La Paz has been my last stop before heading home and it´s served up some good things and some bad things!
La Paz is a very busy city. Crossing roads is a mission in itself and you don´t dawdle in the middle of them - the cars will not stop for you! Like any capital there are a lot of people around and so you have to pay attention to where you are walking on the streets. It also has a reputation for a lot of petty crime.
I was also in La Paz about 10 days ago because of a bus connection and I had the day free. I had checked out of the hostal and was walking to the centre when somebody pointed out there was something on my back. Turns out someone had dripped something like toffee sauce all down my clothes. I had been warned about this scam - people steal your bag while you wipe it off and so I was very careful. However, it was even more annoying because I spent that night on a night bus and so didn´t have the opportunity to shower!
It does give a bad impression of La Paz but the city itself is lovely to walk around once you´ve got used to how busy it is and look after your things! Like all cities in South America it has many churches, and it´s best just to walk around and see the ones that aren´t always on the tourist trail and these are often just as nicely decorated.
I also saw the coca museum. This had been recommened by many people. Coca leaves are chewed by a lot of people in South America and tourists pick up the habit too. They can be purified into cocaine but the leaves themselves aren´t drugs. They help with altitude and reduce hunger and tiredenss but aren´t addictive. The coca musesum explained about the history of the leaves. They pointed out that until the Europeans came coca leaves were only used for altitude and were considered social and like any other herbal medicine. The Europeans then took it and made it into to cocaine and now blame Bolivia for the number of drug addicts in their countries. It was a very well presented museum.
I now have about 12 hours left in Bolivia and it´s amazing how quickly the past two weeks have gone! Overall it´s been an amazing 9 weeks and I´ve been so lucky to be able to explore a bit of this continent. My only regret is that I don´t speak more Spanish and didn´t learn any before I left. It would have made so much different to be able to communicate properly with people. Not just people in hostals or taxis but also people that sell you water or that you meet on a bus. There is always petty crime but I have found that just as many people want to help you in this country - whether it´s explaining what´s in a meal or giving directions, you can always find someone who is willing to give you a hand.
Monday, 5 September 2011
The Death Road
Just outside of La Paz is what is known as the World´s Most Dangerous Road and it has become a major tourist attraction to cycle down it. I had a day spare so I thought it would be fun and it´s not as dangerous as it sounds. The road got it´s reputation when it was used for traffic but, because it got such a bad name, the road was closed and a new one built. This means it is a completely deserted road that buses used to go down (and so therefore is reasonably wide) and so for bikes there is very little risk.
We had to set off quite early and we drove to the beginning of our cycle route. We all got given our safety equipment - full face helment, knee/elbow pads, jacket and trousers and then got on our bikes. The first part is down the new road and so you are able to get used to the bike on full tarmac. I was in a group of 6 and you immediately realise who is going to be dangerous and who isn´t. And then stay far away from those who seem out of control!
It was an easy ride down the new road and very quickly we were at the Death Road. Here the guide stopped us again and gave us more instructions, explaining them in Engish to make sure that every detail was fully understood! And then we began...
You can immediately see why the road is dangerous for buses. None of it is paved - it´s all stones and gravel and at some parts I don´t understand how a bus fit round the corners. However, for bikes it´s brilliant. The fact that buses were able to go round the corners mean it is easily big enough for a bike. I also had a bike with decent suspension which was needed as the road was not smooth!
It was brilliant fun though - you followed the guide and this meant that you had to keep to a certain speed. I still went slower than the guide for most parts because I like being in control. The road was wide enough but if you made a mistake then you didn´t go into a wall you went off the cliff. I decided that it was worth keeping the speed a bit lower than normal.
Inevitably there was one person who looked out of control the whole time. I refused to cycle in front of her because I didn´t want her crashing into me. And, after going round a particularly tight corner, I saw her off her bike with scratches on her side. She wasn´t hurt but I think she was a little more careful after that.
