Its been quite some time since we have written- in part because wifi is rare and in part because we have endured a whole lot of travel in the past few days. Some expected, some not. We have arrived in Argentina- home to vast green land, snow-capped mountains, and excellent wine...but more on that later.
After leaving Copacabana and La Paz, we ventured onward to Uyuni. A place that could easily be mistaken for the moon or another planet. Its home to the famous Salar de Uyuni- a giant salt flat. What looked at first glance like snow turned out to be salt (we may or may not have licked the ground...and the walls of the hotel). So about the hotel. It was made out of salt- the chairs, the floors, the nightstands, the beds...it was wild. At this point we were worn out from all of the travel. We were also stranded at a hotel 30 km from any sort of civilization. So naturally our day consisted of movie watching in bed (nestled under heated blankets), hot chocolate sipping, frolicking in the desert searching for llamas, reading, napping, eating, wine-ing, and fireside sitting (yes, its winter here. Yes its cold).
After a day of rest and relaxation, we heading out for our 4-day jeep tour of the salt flats led by our sweet guide Janet and driver, Marco. We left in the morning, and set out to explore. We were lucky not to be blown over by the wind. We explored the salt flats and Isla del Inkawasi. What used to be surrounded by an ocean is now surrounded by glistening salt and covered in cactus and llamas. After lunch on the Island, we made our way to Atulluca where we stayed the night.
Soon after dinner, the unexpected happened, and Lizzy quickly came down with a stomach virus. It was a very long, cold, and sleepless night. Wisdom led us to end the tour early, and head to Tupiza, where we were to arrive on Day 4. Lizzy Baby was a champ, and has recovered since. What came to a shock to all of us, an unexpected detour, has since turned into a sweet blessing. We shuffled our schedule, and came to Argentina early.
And boy are we glad to be here. Getting from Bolivia to Argentina was a bit nutty. A note to travelers- Argentina does in fact enforce the reciprocity fee at the border, and no, you may not pay it at immigration- it must be done before. And here is where we would like to give a shout-out to Hale- Lizzy Babys rockstar of a dad. Four hours later, we were able to cross the border, because we were able to contact him and well...lets just say the Internet is not quite the same down here as it is in North America.
Though we thought the worst was over, our sigh of relief was short-lived. After a seven hour non-direct bus, a mid-night layover in Jujuy (sorry mom and dad), and another three hour bus, we finally landed safe and sound in Salta at around 4 am. Oh the adventures of traveling.
The past few days really have been pretty nutty. But all in all, the three of us have been reminded of the soverignty and protection that the Lord has so faithfully given us. We have been so thankful for His goodness and His provision. We also have loved meeting so many interesting people along the way, and learning bits and pieces of their stories. We met a family from Virginia in Bolivia (small world), a fun, young couple from Dallas, an Australian couple on vacation, and because of a conversation with a really sweet Irish woman at our hostel, today we meet Jeremy, Enrique, and Fabio.
Today was a day we will not easily forget. In part because it was awesome, but also in part because our backsides wont let us forget it for at least a few days. The girl we met recommended a day trip to a place in the countryside of Salta- a day trip to Enriques Ranch. We spent the day riding horses, admiring the beauty of Northern Argentina, feasting on some of the most delicious food we have savored in weeks, drinking endless amounts of red wine, and laughing with Enrique- a native Argentinian with a dry and borderline politically incorrect sense of humor with a serious distaste for chicken. This cowboy is 100 percent man- carne, potatos, and wine make up this guy diet.
We are leaving in the morning for Cafayte- home to some of Argentinas best wine (folks say its a hidden gem and even better than the more popular Mendoza). We are excited about three days full of good wine, bike rides, world cup watching, picnics, and some definite siestas.
I was supposed to post pictures right about now, but the computer I am using in from the mid-1900s and is about as slow as a turtle. So sorry folks- will post in the morning. This girls ready for bed (rather, her ever-faithful sleepig bag that may or may not have a permenant stank that may or may not ever go away). We apoligize for the inconsistant posts and lack of photos- its just a bit more complicated than we imagined. But thanks for reading our blog, regardless.
Adios Amgios.
-REM
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