2 weeks. 3 countries. Several Hangovers.

Forgot to say last time.... we also did some volunteer work in Cusco, Peru.... we helped build a straw thatched roof for a building inside a local school/community centre. Now, I Don't mean to blow my own trumpet, but I think these kids will be some of the driest kids in Peru.... It was an absolutely wonderful construction!

Arequipa Continued:
Given that we had little idea of what Arequipa had to offer, we soon discovered that it was a really cool city with lots to do.... Many of which we didn't do because of time and money! But During some of our most proactive hours, we were challenged to a game of football against the hostels Peruvian staff. They dismantled team England quite easily (I blame the altitude) however we did show some flashes of brilliance and on another day, with Adam yuchatel as manager, I firmly believe we could have won! This game lead to a lifelong (2 day) firm friendship being built with the hostel staff, and its fair to say that we established ourselves as hostel legends too over the coming days. After the football game, we headed to a local museum where we shown the remains of a girl who's body has been frozen, preserved almost perfectly, for the last 500 years! Her name was Juanita, and at aged just 13 she was sacrificed to the Inca gods on top of a volcano! Pretty weird right.... see below!

With our brains having experienced a bit of knowledge and culture, we decided we best have a big night out so that the world regained some equilibrium. Yes, you guessed it, pre drinks began with the customary game of ring of fire.... .this time the drink in the middle contained avocado and tomato, and it was again Dan who had to consume this alcoholic gazpacho! We also had an epic game of giant jenga which left the Arequipans amazed with our guile, dexterity, and hand eye coordination.... it is estimated that the game lasted around half an hour and the tower reached a height which exceeded the length of any known tape measure. We headed out to a club called dejavu, and what happened later that night is not publishable on a family friendly blog such as this. But it was hilarious.

The next day, I recuperated in the hammock for most of the day in the summer sun, then we grabbed a nice dinner, and once back at the hostel, were presented with a "the point" (name of the hostel) tshirt each for free for being such great guests. Chuffed with this, we headed to bed and began to mentally prepare ourselves for firstly, crossing the border again the next day, back to Bolivia, and secondly, for one more crazy night out at the Wild Rover Hostel!

La Paz, Bolivia, Again, Just for One day!
The man who had promised us the world in booking our coach to the border and then to LaPaz from Peru had, as expected by most, not delivered and we rushed to the coach station after the lift that he had said would be picking us up from our hostel, had not turned up. We made our coach, and upon changing coaches then realised that the coach he had said he had booked for us from Puno to the border... did not exist! We complained to one of the bus companies and they said a man called Fernando would be along to meet with us in 10 minutes. He turned up, sorted out our transport to the border, then gave us 50soles to get another bus once we had crossed the border in order to get to LaPaz. Whilst we were again suspicious of the strangers generosity and help, we obliged as we had no other way of getting to our destination, and a few shady minibuses and several hours later, we were back at our spiritual home, Wild Rover Hostel.... for one more crazy night!

Now..... doing a shot of jagermeister on a dicky tummy is no easy feet. Now..... Please spare a thought for the poor individual who was born 6 weeks premature and as a result has a gag reflex to shots when on a dicky tummy... myself! It was agreed (forced upon me) that should I not be able to do said shot, I would be stripped to my boxers in the middle of the bar. Despite the fact that head barman, Jack, assured me that Jagermesiter was voted the easiest shot to do in a recent poll by fellow gag reflexers, 2 Minutes later I was in my boxers having only been able to complete the shot in 2 attempts! I have terrible terrible friends. They also hid my clothes! This obstacle aside, the night turned out to be a bit of a let down after our high expectations, highlight was probably coming back to the room to discover my Norwegian roommate had purchased 2 giant paintings which were sitting on top of my suitcase.... one of several giant cows and one of the more elegant Lamas. Norwegians are weird.

Potosi
Arrived in Potosi, the city in Bolivia famous for its mines, and chilled out during the day, headed to the miners market... which was nothing short of rubbish, and booked our mine tour for the next day with a company called the real deal.

We woke up early the next day, and soon discovered that they really were offering the real deal when we were dressed in our full mining gear, head torch included, and were readying ourselves to go down a tiny shaft into an underground world full of miners, dynamite and a little underground devil called Tio. First we headed to the refinarys where they seperate the minerals from the rock in order to sell on, then we began our tour of the mines. It was dark, enclosed, dusty, boiling hot and we were also at the second highest city in the world.... so the altitude ensure it was also hard to breathe! The tour was amazing as we got to see the miners working conditions, rush out the way of wagons carrying 2 tonnes of rocks at a time, climb up and down a ladder with no rungs... whilst not being able to breathe.... see the miners devil, tio, in his full glory, and at the end.... after surfacing alive from the mine without any damage.... hold some live dynamite in our hands (and mouths) then giving it to the tourguide to run really quickly with to a spot 100m away, then run back, and watch the dynamite explode! After this, I discovered 2 things... 1) Being a miner would be a near impossible job.... very very very hard work. and 2) Blowing up stuff is awessommmee! (The miners were mining silver, zinc, tin and other things but most of the silver has run out so Bolivia is pretty much done for economically unless they can sort their lithium reserves out in Uyuni, I tell you!)

