Arica - Chile!!!! When we came to Chile in 2010 for the relief work in the south, I met an awesome brother, Yoysson, and he invited me to his house waaaay up in Arica. I've just left Bolivia and I miss it heaps already but Arica is amazing. The amount of witnesses per capita is so high. A city with about 185,000 people, it has 23 congregations!! 1 witness per 90 or something. It's wierd because when we're preaching, they say hello to everyone on the street just about, because they're witnesses too. And every third or fourth house we don't do coz it's a brothers house. So I left Bolivia at 3000 - 4000 m above sea level straight down here to 0, it feels good. Strong smell of salt air and a good breeze all the time. Feels like New Zealand. Two weeks here hanging out with Yoysson, living with him and his family, doing the preaching. Went to the beach for the first time in 4 months and had a good, cold swim. The last couple of nights we had two parties in a row with two different congregations was really awesome. And tiring, especially if you've seen how much they dance. We did a little trip and went up Asapa Valley close to Arica and went to the meeting there where they have a group of Iymara. We stayed the night with a brother, Rodrigo, and went out field the next day in huge tomato fields and just about every other sort of friuts or veg. Having trouble getting used to Chile's sleeping and eating schedule. I'm not used to a siesta and they stay up super late. I've had an awesome time with these guys and I'm going to miss them!!!!

The COBE of the congo and his wife. They were specials in
 the South of Chile, Chiloe Island, way way back and they
were the ones who started the first congregation there.
 

Right outside their house.

Back in Chile!!! The scungiest dogs in South America

On the beach with Yoysson

Dinner with a few in the congregation. Lucia, Yoysson, Me, Lidia, Jose,
and Yasmine.

The hall up in Asapa Valley

Staying with Rodrigo and his wife, Eliana on the left.

Asapa Valley

Rodrigo

The size of the groups!!! Because there are so many
congregations, the territories are TINY. 17 maps and only a
couple of blocks each. The group is at 9:45 and we do street
witnessing till 10:30 and we meet at the map. Which gets
finished in one hour.

Brothers of the congregation

Yoysson's family. Maria, Lidia and Juan

Yoysson and I

The first dance night we had with the congregation of Asapa Valley

With the family

Half of us

The farewell for me in Yoysson's house. CHAU!!!

Yoysson in front of the hall.

Uyuni Salt Flats. - my first trip to uyuni salts flats. There were 9 of us. 3 from spain and 5 from Italy. All of them need greaters from Sucre. We did a three day tour from Uyuni through a brother's tour company in Uyuni. The first night we got there, we stayed in a little hostel in town. 6 dollars for the night. Went in to town and had a good llama steak at one of the best places in town. The next morning left at 9 or so, so we had a bit of a look around beforehand. We crammed into 2 Land Cruisers. I ended up with the back back seat somehow. The salt flats the first day and then we stayed in a salt hotel that night on the edge of the flats. Second day was all day driving and stopping at all the lakes, mountains and deserts. LOTS of flamingos and llamas. 5000m in a few places. Didn't seem to bad but then again I didn't do heaps of running around. Volcanoes are just EVERYWHERE. And I couldn't believe how lifeless everything was. Just no plants or birds or anything. Just the odd group of llamas wandering around. Reaslly amazing. The third day we did the same but we had to get up at 4:30am at -15 degrees. The coldest i've ever felt. More clothes just don't do anything. But at 8 we arrived at some thermal hot pools and that was the best 30 min ever i think. We went all the way down to the border with Bolivia, Argentina and Chile. Got back to Uyuni that night and travelled back to Sucre.

Lucky there wasn't any water! It was hard as rock

All of us

The island in the middle of the flats. The world's best cactus
i reckon

The salt hotel we stayed in. The tables, seats, walls, beds,
EVERYTHING was made of salt

The first lake we arrived at. We had lunch here
 right down on the water.

We had to scare them to get them to fly. 

These things are amazing. Just the was they move

Volcanoes, lake and 5000m at this point I think

The Red Lake

The second night. All of us huddled around the fire. We had one bottle of wine
 too. And the freaky guy at the back in the blue was the only random guy we
had with us. He came just to fill the car up. 

I did NOT want to get out ae. The air was -0 something

Old skool

Eating my llama steak on the Salt Flats. 

In the mercado campesino. (Farmers Market)

TARIJA!!! Really nice, take it easy city. Along with some pretty dodgy suburb territory where we got attacked by dogs more than once. From Sucre I took an overnight bus on a road that was pretty bad. But I suppose normal for Bolivia. Didn't realise but there are 11 Kiwis there right now!! Heaps. Spent my awesome stay with Martin and Luise Rattray in their lovely relaxing B&B. Did some witnessing with two different gongregations. Some central territory and some stuff further out with the Kiwis. I was feeling right at home.  

Move to Bolivia if you like Bananas and Papayas

One block from the centre. Out one
day witnessing

Having breakfast at the Rattray's

The big dam about 10 min out of town

I snuck down to the bottom

Central Plaza of Tarija

The Coimata Waterfalls. Half an hour walk up a cool river. The first real
water I've seen for a while

It was such a good swim

Did a walk up to the top of a mountain that just about killed
 me but it was worth the view

The two halls I went to were both brand newbies

A cool couple from Spain serving
here. Taking their bike to the hall

KIWIS!!

Shimon and I preaching. This door was slightly a bit shorter
 than normal

These dogs are nuts. By the end of the
morning there was two broken umbrellas

It's called Walley. Volleyball with walls. Super cool idea 

Los tarijenos after our game

Hall Cleaning

The other brand new hall. Sweet as Bolivia!!!