Salt Flats Day 3: Swap an Aussie for a tyre

The earliest rise yet. 5am. I felt like I had finally fallen asleep when I heard the knock on our dorm door from the driver and his wandering lazy eye.

We had lots to do, he´d told us the night before as we downed the wine, so a 5am wake-up call was necessary. I parked up particularly when I heard the border to Chile was open now, having been closed earlier due to dangerous snow on the road. So it was looking like I was finally getting to Chile, where my flight home (home... sweet home) was due to leave in a few days. "Vamos vamos" you could hear me cry, as the others begrudgingly packed their backpacks and stuffed breakfast pancakes in their mouths.

Freezing cold, we piled into the Jeep and tried to regain feeling in our extremities. Task almost done, we stopped at our first site to see how sulphur geysers spraying hot air (thank the heavens!), then to a lagoon with a small thermal pool in front. There was nothing stopping me from going in there. Not even massive wind gusts and what I am pretty sure was still below zero temps.

Stripping down to my bikini and running from the bathroom to the pool with my poncho on top, I had the Bolivians in military regala laughing at me and the rest of my tour group shaking their heads at my craziness. Except the kooky French couple, the man of which was in the water with the woman taking pics. Running back to the bathroom brought on the beginning stages of hypothermia, and I wondered for a moment as a shivered back into my many layers why I chose to expose myself so recklessly. Ahh well, only live once eh.

Then we went onto Laguna Verde, which sits in front of an inactive volcano also topped with snow... a picture perfect sight if ever there was one. But of course still with ice-cold wind, we continued to freeze.

Our driver didn´t take me to the border after all, because apparently it was now closed. So we headed back towards Uyuni, with me sulking in the back because we had been within 5 minutes of the Chilean border and were now driving 9 hours back into Bolivia. Getting to my flight was proving more difficult than first thought. And that was before we even encountered the Jeep heading to the border...

Said Jeep was broken down when we first saw it, trying to change its tyre that I soon found out had broken 3 times already that day. While the driver scratched his head, my driver struck a deal and had soon offloaded me to the broken vehicle. They were headed to the frontier, I wanted to go, they needed a new tyre and so instead they got a tyre and an Aussie girl. I was literally swapped for a Jeep tyre.

Elated I was finally going to the border, which was apparently now open, I chatted away to the Swiss guy in my new car while the somber group of English girls slightly dampened the mood. I was soon to find out why... they had started towards the frontier the night before, staying in a random village before starting out at 4am that morning to make it to the border by 11am. That was about the time I ran into them on the road, having had 4 tyre punctures and made considerably slower progress than hoped.

We got to the border without any more tyre problems, but found ourselves waiting at the dodgy-looking immigration office while our driver and the police officer from immigration drove the car up a hill for phone signal. We watched in confusion as they, with all our possessions still in the car, faffed around for a while and finally returned with somber faces.

We can´t cross the border today, they said, because of the snow. Hmm. So why didn´t we know this earlier? And what the hell are we meant to do now? We had 2 options, we were told. First, stay in the nearby refuge overnight and hope the situation improves tomorrow. Second, walk 7 hours with our backpacks to San Pedro. Well, I know which one is absolutely fucking ridiculous. Especially considering the time - 4pm - and then the time after 7 hours of walking. We would freeze to death.

So the refuge it was. Except the refuge had no food, snow in the toilet and insufficient blankets to shield us against the howling wind and unforgiving night cold. So we chose the other hostel near the national park guard, and had to pay inflated prices for a bed and dinner. The first of many Bolivians to take advantage of us in our predicament.

There were more people in the same situation as us, from Brazil, and we all sat around the window trying to absorb the last rays of light before it disappeared and we were forced to wear all our clothes to keep our limbs from going numb. Dinner warmed us for a brief moment, but there is only so much packet pasta and tomato paste sauce can do for a thawing one´s body.

We settled into our dorm giggling like school girls, I think a little delirious and incredulous from the day´s events but hopeful a solucion would come to pass tomorrow. Hoping. Hope. A word soon to scratch at my throat like a cat possessed.

In amongst the waterfalls

Waterfall time. I woke to chatter in the common area of my hostel... some snippets of English here n there. Maybe I will find a buddy to see this water display. Ended up talking with the girls I met briefly checking in the night before, and ended up going together with them to the falls.

This is the first really touristy thing I have done in South America (besides Carnaval, but that wasn´t too expensive in the end) so I knew I would go over budget. Am working out a new budget tonight. Anyway, we paid to get into the national park and got a nice touristy double decker to the falls.

We were told the Brazilian side of the falls - literally, the river is divided in two with the Argentina and Brazilian sides (the town itself borders 3 countries including Paraguay) - was more restricted in the boat rides than Argentina so we kept to the boardwalks. First lookout I thought quietly to myself... hmmm, this is alright... but actually thinking the view of the blue-eyed (yay for the blue eyes of the south), olive-skinned Brazilian selling abseiling was mildly more entertaining. You can sail my rocks any day, boy.

