Flying from San Pedro de Atacama, over the Andes to Santiago, we could confrm that the mountain range is just as beautiful from above as it is from the road.
We just had one day to see Santiago before our departure to Easter Island. So we visited the city thoroughly.
We visited the tourism office to check if we needed a PCR test for our next day flight. But they weren’t sure.
So we visited a government vaccine center to check if we needed a PCR test for our next day flight. But they weren’t sure.
So we visited the Latam website to check if we needed a PCR test for our next day flight. But they weren’t sure.
Then we looked for travel agencies located on google maps but inexistant in real life.
Finally we visited a mall outside the center, that had a Latam office and they confirmed we didn’t need one. Which is good because by that time, we didn’t have enough time to get a PCR test!
In the end I could just take a few street shots as we walked and from the terrace of a café. And with that, we’re ready for our flight to the end of the world!
Santiago street art, the cats seriesSantiago street artStreet shots in Santiago Photo by Leo 🙂Evening light on the cathedral
On our way to San Pedro de Atacama from Bolivia, we were told about the Pacific war of 1879. Chile fought and won the war against Bolivia and Peru over natural resources in the Atacama desert, stripping the Bolivians of their access to the coast! The Bolivians seem to still be bitter about this. I don’t know what the Chileans think of all this but they’re probably still healing from recent history – the US led Pinochet dictatorship between 1973 and 1990.
Once in San Pedro de Atacama, the first thing we did was to go check the various activities around the place. We realised that it was super expensive for something we had spent very little in Bolivia. The cost of living here was as high as France! So we decided to leave as soon as possible. We were told that a plane to Santiago will be cheaper than the bus. No restaurants or cafés had WiFi access. We got a SIM card to figure things out with our friend Google. We booked an Airbnb for the night, a bus ticket to Calama and cheap flight tickets from there to Santiago. However, it meant spending 3 nights in Calama where there was literally nothing else to do but Leo’s school work.
The cheapest Airbnb was in a village called Solar on the outskirts and the place looked lovely. We took a cab and reached our host Ana’s house. She had the most adorable dogs who wouldn’t stop nudging us to be petted and caressed. The house had Chanar trees all around. We befriended Ana’s son Franco who was there on holiday. We played card games with him and his friends. Leo played chess. Franco convinced us that there was nothing to do in Calama and that they could give us a room for the next 2 days. We quickly changed our bus tickets and canceled our stay in Calama. We partook in a barbecue party for Ana’s birthday where we feasted on empanadas & Chilean wine, we danced a bit and did some stargazing. Atacama has clear skies that are perfect for starry nights. We were told about 2 outings which could be done without a tour guide for free! We went to the valley of cactus which had a river running through and various waterfalls. The next day we were supposed to go to another valley with a river and a waterfall. Leo refused to join us and went with Franco and Ana on a picnic instead. We really felt at home here in the desert 🏜️🌵
The next week it was time to leave. We took a bus to Calama and flew to Santiago. I had found a cheap apartment in Santiago right in the historical centre. The owner had simply forgotten to mention that it was in the basement! I feel quite stuffy in such spaces but Arjun and Leo were perfectly fine with it. They couldn’t smell the weird odour in the corridor and weren’t bothered by people walking past the window on the sidewalk. I felt like the poor family in the Korean movie Parasite. I told myself that it was for 2 nights and that we were out exploring the city during the day. Unfortunately, Santiago looked bleak and boring. It was too expensive for something rather mediocre. This wasn’t what I had in mind.
Luckily, it was time to go to Easter Island. I never thought I’d ever go there. The island I’ve always wanted to visit was Tahiti. Our initial plan was to fly from Easter Island to Tahiti but as luck would have it, there have been no flights since the pandemic. We were forced to fly to and fro from Santiago.
Leo with HamAna’s house in Solar Leo sifting the sand to help build a house These cactus seem to show their middle finger Arjun enjoying the waterfall Arjun making the most of the oasis in the middle of the desert The Atacama desert is lined with snow peaked mountains making for a stunning contrastThe view from our bus on the way to Calama We’re in Santiago Street art in Santiago Chess on the streets in Santiago Street art in Santiago
And thus we reached San Pedro de Atacama, in Chile, just 40 mins by bus after the Bolivian border.
