From Anchorage to Ushuaia by Bike

Day 1: from Oruro to Potosi

We left our hotel beside the Oruro bus terminal, leaving behind our bikes and all our gear. We were a little dubious – would our bikes be there when we got back? Would there be anything missing?

Getting a bus to Potosi wasn’t as easy as we  thought. We’re not all that well-versed in bus travel and the Bolivian bus station wasn’t exactly user-friendly: the bus companies posted out-dated times and routes. We walked from company to company and eventually found one with a bus that was leaving shortly. We got two seats for a 5 hour bus ride for only 3€ each!! On the way, we stopped in a restaurant by the side of the road. The “Mamitas” flocked around us with plates of cold food – who knows what exactly! Nothing good for our digestive system, that’s for sure. They came back a couple of times, and then tried to steal bites of our sandwiches. There were 3 very dirty kids that wouldn’t leave us alone, trying to sell homemade drinks and asking for money by all means possible. We ranted and raved a bit: what are the parents thinking sending their kids out to harass tourists for change?! Yet another state of affairs that we will never understand.

We finally got into Potosi and found a mini-bus that went to “10 de noviembre” where there were apparently places to stay. But the bus didn’t actually go where it was supposed to, and we ended up walking part of the way.

We arrived smack in the middle of the “Fiesta de San Bartolomé,” or “Chunchillos.” There were marching bands and dancing in the streets. Troops of performers come from all over Bolivia and even from neighboring countries.

Day 2: Minas de Potosi and Sucre

Unfortunately it was a Sunday, and a holiday on top of that. But my guide assured me that the miners aren’t interested in holidays, and that work is the most important thing for them. I was skeptical, but waited to see. I had a private guide and asked lots of questions. He took me into a little booth to show me all the miners’ gear: explosives and a chemical (expensive and toxic) that intensifies the explosions, meaning that they can use less dynamite, which is also expensive. The kit also !!!include!!!d coca leaves – for offerings, of course, but more importantly for chewing – cigarettes for breaks, and 96% alcohol to keep warm! They drink it straight every morning before going into the mines, and during the day they cut it with soda.

After we picked up our protective gear and headlights, we arrived at the mine... which was deserted. There were no miners working that day. Oh well! Actually, it was for the best, since we wouldn’t be exposed to the dangerous dust or risk of an accident (frequent occurrences here). About 50 feet in, we stopped in front of the “Tio” for offerings and a little explanation. Tio, represented by a statue, protects the miners under the ground.

We went deeper into the mine, about 1.5 km in. We could feel the air and temperature change gradually from cold and dry like the outside world (the mine entrance is 4200m in altitude) to warm and humid in the heart of Cerro Rico, the mineral-rich mountain. The mine extract from this mountain for silver, lead, zinc, tin, and copper. In the heyday of mining here, in the 16th century, they found silver veins a foot and a half wide, and today they’re lucky if they find ones more than an inch wide. It was all this silver that made Potosi – and Spain – so rich. In the 17th century, Potosi had more than 200,000 inhabitants and was one of the biggest cities in the world, only 200 hundred years after it was founded.

The conditions inside the mine were extreme: not enough oxygen and toxic dust everywhere. They think more than 8 million African or indigenous slaves died in the mines. Today, the life expectancy of a miner is less than 40, mostly due to respiratory illness. The youngest start working at age 14. In Spain, they used to say that there was enough silver in Cerro Rico to build a silver bridge between Spain and the new world. In Bolivia, they used to say that there enough bones of the dead buried in the mountain to build the same bridge.

In the afternoon we went back to the bus station, and wondered between the booths to try and find a bus going to Sucre, but it seemed no buses went to the capital. When we finally found one, the ticket agent told us to go to the next bus down to buy the tickets, since she didn’t have any. We’ll never understand the system here!

We walked towards a young girl calling out “suuuuuucccccccrrrrrreeeee.” We bought our tickets – 3 hour ride for €2 each. And then we waited, since the bus wasn’t leaving for another hour. We found the bus belonging to the company and sat in front of it. But no, this wasn’t the bus that was leaving to Sucre – the one we wanted belonged to another company. Apparently they had merged two companies because there weren’t enough passengers, only they didn’t tell anyone. Sébastien noticed the bus we were supposed to take and we had to chase it down!

It was a  3 hour ride – in theory. But there was a flat tire (every time we get in a bus, there’s a flat!) and we arrived 5 hours later, a little tired. We dropped our stuff in a little unassuming hotel and went to eat near the town square, all beautifully lit up.

Day 3: Sucre

We spent the day wandering around the streets of the Bolivian capital. The buildings and their interior courtyards were fantastic. We also enjoyed the climate: Sucre is only 2800m above sea level – it was lovely and warm and we left our coats at the hotel.

We ended up eating in a restaurant of the Alliance Française. It was a nice place, with reasonable Bolivian prices – a good sized plate with delicious locale fare for only €4!!

Day 4: Back to Oruro

Our guide book said that there were buses that leave for Oruro in the morning and evening. But when we got at the bus station in Sucre at 7:00 am, we found out that in fact there the direct routes only leave in the evening, which would get us into Oruro at 4 am. So we would have to take a bus that stopped in Potosi (3 hour ride) and then a connecting bus to Oruro (5 hours). We didn’t want to waste any more time, so we took these “trufi” (shared taxis). We went in a car with two other people from Sucre to Potosi (2.5 hours) for just €3, and then in a minivan with five other people from Potosi to Oruro for €5 (3.5 hours). We thought we wouldn’t get into Oruro until late, but in the end we were there by 2:30!

Our bikes and all our gear was still there. We filled our bags with food since we leave tomorrow for Salar d’Uyuni, which should take us about a week to get to. A week when we’re not sure whether we’ll be able to send news….or even find food!

The moral of the story?

We tip our hats to the travelers who go by bus. It seemed like we wasted a lot of time running between terminals to try to find out the schedules and routes of all the different companies. And bouncing around on the bus for 3 hours isn’t exactly relaxing! And you don’t get to see the scenery – there are curtains at the front of the bus, and on the sides too. No one seems interested in the views since they all close their curtains. We prefer the freedom of our own bikes.

This trip is outside the scope of the Association Planète Durable et Solidaire. But we will use the site to keep you updated on all our news and adventures.

Sara & Sébastien