Hola from La Paz , the highest city in the world! Since last blog we spent 2 more nights in Cusco, Peru and spent our last day white water rafting although it was a little disappointing due to the fact that there was a sever lack of rapids!However it was a but of a laugh and we did have a couple of near falls out of the raft!
Left Cusco on the morning bus although we very nearly didnt leave due to the fact that the company that was supposed to pick us up and bring us to the bus station didnt arrive till 15 minutes before the bus was about to leave. This in itself wasn´t so bad, although we did have to stop at 2 other hostels to pick up the 3 guys we are now travelling with. But of course we are in Peru and things don´t run on normal time therfore when Jo pointed out the puncture on the front wheel as we were loading bags on I tried not to panic and hoped theyd just keep driving on it , but no! So by this stage it was ten to eight and they were still trying to get the wheel off and then it took another 10 minutes to get the spare wheel off from under the van. We contemplated hopping into a taxi and going to bus station ourselves and then decided that the lads had probably already gone to station and hoped that the company we were with would phone ahead and ask bus to wait. Surprisingly buses in Peru go very ontime and not as we hoped on Hawaiin time! So at 8 oclock as we should be leaving the bus station we are still on our way ot the other 2 hostels , but ofcourse the lads are nowhere to be seen and wthey have our tickets so the nervous giggling begins and we resign ourselves to spednign another day in Cusco. We have no way of contacting the others and arent really sure what the next plan of action will be.
Suddenly the girl from the company is on the phone to what appears to be the bus company and the driver who doesnt have a clue where he is going has decided its time to put the foot down. Its 8,.15 by now and by my understandign of the conversation Im earwigging in Spanish we are chasing down the bus! Yes soon enough we see the back of our bus in front of us and cant bleive our luck when it pulls over , our bags are piled on board and were told our friends are already on the bus - this however is only part true ! We board the bus and the Aussies are on but no Ali. We spend the next 15 minutes trying to decide where ho is nad how the hell we are going to get in contact with him when we arrive 7 hours later in Puno. Were still discussing it when the bus pulls over again and to our surprise who is standing outside the door but Ali - our little family of 5 is back together and all is right with the world!
7 ish hours later we arrive in Copacobana. We spénd one night here - not as exotic a place as it sounds and I´m sure nothing like the Brazil version which is called after this one. From here we travel out the next morning to a half day trip of the floating island - Los Uros , but not before the lads try some local delicacies of guinea pig and alpaca llama - and yes the guinea pig comes intact with all 4 legs but I was told is very tasty - Jo says it tasted quite like bbq chicken!!
Los Uros are a set of floating island made entirely of the local reeds - these reeds are used to make the islands , the houses, the beds, the crafts and theyare even eaten - and are quite tasty! The islands are on Lake Titicaca which becasue of the altitude has a freezing point of minus 7 and a boiling point in the 70s. We were welcomed onto the island by a bunch of very colourful local ladies and very cute kids and soon we were been given a chat on how the island float and hhow they spend their lives here. The father of the guy giving the talk lives on an island a little further away and is over 100 years old and this he puts down to eating only fish and reeds and being too far away form the mainland to buy rice, pasta and meat - according to hom these are the things that shorten your life - oh and sugar!
After the talk we were brought into the houses and dressed up in the local gear - very funny and we will have the pics up asap! Then we had to barter for some local merchandise followed by a sing song in every language they know - which included Twinkle Twinkle little star - very cute! Then they rowed us to another little island for a brief visit in you guessed it a boat made of reeds!
We returned to Copacobana that afternoon and took a bus to Puno where we checked into yet another classy bug biting establishment and booked our boat for the next moring to La isla del sol where according to Inca culture the sun was discovered and the INca culture itself took form. Next morning clambered with our rucksacks onto a very dodgy looking boat which had what Id describe as 100 year old parish chairs semi bolted to the rotting weopoden floor boards up on a slight platform for seats! Almost 2 hours later we arrived on the island and were faced with a 25 minute uphill hike at altitude - not pleasant! We checked into our hostel and went straight to the balcony where the view of the island and lake was worth every step of pain on the way up. We proceded to go for lunch in one of the local restaurants which is also the local shop and we soon learnt that island time was a whole other story - took at least an hour to produce 5 grease laden omelletes!
After our fill of grease we headed off for the 2 hour hike to the North end of the island , discovering along the way that Bolivia charges a tax wherever it can. So twice along the way we had to stop, pay our bolivianos and write our name and nationality in the special book - al very official for a dirt track one end the island to the other! I would describe the island as a poor mans Greek island without the baches and without the amaxing Greek food but it was still nice to see and the sun was stronger here than anywhere we had been in South america yet - I have some dodgy tan lines to prove it! On the way back I endd up on the other island path and tried not to freak myself out as I realised I didnt really have a clue where I was and everytime I asked anyone a question to help guide me home all I got was ´´si´ and told I was at least 3 hours away form other end of island. I was worried if I collapsed - as I was attempting to jog some it it or twisted my ankle on rough path Id be left there fot he night as the others would have no way knowing where I was - luckily I made it home managing only to jog the downhills and a couple of the flats , all the time with inhaler in hand!
BTW - apologies for typos .the mouse has randomly broken on this computer and I have no way getting back up to correct errors!
Anyway watched a lovely sunset on the island, waited another long long time for a meal to come that night and nearly got fumageated by the gas pizza oven in the restaurant and no ventilation. Spent the night cuddled up beside Jo in the same single bed as her bed was like a rock and mine was like a big dipper and it was freezing , not sure whos bed was more uncomfortable but we somehow managed to get some sleep before our hike back down to the boat again next morning. Took the rickety boat back to Copacobana and then boarded bus for La Paz a lunchtime.
Arrived in La Paz early evening and checked into our hostel which was very posh and even gave us a free ber each night we stayed! My first impression of La Paz was this is the most mental placve I have ever been to and it still is! There is people, cars, taxis, buses everywhere you look. The most dangerous thing to do is try and cross the road although they do hav people dressed ip as zebras helping you to do this! The grocest thing they have is dead rotting llamas hangin up for sale in the markets , supposedly you put this under the ground when you are building your house nad it will keep you safe! The pics will explain everything once I get them up!
Next morning myself and Ali left the others with a hug and messages to send home of I love yous just incase we didnt survive The Worlds most Dangerous Road! However luckily we are here to tell the tale! We had a great Kiwi guide and the road was not as scary as I expected it to be althought there were times when the 500 meter drop off to the side came a little bit close for comfort! I managed to control my urge to catch up with the boys in front of me and maintained myslef as fastest girtl down the hill and to my great surprise managed to stay on the bike at all times - not one scratch! We ended the day by having luch in a lovely animal sanctuary where we got to pet baby monkeys and be chased by giant parrots. After lunch it was time to try and survive Death Road for the 2nd time that day but htis time in a giant bus - we got way too close to the edge a lot more times than we had on the bike! But we survived and have the t-shirts to prove it! Everyone from our group made it safely down and luckily none of the horroe stories of broken bones and worse off falling off the edge of the cliff applied to our gorup!
So tonight we are on the mnove again, boarding a night bus in a couple fo hours to go to Uyuni where we will beign a 3 day trip f the famous Bolivian Salt Flats, staying in a hostel made of salt tomorrow night. We have been warned that temperatures are going to drop possibly to minus 20 at night so we have our leg warmers , duvet hackets, gloves and hats ready to go again! Promise to get pics up as soon as i get a decent computer or at least one where the mouse worls! Love Jo and Jane xo
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