From Bolivia to Chile we just had to get around the Licancabur volcano. But the Bolivian side is about 2000 meters higher than the Chilean side. We were freezing in Bolivia, wearing 3 layers of clothes. Driving down to Chile, the temperature rose to 35 degrees by the time we reached the Atacama desert.
The brutal rise in temperature was only comparable to the brutal price inflation! There we were in South America’s most expensive country. And in that country, probably in the most expensive village! We inquired about some tours in the area but everything was outrageously expensive and most of it are parts of the Uyuni tour we just did, sold in Chile at 3 times the price. Same with accommodation, so we thought we’d just head out of there quickly and continue our bus journey to Santiago.
Then we realised that flying from Calama to Santiago 3 days later would take 2 hours and be cheaper than the 25 hours by bus. So Mary found an airbnb a bit out of town. The place was only available for one night and we thought we’d have to go wait for our flight in a gloomy hotel in Calama.
Ana, our airbnb host turned out to be super friendly, had a beautiful traditional house, managed to accommodate us for all 3 days and even suggested some nearby places we could go to without booking a tour. So in the end we had a wonderful time in San Pedro. Leo befriended Franco, her 19 year old son with whom he played chess and cards. He even helped them with construction of their new house. And we celebrated Ana’s birthday with their friends around a barbecue. And we swam in nearby rivers and waterfalls! (Yes, in the desert!)
The most fascinating thing about the local scenery is the arid desert surrounded by the snow peaks of the volcanoes! At times, the canyon walls would remind us of the « Narrows », in Zion national park!
Snow peaks over the desertAna’s houseLeo helping with the construction The valley of cactuses Desert waterfalls!Mary admires the snow peaksDesert roadCelebrating Ana’s birthday Entering the Quebrada de JereTroglodyte housingQuebrada de JereStrongest water pressure in the area!Red rocks desert
We were pleasantly surprised by Bolivia. After a lot of negative feedback from tourists, we didn’t really expect much. We’d also heard that crime rates were high – there were a few cases of tourists being kidnapped and murdered for money! The least of our problems were the fraudulent notes in circulation and we heard that even ATM machines often have fake notes! Fortunately, we didn’t get any (or perhaps we couldn’t make out?). So we only planned 2 days in Copacabana, 2 in LaPaz, the Uyuni tour, flee to Chile and thereby avoid getting kidnapped!
The Uyuni tour began with a very comfortable overnight bus. The “semi cama” allow the seats to recline at a good 45′ angle. Our guide was waiting for us in Uyuni and we were put in a minibus with Antoine and Celine. We were on our way to the salt flats and it was rainy and gloomy. Fortunately, the sky cleared by the time we reached. We were all given a pair of wellington boots as there was water everywhere. The place looked like heaven on earth! We could see the reflection of the blue skies, white clouds in the water all around and no horizon anywhere. Max, our 22 year old guide, driver and cook took pictures and videos of us with all sorts of props – toy dinasaur, colourful chairs, plastic bottle etc. Since there’s no notion of distance they made for some awesome pictures 😍 We spent the night in a hotel made of salt blocks including the seating and beds. While it looked unique, I wasn’t at ease leaving our stuff on the salt floor. It was rather cold inside. There were almost 80 tourists and 5 toilets + 2 shower rooms for all. I had to wait in a queue for 45 minutes before taking a shower. At least it was warm 😋 The next morning we left to see the flamingos in a lake on top of a volcano. The landscape was breathtaking. We were left gasping in awe and also because we were short of breath! Max was chewing coca leaves for the high altitude. It was almost 5200m. By now, I was used to the altitude so I wasn’t sick. On the last day we woke up at 4 in the morning to go see the geysers and spring waters on one of the volcanic mountains bordering Chile. It reminded me of Iceland. Our original plan was to cross over from here but we changed our plans since it had been snowing and the border was closed. When we arrived, it was a sunny day and the borders were open. So we went back to our original plan and crossed the border to Chile. It didn’t take much time and we found ourselves in a tourist bus heading to the driest desert in the world – San Pedro de Atacama. We were asked to put our seatbelts on. We were no longer in a developing country. There were rules to follow.
At the train graveyard Salt factory near the salt flats The lake full of flamingos At the Bolivia – Chile border
We were picked up by our guide around 7am as we stepped down from our night bus from La Paz. He took us to a café, for breakfast, and a couple of hours later we were on our way to see the famous salar of Uyuni.