It was an easy bike ride as the whole way was downhill - we went from 4,700m to 1,100m in a couple of hours. It the lowest altitude I´ve been at in about 4 weeks! At one point the route was quite flat and so you needed to peddle for the first time and I though I should have been more out of breath until I realised I was at about half the altitude that I had been that morning.
Despite being downhill all the way we were all still very tired at the end! You have to keep concentration the whole time, which is tiring in itself. We got a free lunch and there was a swimming pool to relax in and then we started the drive back up to La Paz - along the new road rather than the old one!
We had to set off quite early and we drove to the beginning of our cycle route. We all got given our safety equipment - full face helment, knee/elbow pads, jacket and trousers and then got on our bikes. The first part is down the new road and so you are able to get used to the bike on full tarmac. I was in a group of 6 and you immediately realise who is going to be dangerous and who isn´t. And then stay far away from those who seem out of control!
It was an easy ride down the new road and very quickly we were at the Death Road. Here the guide stopped us again and gave us more instructions, explaining them in Engish to make sure that every detail was fully understood! And then we began...
You can immediately see why the road is dangerous for buses. None of it is paved - it´s all stones and gravel and at some parts I don´t understand how a bus fit round the corners. However, for bikes it´s brilliant. The fact that buses were able to go round the corners mean it is easily big enough for a bike. I also had a bike with decent suspension which was needed as the road was not smooth!
It was brilliant fun though - you followed the guide and this meant that you had to keep to a certain speed. I still went slower than the guide for most parts because I like being in control. The road was wide enough but if you made a mistake then you didn´t go into a wall you went off the cliff. I decided that it was worth keeping the speed a bit lower than normal.
Inevitably there was one person who looked out of control the whole time. I refused to cycle in front of her because I didn´t want her crashing into me. And, after going round a particularly tight corner, I saw her off her bike with scratches on her side. She wasn´t hurt but I think she was a little more careful after that.
It was an easy bike ride as the whole way was downhill - we went from 4,700m to 1,100m in a couple of hours. It the lowest altitude I´ve been at in about 4 weeks! At one point the route was quite flat and so you needed to peddle for the first time and I though I should have been more out of breath until I realised I was at about half the altitude that I had been that morning.
Despite being downhill all the way we were all still very tired at the end! You have to keep concentration the whole time, which is tiring in itself. We got a free lunch and there was a swimming pool to relax in and then we started the drive back up to La Paz - along the new road rather than the old one!
Sucre and Cochabamba
As I had such a short time left I ended up seeing three cities in three days - Potosi, Sucre and Cochabamba. It was very rushed but nice to be able to compare them.
Sucre is an old colonial town and is the constitutional capital of La Paz. It was were the declaration of independence was signed and, incidentally, neither Bolivar nor Sucre were present at the signing. It is a very nice city - a lot of the buildings are white washed and the old colonial towns always have very impressive architecture.
Just outside of Sucre there are also dinosaur footprints. I didn´t really know what to expect but it was surprisingly impressive. The rock that they found the footprints on is now vertical because of tectonic plate activity. It made it slightly confusing when you see a diagram of it as our guide didn´t explain this at first! It´s amazing how well preserved the footprints are. You can see the tracks and some of them go on for several hundred metres and there are lots of different tracks made by different dinosaurs. You can´t get very close as the hillside that the tracks are on isn´t very stable and can collapse but we were able to see a photo of some people close to the footprints - they´re huge!
After exploring Sucre I got on a nightbus to Cochabamba and arrived very early in the morning - there´s very few reasons for being awake at 5.30am but it meant there was plenty of time to explore Cochabamba. It was very differnt from Sucre as it seemed much busier and is much bigger.
The most famous thing about it is the Cristo de la Concordia which is the largest statue of Jesus in the world. I climbed up the stairs to it - originally it seemed a better choice than taking the cable car. It was quite a warm day though and Cochabamba is known for having a warmer climate than the rest of Bolivia. However, after struggling up the stairs it actually turned out to be a relativley short walk. The Cristo de la Concordia is fairly impressive, and absolutely huge! The views of Cochabamba were much better though and I hadn´t realised how big the city was but it seemed to go on for miles.
