Torotoro
The night was freezing, just like the breakfast we have outside, the temperature is 6°... We are not made for the cold, our little bodies demand warmth.
Zolando, our driver of the previous day , leads us to the "Ciudad de Itas" with our guide
.
On the program, a 2-hour hike that leads us through crevices, caves and stones with a funny shape
.
Wind, sea, vegetation and thousands of years have shaped the clean lines of the rock.
Animal forms have been hidden sometimes in cliffs sometimes in stone: an elephant, a giant tortoise, a man sitting ....
We return to the hotel in the early afternoon always as cold
.
Second evening at the same restaurant .... On the menu: raclette
We meet our friends from the previous day
Torotoro
The night was freezing, just like the breakfast we have outside, the temperature is 6°... We are not made for the cold, our little bodies demand warmth.
Zolando, our driver of the previous day , leads us to the "Ciudad de Itas" with our guide.
On the program, a 2-hour hike that leads us through crevices, caves and stones with a funny shape.
Wind, sea, vegetation and thousands of years have shaped the clean lines of the rock.
Animal forms have been hidden sometimes in cliffs sometimes in stone: an elephant, a giant tortoise, a man sitting ....
We return to the hotel in the early afternoon always as cold.
Second evening at the same restaurant .... On the menu: raclette
We meet our friends from the previous day
Torotoro
We booked a taxi to Torotoro. The access road is almost entirely tarred and of good quality which makes a change!!
* Parque nacional de Torotoro: A natural park that is famous in Bolivia. Loaded with marine fossils and traces of dinosaurs, its isolation has allowed to preserve the authenticity of the culture of the inhabitants
There are also caves and canyons
.
We arrive at the end of the morning and quickly realize that we are at the end of the world.
The village is almost deserted and the shops or restaurants almost non-existent.
After lunch we head to the guides' office, which are mandatory for hiking, then we reach our icy hotel ... no heating!!!
For dinner we find a small restaurant whose specialities are tartiflette and raclette!!
Tonight it’s tartiflette ... There we find , Flora and Severin that we have already crossed twice. Nice evening exchanging our experiences .
Cochabamba
After breakfast we leave towards the city center, a 30 minutes walk.
Cochabamba: The city was founded on August 15, 1571 by Geronimo de Osorio, under the name of Villa Real de Orozepa. Being on very fertile land, it was the ideal place to develop agriculture and thus supply the mining towns like Potosi and Oruro.
The evolution of Cochabamba was therefore linked to that of the mining cities and when the price of the ores began to fall, the importance of the city also began to decline. However, it remained an important agricultural center in Bolivia and one of the most active areas in this sector at the present time.
First stop: the tourist office that we have trouble finding.
We are greeted by a French speaking employee who explains in two words that there is not much to see ... The few monuments or sites to visit are almost all closed.
Convento Santa Teresa: It was built in 1760 in a Baroque style. The architectural complex formed by the church and convent is a masterpiece of colonial art and one of the oldest buildings in Cochabamba. He welcomed the women of the wealthy families of the city who had decided to dedicate their lives to God, accompanied by their servants who also remained locked up until the end of their days ... Mandatory guided tour with a young girl speaking quickly and without interest.
Small anecdote: As in many sites we have to acquire a right to photograph, which we did. We noticed that the two people sharing the visit with us do not have a "Photographer" badge but they took pictures ..
At the end of the visit we ask the guide for explanations and ask to be reimbursed ... We nmanaged but with difficulty!!!
For dinner we find a restaurant, very famous for its grills and wines ... The setting is beautiful but we are a bit disappointed by the quality of the dishes served
Cochabamba
Our loyal Jack drives us to Tarija airport about 230 km away in 4 hours.
The road we take is called the death road!!!
Half of the route is on an unpaved road, very narrow, very winding with steep climbs and descents often on the hillside. For bus travelers the experience is a hell that lasts about 6 hours!!!
For our part, we have a bearded stomach and a headache.
It is a shame to keep a bad memory of this trip because the landscapes are magnificent.
Our flight is delayed by one hour although the plane was already there ... We are in Bolivia and no explanation or announcement is made ... After a 50 minutes flight we land at nightfall.
Our taxi brings us quickly to our hotel ... It’s Sunday and the city is empty.
Tupiza
We go back to our lives in slow motion waiting for the package.
As indicated in booklet 156, we realized before the arrival of this one that the spare parts are not the right ones and we are forced to start the process from the beginning again.
After checking and re-checking the new order, we again decide not to stay in Tupiza to wait for the new package.
We plan and organize our trip without the motorhome to Cochabamba and Santa Cruz
ROAD BOOK 158
MAVROS ODYSSEE