The salar of Uyuni is one of the highlights of any trip to South America. A salt pan of 200km2, 1km deep. Even Belgium could not use all of it on its fries 🤡. And with the rain, it turns into a gigantic 200km2 mirror reflecting the sky. There is no more ground; everything seems to be floating in the clouds. Feels like walking inside a giant kaleidoscope. Feels like walking in heaven!
Before reaching the salar, we stop by the train cemetery. It’s an ancient repair area, abandoned some time after the pacific war, when the line to the pacific got shut. (It’s reopened now, but operated by the Chinese and going through Chile.. pretty hard to bear for Bolivians)
For lunch, and at night, we’re taken to hotels made entirely of salt blocks: the walls, the tables, the beds, the counters.. everything in is salt! It looks nice too, as the stratification creates alternative white and brown layers (for the wet and dry seasons)
It’s a tradition on the salar to make silly pictures, to play with reflections and the absence of perspective!
After the salar, we continue the tour for 2 more days in the 4×4, southwest to the Chilean border. It’s a volcanic region and the landscapes are breathtaking. We go through red rock deserts with lava formations creating beasty shapes, to snow fields 5200m in altitude, to coloured lagunas full of pink flamingos, to steam geysers…
Well, the original plan was to cross to Chile directly at the end of the 3 days tour, but we were discouraged to do so because the border is in high altitude and probably closed because of the snow. So we thought ok, we’ll return to Uyuni. Then on the last day when we reached the border, it was a bright sunny day and the driver said we were just 40 mins away from San Pedro de Atacama, so we switched back to the original plan and we left beautiful Bolivia just there, after barely a week in the country.
Leo was pretty sad though, because we had to skip bathing in the hot springs
The gargoyle The old man yelling to the cloudsThe tree rockHot steam geyser in the cold morning We walked on mars!Just passed the Chilean border
The 2 and a half hours bus ride from Copacabana to La Paz took over 5 hours as the Tiquina pass -which the bus has to cross on a barge- was to windy and dangerous. We reached La Paz in the night, pretty tired, only to find out that the room Mary had booked in a hostel had been taken by someone else! So we ended up in a shared room with bunk beds, with our french travel companions.
The weather in La Paz kept changing from rain to sun but in spite of what some people had told us about Bolivia and its capital city, we had a great time there.
We went visiting the witches market where they sell dried baby lamas (😱) -supposedly lucky when you burn them 🫣- and all kinds of lucky charms and sensual perfumes!
We also did the -now traditional- cable car tour overlooking the giant city, notably the colourful Bario Alto.
Last but not least, we went to see a Cholitas match: female wrestling in traditional bolivian attire! Of course awfully fake but very entertaining! By some strange malediction though, my memory card got corrupted and all my Cholitas pics are lost! 😭 (the card seems to work fine since then, but it scares me that it might happen again!)
My plan was simply to continue to Uyuni by bus and book a tour to the salar from there, but Mary insisted that the tours booked from La Paz were more reliable, so we did that and booked from our hostel.
I had once told Mary about how fancy and comfortable the buses in latin america were, from my travel experience in Argentina. But since Mexico down, we’ve only seen basic -uncomfortable- buses. This time it was different : our night bus from La Paz to Uyuni was a proper, spacious, two-stories, comfortable « semi-cama » and with a wifi connection that worked for at least 20 minutes! I had not dreamt, they do exist.
Colourful streets of La PazAt the witches marketThe famous pic by Inge Morath in NYC, 1957La Paz street artLa Paz street artLa Paz street artLa Paz street artBario alto from the cable carPosing with the Cholitas!