About this time, I got a tap on my shoulder and English boy from yesterday said a bright hello! So with my posse of 3 in tow, we moved on to the next lookout, and the next, and the next... all the while sweating up a storm and posing for photo after photo. I must get those email addresses for those photos... The butterflies were the tamest I had ever come across, which is awesome becuase at one time I had 2 licking the sunscreen/sweat combo off my arm (that would´ve been a treat for them, probably actually poisonous) and we got some nice pics of that too.

Then came the finale... da da DAAAA!!! There was the boardwalk, leading out almost INTO the falls with mist falling at a deceivingly rapid pace on all the tourists. L had said to me, "Oooh, let´s go there, I want to get some mist on me." Several minutes later, her hair dripping and eyes almost slits trying to keep sunscreen from seeping in, I asked her, "Misty enuf??" It was a quick snap-and-hide mission for all cameras too, for fear of ruining them in the wetness.

We came out, soaked but happy we were no longer drenched in sweat, and headed out of the national park. Having faffed around probably more than necessary - but enjoyed ourselves doing it! - we had missed the opportunity to go to the bird park where apparently you could have a toucan put on your arm for a photo, we jumped on the bus and fought off sun-induced sleep so we wouldn´t miss our stop. Still, I ran out and didn´t have time to ask J for his email. Bummer! Hope we run into him at the Argentinian side of the falls tomorrow...

I wanted to leave the hostel in Brazil tonight instead of tomorrow as it would be much cheaper to split the cab cost across the border to Argentina than get a bus - with a bus, although it´s cheaper, you need to get off at every checkpoint and therefore wait for another bus after your passport is stamped. So I gingerly asked my hostel for a refund and a day-early checkout, and surprisingly the same awesome lady that changed my original stuff-up around without dramas said it was not a problem. Woot woot! First and probably last time that will happen in my life, I reckon.

We got across the border without dramas - it was just 15 mins away - but when we got the girls´ pre-booked hostel there was absolutely no room for me so I went to the hostel down the road and found a room. Plan to meet the girls tomorrow to check out the Argentinian side of the falls. Maybe convince myself it´s not a waste of money to get the rapido boat ride into the actual falls... ahh fuck it, I´ll just do it. Now... to get some bloody sleep... have to make the most of this free internet but I am so tired. The sun has DRAINED me.

Oh, and in the meantime, I have found some CS accommodation in Uruguay and already have some parties to go to on the weekend... just gotta find a way to get there!

Bolting horses and lost phone courses

So the asshole at the border. He decided that I'd come into the UK too many times since my visa expired in June and hence asked me a million questions to suss out exactly what I was doing coming back again. After explaining - several times - that the only reason I had 2 stamps in my passport already was because I went before and after a flight back to Oz, but he wouldn't listen. Trying to keep my temper and also make my bus connection back to London, I patiently listened to him warble on about his suspicions that my activities in eastern Europe were most likely illegal and therefore he was suspicious of me in general etc etc.

Anyway, long story short, he downgraded my passport stamp to one which would raise eyebrows next time I came in and gave me sufficient reason to question any further need to visit my friends in London for quite some time. As I say, asshole.

Slightly shaken, I was finally in the UK and off to party with friends. Well, it wasn't quite as smooth as that because I hadn't actually told anyone I was coming so most of them had plans. Regardless, some of the old faithfuls came out of the woodwork and presto, I had a night! Not only did I end up at my favourite boy's house but I scored his hoodie which is super comfy and, although it is now covered with horse, cat and dog hair, and odd stains (minds out of gutters thanks) is still a lifesaver as England comes to grips with the onset of winter. It smells of horse but I still sleep in the damn thing.

My time in Ramsey, Cambridgeshire has been so lovely. The lady I'm staying with, a friend I made while working at the Romanian trail place, is just a pleasure to know and I am so glad I came to visit. She is about my mum's age with kids younger than me, but we get on like a house on fire and she is so generous. I want to make sure I get up tomorrow so I can get her a thank you gift.

Anyway, the first day I rode a horse that bolted on me. Apparently doesn't bolt on anyone else but me, so that made me feel great. Managed to slow it down sufficiently so all was good. Today I rode 2 more, much more enjoyable except that I lost my mobile as I cantered along at some point. Looked everywhere for it but alas, it's been sucked into some muddy shithole never to be seen again. A shame, as I used it for a memory stick/USB as well, but there you go. Zip your pockets up properly, kids. Reminds me of the time I didn't do my shoelaces up when I was 5 and went careering down a flight of stairs into a glass window at the bottom. Good times.

So I'm off back to London tomorrow night, more riding tomorrow and some more dog walking, hopefully the weather will continue to be beautiful and I will continue to be happy.

Quick update - now in England!

Only a short blog today because I am limited on time before I head out for another ride... But I am now in the UK, after a little trouble at the border (more on that later) and I am visiting a friend in Cambridgeshire and riding her horses while she is teaching at school.

The weather is sunny today, a pleasant surprise, but it's still cool. Everyone has been super nice to me here and the lady I'm staying with, who was actually one of the guests in Romania I helped with, is so lovely.

Spent Sat night in London, ended up staying at my favourite boy's house and of course drinking a bit too much cheap wine so I felt a little shabby on the coach up north but I made it there in one piece. And I scored a super comfy hoodie from said boy, which I don't want to give back but will have to soon because I have NO room in my bag for anything else!