Oruro - Carnaval

Wednesday 2nd March  ... arrived into Oruro about 17:00 and made my way to Gran Hotel Bolivia.

It wasiImpossible to get accommodation in Oruro for Carnaval so I booked this hotel about 3 weeks ago when I was in Salta, Argentina. Paid a ridiculous amount of money for 6 nights accommodation ... 171$USD for a private hotel room, but had little choice. Hotel turned out to be really crap but met some other backpackers in the hotel and hung out with them for the Carnaval so it wasnt too bad. I also met up with other Polish friends who I had met in Potosi, and also some American friends.

Had an absolutely amazing time here in Oruro .. definitely one of the highlights of my trip and glad I was in Bolivia for Carnaval ... apparently not as touristy as Brasil. When I arrived on Wednesday it was pretty quiet and they were only constructing the stands along the parade route.

Some pics of Oruro ... before the madness of the Carnaval got underway:

On Thursday things really kicked off with a huge parade through the city. The official Carnaval didn´t start until Saturday but on Thursday there were bands and dancers on the streets all day and night. I was on my own in Oruro for Wednesday and Thursday but I met loads of local Bolivians and joined in the parade with them.

A collection of pics from Thursday´s parade:

There was no parade on Friday but I met up with loads of backpackers and we all took to the streets that night ... the main avenue where the carnaval was on was turned into a huge market with street vendors and food stalls.

Me and Ania (from Poland) who I met in Potosi a few days earlier:

Me, Howard and Marcy:

My next door neighbours in the Gran Hotel ... Marc and Jen from Canada:

James and Becky who were also staying in the Gran Hotel:

The gang from Friday night:

Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th March

Saturday and Sunday was just Carnaval from early morning right through the night. We all had seats on the parade route but most of us were sitting in different sections of the route. Neverthless we all ended up meeting up at different points over the weekend.

So much people in Oruro for Carnaval .. it was complete mayhem for the weekend. Food stalls, waterbombs, foam, beer and lots of dancing in the parade.

Here are some pics from the Carnaval weekend:

Sunrise on Sunday morning over Oruro:

Abolsutely shattered tired on Monday after the Carnaval weekend. There were still Carnaval celebrations going on all day Monday but it was confined to the centre of town and not on the parade route. Myself, James and Becky met up for lunch in the afternoon and we also got our bus tickets out of Oruro for Monday night ... overnight coach to Sucre (95Bs - 8 hour journey, 470km). Sad to be leaving Oruro ... loved Carnaval ... one of the highlights of my time in South America.

Potosi

Saturday 26th Febuary

Arrived into Potosi on Saturday afternoon. Had met a French girl (Lara) on the bus so I had some company for the 5 hour journey. The bus also wasn´t as bad as I expected ... although my backpack was on the roof so at times I did wonder whether I´d ever see it again. The road from Uyuni to Potosi is mostly unpaved and at times it was so slow but we had a 15 minutes break half way through the journey at a small roadside shop which was pretty good (considering most Bolivian buses dont have toilets on them).

After arriving in Potosi, I took a taxi into the centre and made my way to Koala Den hostel.

Checked into a dorm (35 Bolivianos incl breakfast) but really couldnt do much else in Potosi that evening as the rain was pouring down and the streets were like rivers! I emptied my backpack and brought about 4 kilos of dirty laundry around to the laundrette and then went to get some dinner. Went back to the hostel and took it easy for the evening ... the hostel is pretty big and also has 5 computers with internet access (but very slow!). Its a nice hostel to hang out in and very easy to meet people.

Sunday 27th Febuary

At breakfast this morning, I met loads of people I knew! Anne who I had been on the Salt flats tour with was there. I also met a girl called Heidi who I shared a dorm with in Tupiza and then I met a load of Danish guys who I had met in Salta, Argentina. Unfortunately everyone was heading off that afternoon .. all heading for Sucre (3 hours away) but a few were heading to Oruro for the Carnaval on March 4th so I´m hoping I can meet up with them in a few days time. I shared a taxi with Anne to the bus station and said goodbye to her. I also got my bus ticket for Wednesday morning to Oruro (25 Bolivianos).

Back at the hostel later that afternoon, I packed my backpack and changed dorm. I was staying in an 8 bed dorm (35 Bolivianos) but it was a mess and really smelly so I decided to change to a 4 bed dorm ensuite (45 Bolivianos) which turned out to be pretty good as there was only myself and another backpacker in the dorm.

Potosi (the highest city in the world at 4,070m above sea level) is very different from Uyuni ... lots of narrow streets and hills ... just walking around the streets at this high altitude would leave you short of breath. I spent the morning walking around the city taking loads and loads of pictures ... and later in the afternoon I took a walk up the hill to a mirador (lookout point) where I got some nice photos of the city.

Monday 28th February

I had planned to to the tour of the Potosi silver mines in the afternoon, but after chatting with Flor (the English girl in my dorm) I decided to do the tour in the morning. A group of about 20 of us all headed off at 09:00. There were also a big crowd of English backpackers which was great, and I also met Marieke, a Dutch girl who I met in Salta, Argentina. I was a bit reluctant doing the tour as I had heard so many stories about the mines (difficulty breathing, claustrophobia etc.. ) but I figured I would do it anyway and see how it went. First we made our way to change into our mining gear ...

... and then later to the shops/market to buy gifts for the miners .. juice, gloves, cocoa leaves, ... dynamite!

Later we drove up to ´Cerro Rico´ and saw the miners and their workhouses and later we entered the mines.

We all had to walk single file in small narrow tunnels .. the further we walked in the more difficult it got to breath. Most of the group went deep into the mines .. where you had to crawl on your hands and knees in tunnels, but myself and a few others had seen enough and decided to leave it at that. Too hot, dusty and too difficult to breath!

Some pictures of me and friends visitng the mines:

Was glad I went in and saw it but its depressing seeing the conditions that the miners have to work in .. and also hearing how many of them die so young, from lung failure, after working 10 or 15 years in the mines.

Some pictures of the miners at work:

On the way back from the mines we visited a small processing plant and then headed back to the hostel.

I collected my bag of laundry ... so happy to have clean clothes again! After, I went downtown for dinner .. (4 courses for 40 Bolivianos!)

Tuesday 1st March

My last day in Potosi! Nothing planned for today .. so I got up and had breakfast. Went online for a bit and then got chatting to a Polish and a Spanish girl who were also heading to Carnaval in Oruro in a few days. Exchanged emails so hoping to meet up with them in Oruro.

Later I walked downtown to a cafeteria to go online and also to do a tour of the ´Casa de Moneda´ (The Bolivian mint currency museum). I met some more backpackers ... Piotr and Magda .. really nice couple from Poland. Had dinner with them after the tour. They are also travelling to Oruro at the weekend  ... more people to meet up with and enjoy the Carnaval.

Wednesday 2nd March - checked out of Koala Den hostel. Taxi to the bus station for 11:00 bus to Oruro (6 hour journey, 320km).