We reached Copacabana with a young french couple whom we met on our way to Puno in Peru. Once in Copacabana, we immediately felt more relaxed and celebrated our escape from Peru with a Pisco sour and Pina colada ! It was big time celebration of the Candelaria feast here and we went to dance with the locals who were drinking endless bottles of beer. The next day we visited the sun island and the moon island on the lake Titicaca. The Island of the moon had a cemetery which was probably for Inca women belonging to an upper class. The Island of the sun was beautiful. We visited one of the Inca ruins perched on one of the hills. I particularly liked the wild shore line with no one except for cows and pigs running around and huge cactuses on the hills with flowers in bloom. The floating islands were these man made patches of straw and wood. They were breeding trout fish here. We stopped by to have some fresh trout. By now it was windy and the lake was really choppy. The boat bounced around like crazy and vented out lots of diesel smoke. We started feeling sick 🤢 To make things worse, this was to take almost an hour! The captain stopped midway at another floating island. The weather was too rough for the boat to handle. We were made to get down and take a bus instead for the rest of the journey. We barely had a few minutes left to catch our bus to LaPaz. So we ran to pick up our bags which we left with the tour operator and then ran towards the bus stop. I was out of breath by the time we were in the bus and about to lose it when a hippie lady came with a platter full of pastries. We bought a few freshly baked goodies and were all set for our 3 hour bus journey. We were to reach by 10 p.m. at the bus terminal and check into a hostel that was 5 minutes away. Of course things didn’t go exactly as planned. We reached the strait of Tiquina with no bridge available for a cross over. It was windy, rainy and there were many other buses. The driver asked everyone to get down and take a boat as the river crossing was supposed to be dangerous. The bus was to cross the river on a wooden raft! So we decided to stay in the bus while the others diligently got down to take a motorboat. We finally arrived in LaPaz after six hours – tired, sleepy and cold. The driver dropped us at some random place away from the terminal. Luckily we got a reliable cab who dropped us all at the hostel. We were hoping someone would open the door at that time of night. They did open the door but we were told that our private room had been given away to other tourists. Fortunately, we were allowed to stay the night in a dormitory with cold beds.
The next day we went to watch a female wrestling match which is popular with the Bolivians. The wrestlers or Cholitas wear traditional Bolivian attire and fight like WWF wrestlers. It was cheesy but fun. We walked around La Paz historical centre and visited some witchcraft markets that stock all sorts of paraphernalia – magic potions, incense, crystals, mummified or skeletons of baby lamas, etc. We took the cable car to have a bird’s eye view of the city which is at an altitude of 3,625m. Most of the houses are left unfinished with no plaster or paint (like in Puno, Peru and in Copacabana). We saw many homeless people begging on the streets. Everything is cheap in LaPaz! We found a lot of lovely handicrafts. I didn’t get anything as I have absolutely no space left in my backpack 😅
Let’s dance 🩰The moon temple Lake Titicaca on the Sun Island Baby lamas for luckWitchcraft kitCakes anyone 😬Cable car ride in LaPaz The Cholitas Maria, the flying CholitaGraffiti art in LaPaz Walking down the street after a hailstorm
After the trek, we were in Cusco for a few more days to recover from the trek. I had terrible neck pain and it took 2 massage sessions and finally some muscle relaxant pills to ease it. We planned to continue our trip to the lake Titicaca but there weren’t any buses! Our Airbnb host let us stay in one of his listings at a nominal rate. We had a 6 bedroom house with a terrace and a garden and a netflix connection. Every morning, we’d wonder if we could leave. We decided to watch the movie RRR because of the hype around it. It wasn’t boring and we saw the entire 3 hour movie but we must be the only ones to have found it nonsensical! Why is this movie considered so good when there are many other better ones?
Anyway, we went again to the bus stop and were told that there was a bus going to Juliaca which is an hour away from Puno. We took our bags and headed to the bus station. We were taken to a minibus with 2 other french tourists. There was a Peruvian couple who joined us and off we went. The driver took a long path through the mountains as there were roadblocks everywhere. We were told that we were to reach the next morning at 5. They underestimated the travel time. After 20 hours on the bus, we reached a spot full of protesters. The driver hadn’t slept and we couldn’t go any further! We stopped to have lunch. We were told that the road will be cleared by evening. So we had 6 hours to kill in the bus. Leo started drawing, I tried to catch up with my blog entries, we had a nap, we played Uno… Finally, the roadblocks were removed and we started going to Puno via Juliaca. The place was literally a war zone with roads full of rocks in different shapes and sizes and all kinds of rubbish. After 34 hours on the road, we crashed into our hostel beds.
The next day was the Candelaria festival in Puno. This is usually a huge feast with lots of traditional dances from all over the country but given the socio political situation, it was super toned down. We witnessed protests in the morning and festivities in the evening. It was a strange atmosphere.
The protesters are typically from rural areas from the south of Peru. The trigger was when president Pedro Castillo was arrested for corruption and the vice president Dina Boluarte took on the number one role. This upset his rural supporters. Many youngsters had been killed in December as the protests turned violent. The protesters basically want an early election this year. Years back, Peru allowed foreign investment to boost their economy. The rural population never really benefited from this. They now want the government to ensure that the foreign investors pay back if they’re given lucrative contracts. This year the 30 year contract will be renewed and hence the only chance for the people to get heard.
