All the way to Rosario

Hello from Rosario, Argentina, nearing the finale of the trip we are having a  great time, despite finding Argentina to be more expensive than we had anticipated (prices in real life are pretty much double what it says in Lonely Planet). So far here in Rosario we have sat and people-watched in some nice river-front parks with big bands and churros men cycling around which has meant we can catch up with journal jottings and read some books Felix brought out in May. Argentinans are extremely family orientated and it is really lovely watching the units drink their herb teas (called yerba mate) and play football. I had an embarrassing moment in the kitchen when I realised I have forgotten how to peel potatoes with a proper peeler. All year we have been peeling them with knives so I used it wrong and was corrected. Oops.

Continuing from La Paz then we passed to Potosí, the poorest part of the trip where in the last 300 years an estimated 8 million people (slaves) have died in the Cerro Rico mines the city sits on. It is the highest city in the world and we were lucky enough to take a trip down. We began the day with a trip to the miners market to buy gifts of coca leaves, juice, crudely-made cigarettes and dynamite (yes, I know, eek... for 1 pound fifty we could blow a huge hole in the ground), which we gave to miners we met along the trip. We spent about 2 hours in the mines and I was very relieved when we got out, the conditions under ground are horrendous. From working with asbestos and silicone dust, to dodging flying mine carts and climbing up and down rickety 100m ladders, it certainly isn´t a place to hang around in. Miners make relatively good money and this is why they put up with spending 8 or more hours a day deep underground with pick axes and drills. Nowadays the famous silver has mainly run out, though they do still occasionally find a vein, and they are mining tin and copper. That night Tanya and I tried a Potosina beer, the highest brewery in the world... it was very bubbly.

Potosí was very cold but Uyuni, I think, was colder. Due to recent snow lots of the Salar salt flats were shut so we were left with the only choice of a 1 day tour out onto the white stretches. It was other worldly. The colours seemed stronger against the white: the pale blue hues of the mountains, green cactus islands, gold sun and the milky blue dome of a sky. To really believe it was salt we tasted it... eugh. We caught a train very late that night (2.50am, so technically morning) but for under 4 pounds for a ten hour train it was cheap transport! This took us to the border where we stayed a night as poor Tanya had food poisoning, from our most expensive meal in Bolivia none the less.

Salta was nice but there wasn´t much to do apart from chill, party and eat steak. We mainly cooked for ourselves as we were a big group (we met there with 5 other Project Trust Peru girls) but oh wow, that steak meal was quite something. Tanya claimed to have meat sweats afterwards from eating so much! To me it tasted of butter - true melt in the mouth experience. Cordoba was nicer, with a Che Guevara museum, a fine arts museum, a tango show at the theatre for 20 pesos (3 pounds fifty ish), lots of exploring on foot. The hostel there was really lovely and friendly with duvets so we were sad to leave but so far I would say Rosario is even better! Lots of little crafts markets and it actually feels quite European at times.

Okay, going to sign off now. Today Tanya and I made.......... MASH POTATOES. Best thing ever.

Lots of love,

Rach xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx