A New Appreciation for Salt, Flat Tires, and Coca Cola

Alright, we admit, it´s been awhile since we have last blogged...again. In our defense we have been spending a good amount of time in remote areas without internet and on more epic bus rides!!

We last left off in Argentina..... Shortly after our last blog we made the treck by bus to Bolivia. We made it easily across the border and to a town that looks like it´s in an old western movie called Tupiza and home of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (shoutout to Vinny). After spending one day there we decided to take the train to Uyuni....the town closest to the biggest salt flats in the world. Before taking the train we ate the most delicious street food we have ever had in our lives! Imagine fried potato and in some glorious batter with the best salsa we have ever tasted...all fried in front of your face!!

We got on the train at like 7 at night....and finally made it to Uyuni at like 2 in the morning. The next day was spent looking for a group to go to the salt flats with and going to this glorious market that had everything you could have imagined. We have also become big fans of the ¨set lunch¨here.... it´s pretty much eating a three course meal for like 2 dollars.

The next day we hopped in a jeep with four other folks from all over Europe and headed to the salt flats. However, before we even made it to the salt flats, our jeep got a flat tire, our driver, Jimmy, assured us that this is normal, and that it was all good!The salt flats are amazing. Blindingly white for days...they sort of look like snow, but good thing for us it was nice and warm! Jimmy spent a good portion of the day checking the jeep....mostly just walking around it and kicking the tires....but sometimes looking under the hood (a little more cause for alarm than a tire). But nevertheless....Jimmy was right, it was all good. We spent the night at a hostel made completely out of salt in the middle of nowhere...and spent a good portion of the evening playing cards by headlamp...what can we say, even after all this time, we never lose at Spoons!

The next day we went to the lagoons in the desert around the salt flats, right after we got up to watch the sunrise of course! The lagoons have flamingos in them, and Deanna you were right, they live in a beautiful place! They also took us to go see the "arbol de pìedra", a rock that has been eroded by the wind to look like a tree( sorry Braidy, we nerded out for a sec)!

The day was great, even if Jo woke up with the worst stomach pain she had ever experienced. At our first stop we tried everything...Coca leaves, crackers, alka seltzer, coca cola....and the pain just wouldnt subside...however, she was determined not to have this stomach pain steal her of seeing the flamingos..... At a stop to help another jeep with another flat tire, another traveler told her it was a parasite.... Oh my... WHAT!?? Ok, ok, so who says that to someone in the middle of the Bolivian desert??? So maybe we have been eating more delicious street food than usual...but a parasite? Really? Slighltly freaked out, we continued on, and as the day went on the stomach pain started to disappear, so if she does have a parasite, it is living happily inside her...so it´s all good.

On the last day of the trip we spent a lot of time crammed in the back of a jeep! We would like to send a shoutout to Lizzy Leavitt for the use of her ipod. Lizzy, you have a great taste in music, and have totally save us on numerous bus rides and this insanely long jeep ride....!

Speaking of bus rides....just when we thought they couldn´t get any better...they did. After the tour we took a morning bus to Potosi. The bus was packed...Aly spent her time squished in the back row of the bus with some sassy ladies that we absolutely loved! Oh....plus a baby...and Jo spent her time being a pillow for some guy she just met. Throughout the bus ride we helped feed and entertain the baby, and had some lively conversations with the sassy ladies as to why we were not married. We jokingly told them we had boyfriends, and they claimed..:¨Let us see the ring!!¨. Neverthelss, it was the best bus ride ever. We have heard some other travelers claim that they do not want to ride on buses with other Bolivians....this to us is a shame. They have no idea what they are missing. Bus rides are the best way to make tons of friends. Enough said...

So...now we are in Sucre...a beautiful city with white buildings...they even Eiffle Tower here..who would have thought...we def. climbed it in like two minutes, but took tons of pictures. We have spent a good part of today and yesterday being bums and chilling around the city.... Tonight we have hopes for chicken wings that we saw earlier (shoutout to Chad). We also did our laundry in the sinks of our hostel yesterday...got in trouble for it, but are now sporting clean clothes. Totally worth it.

We plan on heading to Cochabamba soon (get excited guys!) and can´t wait for a miny reunion. Until nex time, Adventure is Out There....