We checked at the port if we could go to Bolivia by boat because the bus terminal was deserted! We were told by an agent that she will help us cross the border. The next morning we woke up at 4h30 and left at 5 in the morning to the port. It was complete chaos and the immigration officers literally refused to stamp our passports. Several boats had been damaged by protesters and the port had been blocked. We returned to our hostel wondering what to do next. The agent promised to find a solution for us the next day. By now we were beginning to get nervous. We were tired of the situation and wanted to leave for a safer place. By evening, the agent contacted us to hurry to the port and get our passports stamped. We were leaving the next morning at 4! We were told to be discreet and not tell anyone about leaving the country. So the next morning, we were taken to a place away from the port where around 40 of us got into a boat after having waited in the rain and later in a shed. After 5 hours we finally reached the border town in kasani, got our passports stamped by the Bolivian authorities.
We breathed a huge sigh of relief!
Protesters in CuscoRoad blocked in CuscoEscape from Cusco to Puno through narrow mountain dirt roads Road block near JuliacaWe leave our car to get some lunchLeo killing time The room with a view Road blocked in PunoRoad blocked in Puno The Candelaria feast decoration with a black cloth to depict the unrest Protesters near the Puno cathedral Chicken soup in PunoArjun with the lake Titicaca in the background The boat ride to Bolivia One of our travelling companions
Arriving in Copacabana after Peru had a strange taste of newfound freedom. The festival of the Candelaria, normally much bigger in Puno, is also celebrated in Copacabana and in all the region, and this year it was much more joyous and colourful on this side of the lake. People were dancing and drinking in the streets throughout the day.
Copacabana is most famous as the gateway to Isla del Sol, the biggest island on lake Titicaca, with ruins of pre-inca temples and unexpected white sand beaches on the lake.
On the way back to Copacabana, we stopped at a (cheesy) floating village where Mary had a delicious trout freshly pulled out of the lake. After that, the wind started to blow so hard that the boat could not continue. We had to offboard and wait for a shuttle to take us back to town. We rushed and just made it to catch our bus to La Paz.
Dance parades in Copacabana Pédalo on lake Titicaca Pre-inca temple of the moon on isla de la LunaHouses on isla de la LunaSand beach on isla del SolRuins of the temple of the SunPortrait of a local guideMore dancing on isla del Sol
From Cusco we want to get to Puno, which is normally 7 hours away by bus, on the shore of the Titicaca lake. But we hear of protesters blocking the roads, and no bus is leaving in that direction. The bus terminal is deserted and most counters are shut.
We have to wait a few days more in Cusco. Everyday we try to contact bus companies but none is leaving.
Eventually we find a nameless counter that advertises shuttles to Juliaca, an hour away from Puno; we can’t stay here forever, we take the chance. They charge 3 times the normal price and explain that the trip will last around 12 hours because they’ll have to get around the road blocks.
At 2pm, we meet our travel companions; Henry the driver, Celine and Antoine, a French couple, Jorge and Judith, a Peruvian couple. And off we go.
Soon we leave the main road and head towards the mountains, on a bumpy dirt road.
The driver has never taken this road and stops to ask his way to villagers. After 6 hours, by nightfall, we reach Accha where we stop to have diner. At 2am, the estimated 12 hours are over as we reach Livitaca. We’ve barely covered a fourth of the distance that separates Cusco from Juliaca.
At this point I replace Antoine as the copilot. By chance, Antoine has an offline map of Peru on his phone, because there aren’t any villagers left to ask. Henry is happy to have someone who understands a tiny bit of spanish, to chat and stay awake.
Around 4am, our driver is exhausted and we stop on the side of the road for a nap. I suggest I could drive, but he can’t take the risk and would rather sleep for a bit in the still car.
We start an hour later, and slowly the sun rises on the mountains. We reach Quehue, Checca, El Descanso, Espinar. We’re on a plateau so the road is a bit more smooth.
We’re nearing Llali when someone tells us the road ahead is blocked and we must return and make a detour via Macari. Macari is higher up and again it’s a lot of switch backs.
In spite of the detour, we’re stopped at noon by a road block at the entrance of Ayaviri, some 2 hours away from Juliaca. They say the protesters should leave and open the barricade around 6pm.
