Journey in Bolivia just gotten better. From the Santa Cruz to get to the uyuni is to go to potosi but we missed the bus and were advised to wait a day. It would have been a good idea because I found a Korean grocery store where they sell kimchi, Korean ramen, tofu and many other goods. Angelica was as excited as I was when I brought her tofu and kimchi and told her my discovery. But I didn't have anymore desire to stay in Santa crUz. By this time I am feeling that my travel time is running out and I wanted to be in the desert as soon as possible. Plus I was really for the idea to rent a car to explore the desert.
Since we missed the bus to potosi, we took a bus to tarija. Road condition was relatively nice. It was peaceful town. We found hostel with a kitchen and made Korean pancake. The lady I bought green onion from gave me so much for e little money that I gave her. With that I made enough pancake to feed ten people which means we had lots of left over had it over dinner breakfast and lunch.
Tarija had great produces, temperatures was warm. We even went to a fancy restaurant and had delicious vegetarian pizza and used wifi for few hours.
When were ready to leave tarija, we faced a problem. At the bus terminal there are no direct bus to uyuni where we can enter the desert. We were advised to go to potosi. We did not like that idea at all because we would be back tracking. Thankfully we have a Colombiana who speaks native Spanish and found a alternative route to go to tupiza and from there we can go to uyuni.
What do you know? Tupiza is also by the desert and they offered tours to the desert. We arrived 6am and we looked around and walked around everywhere to rent a car. There were no official companies renting cars. Only the random guy at the street offering a ridiculous price. At the end we finally gave in and decided to do the tour. We checked out few places. Majority of tours were leaving at 8am. So we were being rushed to come to a decision.
Every places we went prices were similar plus minus of $10, all suggesting four day tour, same route and same program (food, accommodation).
When we got to place called La torre. Lady offered the significantly lower price. She told us that all the tour companies had agreement to keep the price same. She said couple people fell out and she is trying to fill the spots and asked us not to tell any locals about it.
I was inclined to just do it. However, Angelica was tired. Road from tarija to tupiza was all bumpy dirt road. We assumed if she can give us this price today then she can give us the same price tomorrow as well even though she said it was just for today.
After checking into the hostel, we checked out more tours but we didn't find a way to rent a car nor cheaper tour. So Angelica went back to la torre and asked same old lady to take us tomorrow for same discounted price she offered but she said no.
Next morning an hour before their departure I asked her to give a tour for the same price and she agreed. When all of us got there with our bags, we raised price from what we originally agreed on. It was not. Huge amount but I was annoyed that she lied to my face.
On top of that she was lying to this girl to pressure her to go on tour same day as us. I didn't want anymore people because I wanted space in the car. Alex used to have Toyota Landcruiser and third row seats are small and have tiny leg room. This girl was American and she wanted to go with her fri end next day but the owner lady from the la torre would lie to her and say that we really want her to go with us so we can pay less. Tupiza, all tour companies had their price structure where more people go less you pay. So if you are a single traveler you just have to wait it out and see if more people will come and if you are on a tight busy schedule then expected to pay significantly large amount.
Since the owner does not speak English, I told her the truth and we both got what we wanted. Now it's time to pay. I asked to pay with my card and she said there is 10% charge. Which means I would pay extra $30usd. I didn't like that so I went to ATM and that is when I learned that I had lost my debit card, most likely in tarija. I looked every where but didn't find it. By the time I called the bank to close the cards it was 10am.
I dont have enough cash and didn't want to pay 10% fee. At this point I was feeling bad vibe from La torre tour and I was stressed and annoyed that I lost my debit card.. So I told her we can't do the tour today and she laid her desperation upon Angelica.
Lady was upset because now it is 10am, there is a single traveler who has been waiting for us three. I think she was upset by the fact that she lost out on money she could earn and she had already purchased food worth of three days. I felt bad was almost tempted to use my credit card despite high fee. But then she pissed me off by keep saying thAt $30 usd extra for credit card fee is nothing for me and I responded right away "para it, si" "for you, yes" at this point I was assuming that she said high credit card fee so she can keep the money to herself. Because I never saw credit card fee more than 5%.
