 14:42:39 +0000

Devil costume
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