We leave the car and walk to Ayaviri to have lunch, then return to the car to catch some sleep. In the afternoon, Leo suggests we all play Uno to kill time.
Around 7pm, the barricade opens and we can finally move forward. It is followed by many other deserted road blocks. We reach Juliaca in the night and it looks like a war zone, with rocks all over the road. It’s quite dangerous as we‘re blinded by the lights of the cars coming towards us and we see the rocks at the last minute.
We had paid for a trip to Juliaca only, but the driver accepted an extra charge to take us all the way to Puno. We all accepted as we had no other option and nowhere to go.
Around midnight, some 34 hours after leaving Cusco, we finally reached Puno, exhausted. Henry, the driver was told that the strike would be stronger the next day and everything would be blocked. He barely had the time to take another nap and return alone in the night towards Cusco before the protesters wake up!
We stop in a hotel and finally get some real sleep. But Puno is not the end of the road for us either, we still need to find a way to the Bolivian border, and the protests in this region are much stronger than in Cusco. The roads to the border are blocked, and the port as well. The bus terminal is completely shut and no boat is leaving to Kasani.
A lady intercepts us near the harbour, and in a low secretive voice, tells us she can help us get to the border. She’ll meet us at our hotel to explain the details. We’re suspicious but we might as well hear what she has to say.
She comes as promised and explains that there are daily reunions with the police, the port director and migration officials to decide whether or not they can open the port. She’s negotiating with them and will let us know in the evening.
It’s February 1st, and the beginning of Puno’s grand festival of the Candelaria. Normally the festival is extremely colourful and gathers musicians from all over the country. This year, it’s very low key and rather sad because of the political context, but we still see some local marching bands playing drums and flutes in the streets.
In the evening, the news are not great. The negotiations did not turn in our favor, but nonetheless, we’re told to be ready by 5am, we’ll try an escape by another port.
At 5am they come to pick us up, we stop at the harbour to get our passport stamped. But the migration officer tells us he’ll stamp our passport at our own risk; there’s little chance we manage to actually leave today, in which case we’ll be illegal in Peru and maybe won’t be able to enter the next country. We step back. Our guide is again negotiating in the next house. Eventually our escape is aborted and we must return to the hotel.
We’re dissuaded to leave by road in the night, the bridge of Llave that leads to Kasani is shut by the protesters and they’re particularly aggressive. It’s not safe.
The girl at the hotel explains to us that, back in the 90’s, when Peru’s economy was very low, the government allowed foreign companies to come exploit the country’s resources at a low fee, with a 30 years renewable lease. The south of Peru is rich with minerals such as copper and lithium. For the past 30 years the region has been depleted of its resources without any benefit for the locals. They demand a change in the constitution so these leases cannot be renewed and foreign companies to pay for what they take. From here we can easily imagine the foreign economic and political pressure, and the corruption behind all this.
In the afternoon we walk up to the Inca statue and higher up to the great condor overlooking the city, from where we have a great view on the lake.
When we return to the hotel, we’re told to quickly go to the migration office, the port should open tomorrow. « But be very discreet about it, don’t tell anyone you’re going to leave! ». This time there are a few more people getting their stamp and the migration officer accepts to stamp our passport; it’s a good sign, we’ll probably be able to leave. This time we must be ready by 4am.
At 4am sharp they come to pick us up. There are more people in the shuttle this time, and we drive a bit further to a smaller port 20 minutes away from Puno. There we’re parked in a building while we wait for our boat. A couple more shuttles bring some more passengers. About 40 in all. The French couple and us are the only tourists. After a half hour our boat is here and we can board, under the rain and the rising sun. It’s not really a harbour, there’s no deck and we must climb into the boat with our heavy backpacks. But we’re really leaving this time!
I’m writing these lines in the middle of the lake Titicaca, while the boat takes us to Kasani. 4 more hours before we can cross the border.
… we reached the “port” of Kasani and climbed down the boat, and we found a cab to take us to the Bolivian immigration office and straight to Copacabana (no, not in Brazil!). I was a bit anxious that the immigration officers would bother us with covid test requirements or some such thing but they didn’t ask any question and let us in.
Finally, after a week of trying, we made a successful escape to Bolivia and drank a Pisco Sour to celebrate! 🎉
Raahi - A traveling family 