I asked the driver to unload the bags off the Landcruiser. Because now I want to wait and transfer money over to my other bank, connecting my fidelity and new bank account would take minimum 4 days.
Here is when crazy things started happening. Owner lady who is pissed off, yelling "if you don't have money, don't travel" and when driver was handing Angelica her bag, she took it away and threw it at her face.
It made me more sad than angry. It was my fault to cancel the tour on her but at the same time, she is an entrepreneur which means she oversees the risk of running the business and this is her risk. Sometimes shit happens and her turning violent was unprofessional and I was sadden this unpleasant situation. It was especially tough on angelica who is always full of love and kind. After that we got on the bus to uyuni and Angelica did not talk until we arrived in uyuni. She was very hurt by it. I was too. I always want to get along with locals and help out the local economy and this was opposite of what we wanted.
In uyuni we met a cool guy named Nelson through couchsurfing and he let us stay in his hostel for free. He was knowledgeable and had his tour company and so we decided to go with his company. We liked Nelson a lot. He also liked a lot of Japanese and Korean culture, music, customs and we shared information and knowledge. He explained to us what Bolivians are like. Bolivians do not like foreigners and don't like to mix. They see foreigners as dirty ones because they are sexually open and they spread AIDS. I was shocked by this because foreigners probably practice safer sex was my opinion. When Bolivians travel, they travel short time but spend lots of money and go completely out of money, empty handed after their vacation. You travel, you spend the money and just enjoy and lie life is how they are. After talking to Nelson we all understood behavior of Bolivians from amazon to uyuni.
So our journey to the desert began.
Us three, two Japanese and two Australians. We all got along. They didn't speak Spanish. One austrailian spoke a little but not enough to listen. Our guide/driver was not nice. I did not like him. He was demanding and rushing. No customer service oriented attitude. Almost made the trip unpleasant. Everything had to go his way. Austrailian and Japanese followed. Every amazing stop we made, us three wanted to live that moment and absorb. This desert was the reason why I altered my travel plan. It was everything I expected, hoped for and more!!
It was best scenic view I had in all travels. It was incredible, mind blowing. We took some amazing pictures together. First night we stayed in salt hostel. The wall, chairs, table, bed frame and windows were all mad out of salt. Salt bricks and salt filling. They have to maintain it. I was kidding about the window. We were served with food and drink. tthis moment we were at 5000m and I was suffering serious altitude sickness. I drank several cups of coca tea and chew bags of coca and then went to sleep. In the morning I felt fine, but at the end of the day altitude sickness reoccurred. I having a very bad headache. I didn't talk to anyone. Did not complain, nor did I talk. Angelica did not like this. Ben was fine. He is used to me being this way.
During the day I was ok, at night I was in pain. This pain carried on even in uyuni when we returned. It was weird because I was fine initially in uyuni.
I smoked some pot to ease the pain and made it worse.
That night we stayed in Nelson s hostel again.
Everyone went to bed, Angelica and I stayed outside. She had something important to say. It was a breakup talk. She said she will go south and no longer travel together. She told me many reasons. I was shocked. I kind of expected this two cities before uyuni but I thought she had changed her mind and decided to travel together until cusco. I was very sad. We talked and talked, but as I have been in this situation with Abby. I gave angelica space and respected her decision, instead in actions I told her that I still want her to stay and continue to travel together. Next day, she were coping pictures from my iPhone and Ben s ipod to her computer. Mood was very serious.
Angelica was on the fence at this moment and left it up to Ben. Ben first said that we should all split up. Ben goes to chile and I go on my way toward US. Then few seconds later he changed his mind and said lets travel together a bit longer.
So we did and together headed toward sucre. We rested in sucre, enjoyed the most developed city in Bolivia, we cooked lots of food, ate lots of ice cream, walked around, played with henna tattoo, played arcade games, waxed our shoes, sleep in, hot shower, wifi, etc. after month of amazon trip and desert trip and everything in between, we were just excited to do all those normal daily activity of urban place.
Angelica wants to ride a motorcycle in the desert and explore the desert on her own and so do I.
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