Torotoro

8.12.

We enjoy breakfast with a great view of the city before making the 7.5 hour journey back to Torotoro National Park. This route has a bit more traffic but we have gotten used to Bolivian driving by now. The landscape is very diverse and the roads are partially practically newly built. It almost hurts to see the rockslides that have covered the road, as the steep slopes were not secured enough. So we zigzag through the boulders and watch the workers who actually complete the roads and can start all over again afterwards... Torotoro is a small village and we still have time to enjoy dinner before it gets dark. We are looking forward to the excursions tomorrow.

9.12.

Torotoro has a lot to offer, like the city made of stones that we visit first. Amelia maneuvers Jeanie through steep mountain roads to the hiking trail, which can only be tackled with a guide. Since no one is there, we dare to walk the path on our own. The washed-out cave is quite easy to find and leaves an impression. After that, we want to visit the turtle graveyard, but a sideways tilted bus (the roads are super muddy) prevents this. So we return to the hotel and consider leaving earlier. In the meantime, we have received the message that we have to take the PCR test in La Paz on Saturday morning, as there is no laboratory open on Sunday. So it means another 8 hours of driving!

We give our second night to the hotel and drive off. Especially the main road from Cochabamba up to Altiplano is impressive! Many trucks slowly make their way up the 2000m to about three hours of climb. You have to be extremely careful when overtaking, but we complete the route without accidents and at a good pace. Several police posts later, we look for a hotel in Patacamaya, as it is slowly getting dark. The owners are amused, as tourists don't usually stay here. Around the hotel there are only Charquekan's - a kind of restaurant - that we don't know. So let's go in! Charques is dried and then cooked and fried llama meat (it looks like fried pulled pork or hair to death...) with corn, an egg, salty cheese (type of feta?) and potatoes. We don't really like the taste, but it fills us up. Good night!