After a hard mornings work, we headed to the natural hot springs half an hour away. A relatively hot lake, made less relaxing by the fact it was really deep so you could not stand or sit anywhere in it!

Uyuni, The Salt Flats
We indulged in an American breakfast and booked our salt flats tour for the same day. We were driven to various stop off points to take the standard photos. If like me, you don't know much about the salt flats.... in short its a large body of salty land, completely flat for miles and miles, left there by an evaporated salt lake many many many years ago. We took hundreds of photos, using our props of baby dolls, finger puppets, hats, dice, Bolivian women statues and a stolen polystyrene cart combined with the theory of perspective to take some interesting snaps! Full results of our unique pictures can be seen on Facebook.... but below is a personal favourite!

Michael also managed to trip and fall and graze his back when attempting to kick his baby in the air! Child abuse never pays.

Salta, Argentina

After a torrid Bolivian/Argentinian coach journey lasting 22 hours and involving Davids hand luggage being stolen, An extremely ugly and annoying Bolivian women shouting at the coach driver, and a serious lack of Argentina pesos, we arrived in Salta, Argentina! We were delighted to be in civilized society again, and to be rid of the ugly Bolivian women! We checked into our hostel and after a day of Yaniv, the Israeli card game we are now addicted to, we had a steak BBQ prepared for us by the in house chef. Now comprised of 50% cow, and having loved our first Argentinian steak, it had been a tough day and we headed to bed!

The next day, I was determined to get a haircut. This was indeed a great risk given that my last attempt at speaking Spanish had involved me asking for a ham and cheese sandwich, and receiving a fried egg sandwich combined with a glass of coffee. However, I was determined to cut my hair for Argentina is in the height of its summer and all this hair was making me mighty hot! I stumbled across a unisex hair salon, in town, who´s `pictures on the wall did not inspire me, but I took the gamble none the less. A lovely woman called Sally, began with precision, to give me the haircut i had asked for. Short on the sides, and just trimmed on top. It was going perfectly.... superbly.... brilliantly.... I thought she had understood my request once she had shaved the sides and trimmed the top to perfection.... and then, when I wasn't expecting her to continue.... she carried on... chomping away at the top until it was very short, almost a crew cut. I paid Sally for her time, not the terrible job she had done, and got lost on the way back to the hostel. When I eventually arrived back, Michael decided that my new name was G.I.Jim, and asked me how my time in the army was. It was bad haircut as shown below. 

That night, we went out in search of the beautiful Argentinian women we had seen that day seen perusing the streets of Salta. We found some, who recommended we go to a certain club, and drink a drink called fernet. Fernet is a horrible drink! Do not under any circumstances ever drink Fernet!! It tastes like petrol and shoe polish combined, thinned, and disguised as a normal drink. It was the devil! The above picture demonstrates both our disgust at the drink, as well as my new haircut. Fetching. The night ended at around 6am, and for legal reasons, I cannot say which 2 out of the group we were with ended up kissing girls who may or may have been 15 years old!

Salta was a lovely city, and we found a great Steak restaurant called Jacks where we consumed larger than life steaks, and I predict that we now consist of 75% cow. Also the beer of Argentina, Quilmes, is a taste sensation. We decided that Argentina has everything you need for a man.... great beer, great food, great football and great girls!

Cordoba

Coached our way 12 hours down Argentina to Cordoba, again a lovely city. I purchased my umpteenth football shirt, a Boca Juniors Home kit with Palermo on the back. Delighted when the market guy had no change so let me off of 5 pesos. So far we have eaten steak, sunbathed, and been out on a night out which I do not wish to talk about in the foreseeable future!

In Cordoba, we plan to go to the Che Guevara museum and today, to a natural pool thingy to catch some rays and relax. Then were off to the vineyards of Mendoza tomorrow night.... before making our way to Buenes Ares in time for the lead up to Christmas.

Happy days.

Friends, I have obviously under exaggerated these stories, its absolutely mental out here! My haircut is really short, I look like a thug.... innit!!

Mum and family, I have obviously exaggerated these stories greatly for the benefit of my friends. My hair has already grown back, and I do not drink alcohol. If anything, I actively discourage my friends from doing so! 

Until next time, when I imagine I will be in New Zealand in a couple of weeks..... Byyeee Stay Safe and Merry Christmas, Happy Hanuka, Delightful Devali and a Rapturous Ramadan to you all!

xxxxxxx