Tupiza

After a morning hot drink at the tiny bus station at Villazon and a bus trip which involved hitting flies, we were at the "cowboy town" of Tupiza, with a main square shaded by trees.

Copacabana

Finally seeing Lago Titicaca from the other side, Copacabana has a "Moorish-style" cathedral which looked out of place. I went to Isla del Sol on a day of rain and hail, ate trucha (trout) again, enjoyed api morado (very sweet syrupy beverage) and Buñeuelos that was larger than the size of my face. Bolivia was a real gem; after extending my stay there again and again, I still did not want to leave.

La Paz

My first impression of La Paz was "cold", but that was of course natural when you are back on 3660m altitude. The stay at the hostal, the panoramic view of the city, the cobblestone alleys, the Mercado de los Brujos, the Mercado Negro, the Mercado de Hechiceria, the sheer number of artisan shops, and the skirts tailors made the rest.

Sucre

Going to Sucre was another spontaneous decision; I went there because I saw a beautiful poster of it somewhere. The whitewashed buildings, the narrow and steep streets, the calm and green plazas, the many different markets, the street snacks keep me there, one day after another. With the view from la Recoleta in front of us, the shoe shine boys told me they also thought Sucre should be the one and only capital of Bolivia, but they were still a bit afraid of those people who were protesting in the main square, which was where they usually find work.

Potosí

Curious to find out what kind of place would have shops where even a small child can just go in and buy some dynamite, I went to Potosí (which according to Lonely Planet, is a place that "shocks"). A close look at Cerro Rico itself, and the cooperative mine tour were undescribably memorable.

Salar de Uyuni

Though the trip from Tupiza to Uyuni on the 4WD was a repetitive cycle of "drive-stop-take photo", views of the rainbow-coloured mountains, pastel-coloured lakes, inhabited dessert, moonlight's reflection in the dark and the endless salt flat were breath-taking. On the last night just on the edge of the salt "flap", some crazy backpackers asked whether we want to join in to watch their friends blowing off some dynamites. Of course we said yes.

La Quiaca and Villazon

The change from La Quiaca in Northern Argentina to Villazon in Bolivia was not a noticeable one - that tells you something about how different Northern Argentina was from the South. From there on I met some very cool Australians before heading over to Tupiza.