We have a long drive ahead of us as it is time to return to La Paz, and thus this day is spend mostly on our way back to La Paz via Potosí and Oruro.
The road to Potosi first follows a green valley which turns dry as the road runs towards the Pilkomayo River. Nearby there is an old suspension bridge, a fine example of colonial architecture. From here the road starts to climb in earnest through dry valley region with thorny bushes and cactus plants until it reaches Altiplano. This is quite fertile region full of potato, broad beam and corn fields. After driving along the flat Altiplano for some kilometres, the road o starts its climb towards Potosi. We leave Potosi behind and continue over ridges and valleys, driving between two mountain ranges Cordillera de los Frailes in the south and Cordillera de Azanaques in the North. The road reaches 4300m at its highest point. We cross again the Pilkomayo River and eventually arrive to the Altiplano again at the shores of Lake Poopo, where we turn north towards Oruro. Just before we arrive to the provincial capital Oruro, we take a detour to the Cala Cala rock paintings, which are easily accessible by a little used track which passes through some typical Altiplano scenery and villages. The painting themselves are viewed from a wooden platform which has been constructed with some foreign aid to protect the paintings and also to give the local community some little income from the occasional visitors. After a short tour of the paintings we return to the main road and drive into Oruro where we will have a late lunch, after which we continue to La Paz, where we arrive in the evening.
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