Salta to Tupiza

We spent our last day in Salta in our hostel because it was raining and were set upon by three Argentina girls who reminded me of the hyenas from the lion king in both looks and laughter. They were then eating raw egg white from a tea cup mixed with cereal which smelled bad and no we didn't want any thanks haha. Then they said Kerri looked like Xuxa, a Brazilian TV presenter by day and apparently a porn star by night, so rumour has it. Mega lols. We googled her  and she has blonde hair and loads of make up! I wore my tragedy pants and new high top shoes into town and Kerri said I looked like Mc Hammer.  

 

We took our night bus with a kiwi girl we met at the station and four lads from England.  No sleep on the bus because the roads are made of rocks and it's freezing and it kept stopping and starting and letting people on and off. We arrived at 7.30am to a complete switch of scenery, a brown dusty run down town, freezing cold and at altitude. The altitude hit us immediately and we were coughing and it was so tiring to walk a few steps!!! We crossed the border easily with our gringo crew and were welcomed by BOLIVIA! 

Dusty streets, stray dogs everywhere, no roads, street food trolleys selling fried llama, women in traditional dress selling bags of coca leaves. Babies hanging off the backs of women wrapped in colourful shawls. Leathery faces. Police in brown in the doorway of the bank not letting us in. 

We found the bus station and got a jokes old rickety bus for £1.50, which looked like it once belonged to the circus, to Tupiza.

The English lads were staying at the same hotel as us so we had a new crewdem as they were planning on doing the salt flats too and then go to La Paz.

They offered us some coca leaves to help with the altitude sickness and we gave them a go by rolling about twenty into a ball, chewing it a bit to get it going then wedging in the side of your mouth and leaving it there. It was fucking rank and didn't stay in for long! Gave us a slightly numb tongue but that was it. 

We tried to go out for a burrito (Mexican food in Bolivia isn't such a great idea) and  couldn't finish anything but managed a beer and was instantly pissed from the altitude intensifying everything. So we went to bed and watched Popeye in Spanish.