On 3 May we leave The Pa 
z and we regain the heights of the Altiplano towards the south west of Bolivia. The 500 km (on a paved road, something rare here ...) that separate us from Potosi us discover the beautiful landscapes of the Altiplano: small remote villages, lakes, herds of llamas and vicuña, pretty pink and green everywhere ...
After a first bivouac near Oruro we reach Potosi, the city (over 100,000 inhabitants) the highest in the world: even when we sleep more than 4000 meters. And here the nights are cool ... The city was one of the richest cities in South America through its Cerro Rico, the neighboring mountain that was full (it mildly) of silver. This mountain, alone, has allowed Spain to get rich for two centuries through the exploitation of local labor, cheap as free, mostly Indian and some African slaves. ... A frightening balance of 8 million people in two centuries (!).
z and we regain the heights of the Altiplano towards the south west of Bolivia. The 500 km (on a paved road, something rare here ...) that separate us from Potosi us discover the beautiful landscapes of the Altiplano: small remote villages, lakes, herds of llamas and vicuña, pretty pink and green everywhere ... After a first bivouac near Oruro we reach Potosi, the city (over 100,000 inhabitants) the highest in the world: even when we sleep more than 4000 meters. And here the nights are cool ... The city was one of the richest cities in South America through its Cerro Rico, the neighboring mountain that was full (it mildly) of silver. This mountain, alone, has allowed Spain to get rich for two centuries through the exploitation of local labor, cheap as free, mostly Indian and some African slaves. ... A frightening balance of 8 million people in two centuries (!).
After independence, the lack of European 
mercury to purify the precious metal, has hastened the decline of the city whose population had dropped to the late 19th century more than 10,000 inhabitants. At its peak in the mid 18th century it had over 200,000 inhabitants and was the largest city in the world.
Today, the city still has a beautiful colonial architecture and beautiful monuments (visit the convent of Santa Teresa a bit long and shortened by the agitation of Anthony ...)
We spend a day walk and climb, the narrow streets of this city ... Many thanks again to the many entertainment markets.
We find again and Armelle Francis returning from Salar de Uyuni and motivate us to go with our camper. Our doubts raised, so it's gone for 200 kms of pistes, bump, 25 mph medium and 11 hours driving direction Uyuni. Nice little break on the road where we find French compatriots who undertook an epic cycling from Ushuaia to Lima with their baby daughter Nina in a cart ... especially at these altitudes brave!
short, we have finally arrived in Uyuni and the next day we reach the Salar with our smart camper who faded in the middle of "some" 4 x 4 (thank you to them, they leave nice and neat to find ...) The
Salar de Uyuni is the most serious
nd salt store in the world, a kind of sea salt it's beautiful, even spectacular ... We drive 80 km on the Salar, in the midst of this vast white to achieve Isla Incahuasi the center of the Salar, covered with giant cacti. The panorama was the top of the island is amazing, it really has never seen that before ... We're paying the luxury of spending a night in the middle of the Salar, alone in the world .... Magical.
We were really overwhelmed by the beauty of the Salar, Antoine about him, he still believes he has played in the snow ...
mercury to purify the precious metal, has hastened the decline of the city whose population had dropped to the late 19th century more than 10,000 inhabitants. At its peak in the mid 18th century it had over 200,000 inhabitants and was the largest city in the world. Today, the city still has a beautiful colonial architecture and beautiful monuments (visit the convent of Santa Teresa a bit long and shortened by the agitation of Anthony ...)
We spend a day walk and climb, the narrow streets of this city ... Many thanks again to the many entertainment markets.
We find again and Armelle Francis returning from Salar de Uyuni and motivate us to go with our camper. Our doubts raised, so it's gone for 200 kms of pistes, bump, 25 mph medium and 11 hours driving direction Uyuni. Nice little break on the road where we find French compatriots who undertook an epic cycling from Ushuaia to Lima with their baby daughter Nina in a cart ... especially at these altitudes brave!
short, we have finally arrived in Uyuni and the next day we reach the Salar with our smart camper who faded in the middle of "some" 4 x 4 (thank you to them, they leave nice and neat to find ...) The
Salar de Uyuni is the most serious
nd salt store in the world, a kind of sea salt it's beautiful, even spectacular ... We drive 80 km on the Salar, in the midst of this vast white to achieve Isla Incahuasi the center of the Salar, covered with giant cacti. The panorama was the top of the island is amazing, it really has never seen that before ... We're paying the luxury of spending a night in the middle of the Salar, alone in the world .... Magical. We were really overwhelmed by the beauty of the Salar, Antoine about him, he still believes he has played in the snow ...
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