PINK FLAMINGOS (no, they are not just found in the tropics)!!
On Tuesday the 20th we returned from a 7 day trip to the SW part of Bolivia. Desolate and fascinating country. We took a train to the town of Tupiza where we stayed two night and took a couple of ¨death hikes¨. Jen led one of them, so I am not to blame...maybe she is just learning bad habits from me!! The landscape reminded us of Utah, with canyons and rock formations that rivaled the canyonlands in southern Utah. We then took a four day overland trip from Tupiza to Uyuni with a tour company. The ride was brutal at times, but we fortunately had great company - an american couple from Colorado and a good driver/cook...six of us in a 87 Toyota Landcruiser. The days were long (10+ hours) and the nights cold (40 degrees in our rooms), but it was an incredible trip. The cold was due to the fact that it is officially the winter here and the fact that we were above 4,000 meters (13,200 feet) most of the time (see photo above as proof). The first night we slept at 4,300 meters (14,000 feet)...I didn´t sleep well and had a slight headache...and felt quite disappointed that I probably do not have a future career as a high altitude climber.
