Tuesday, May 4, 2010

The Untamed Bolivia

THE UNTAMED BOLIVIA



Four-Day Desert Tour
"By travelling, we discover not only this beautiful, awe-inspiring earth; we also discover our humanity, and that of others."
- Dana Snyman, On the Back Roads


Somewhere along the trip I sat overlooking a white mineral lake in the remote south-west Bolivia. The space was immense, the temperature uncomfortably cold, and the sun harsh. This environment cannot tolerate the weak.

Cordillera Huayhuash

Cordillera Huayhuash

My arms cannot bend due to the seven layers of clothing I am wearing on my top body. My lower half is clad in five layers. I am wearing four pairs of thermal socks and my toes are still aching. The only part of my body that is exposed is the horizontal strip of my face where my eyes are.