After saying goodbye to our friends Erica and Anthony in Potosi, Sarah and I headed down to Tupiza in southern Bolivia. We were interested in visiting the vast and varied country around the small town, made famous by Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. We also wanted to make our way north from Tupiza to the famous Bolivian salt flats, or Salar de Uyuni. Our friend Torrie had suggested that we book a tour of … Read entire article »

The city of Potosi, located in southern Bolivia, is probably best known for its famous silver mines in nearby Cerro Rico, or rich hill. For more than 200 years, silver was extracted from these mines, largely by indigenous Bolivian and African slaves, and processed to help fuel the exploits of the Spanish empire. It’s been said that so much silver was extracted during this time that a bridge could have been built, entirely of silver, … Read entire article »

Our friend Torrie had recently spent a few months in Sucre volunteering at an organisation called Condor Trekkers. This non-profit trekking group offers city tours and multi-day treks around Sucre with both volunteer and local, paid guides. Volunteer guides assist in planning and leading the treks while typically providing English language support; while local guides provide their expertise of the area as well as Spanish (and sometime Quechua) language support. All in all, the aim … Read entire article »

Sarah celebrated her birthday this year climbing up to Dead Woman’s Pass on the Inca Trail. For me, the mark of another passing year would land the day we flew from La Paz to Sucre… perhaps a little bit less interesting than Sarah’s. But I’d argue that flying in Bolivia is always an adventure. But, Christopher, did you say fly? Why, yes I did. Besides interesting natural wonders, rich indigenous cultures, and occasional political unrest, if … Read entire article »

The main reason we headed north from La Paz was to visit the Bolivian jungle and to take a tour of the Pampas, or wetlands, near Rurrenabaque. A number of people had recommended a Pampas tour to us when we were volunteering at Pisco Sin Fronteras. So shortly after touching down, we visited a few tour operators to work out prices and details for a 3 day tour down the river Yacuma. We settled on … Read entire article »