Out of the three cities they all had a very different atmosphere to them and very different histories. Potosi is known for the mining and that is were most of it´s industry comes from, Sucre is famous for being the constitutional capital and is proud of the fact that it is where the declaration was signed and Cochabamba is much busier and more bustling than the other two. I wish I had more time in Bolivia to explore them all properly!
Sucre is an old colonial town and is the constitutional capital of La Paz. It was were the declaration of independence was signed and, incidentally, neither Bolivar nor Sucre were present at the signing. It is a very nice city - a lot of the buildings are white washed and the old colonial towns always have very impressive architecture.
Just outside of Sucre there are also dinosaur footprints. I didn´t really know what to expect but it was surprisingly impressive. The rock that they found the footprints on is now vertical because of tectonic plate activity. It made it slightly confusing when you see a diagram of it as our guide didn´t explain this at first! It´s amazing how well preserved the footprints are. You can see the tracks and some of them go on for several hundred metres and there are lots of different tracks made by different dinosaurs. You can´t get very close as the hillside that the tracks are on isn´t very stable and can collapse but we were able to see a photo of some people close to the footprints - they´re huge!
After exploring Sucre I got on a nightbus to Cochabamba and arrived very early in the morning - there´s very few reasons for being awake at 5.30am but it meant there was plenty of time to explore Cochabamba. It was very differnt from Sucre as it seemed much busier and is much bigger.
The most famous thing about it is the Cristo de la Concordia which is the largest statue of Jesus in the world. I climbed up the stairs to it - originally it seemed a better choice than taking the cable car. It was quite a warm day though and Cochabamba is known for having a warmer climate than the rest of Bolivia. However, after struggling up the stairs it actually turned out to be a relativley short walk. The Cristo de la Concordia is fairly impressive, and absolutely huge! The views of Cochabamba were much better though and I hadn´t realised how big the city was but it seemed to go on for miles.
Out of the three cities they all had a very different atmosphere to them and very different histories. Potosi is known for the mining and that is were most of it´s industry comes from, Sucre is famous for being the constitutional capital and is proud of the fact that it is where the declaration was signed and Cochabamba is much busier and more bustling than the other two. I wish I had more time in Bolivia to explore them all properly!
Saturday, 3 September 2011
Potosi
Originally I wasn´t planning to stay in Potosi but then I read a bit more about the city and decided it was worth staying for a day.
It´s the highest city in the world and used to be very very rich. The mountain nearby is full of silver and has been mined since before the Spanish came to South America. When the Spanish did come they, unsuprisingly, exploited the people and millions died in the conditions they were forced to work in the mines. This left Potosi smaller and without the riches it deserved. The mines are still running, however, and you are able to visit the working mines.
We first got our equipment - a very attractive set of blue waterproof trousers, jacket, boots and hat. Worryingly they were probably cleaner than the clothes that I was wearing at the time...
We then saw the processing plant. It seemed very basic, but did involve a lot of chemicals and had to grind the rock. Unfortunately Europe and other countries still make a lot of money because Bolivia doesn´t have the ability to complete the final part of the processing. They are trying to develop it and hopefully a plant will be built in Cochabamba soon.
And then we went to the mines. The first thing we saw was one of the wagons coming out of the tunnel filled with rocks and then we were following the tracks into the tunnel. It was, unsuprisingly, dark in the tunnels and they are supported by wood and by rocks at the tunnel entrance. All along the tunnels are pipes that carry pressuarised air for the drills. Apparently in the deeper parts of the mine were there is less oxygen the miners make small holes in the pipes and so they can get more air. We weren´t going down that far.
The wagons were going along the track and they were pushed by two men with two at the front guiding it. Each time one came past we had to move over to the side to let them pass and this meant that we got a chance to talk to the miners. I was shocked by how young some of them were and I asked our guide. He said they could start as young as 10 or 12 and later we met one who was 14. He had been working in the mines for 3 years and he looked much older than 14.
The miners are very superstious and above ground they are all Catholic but once they are in the mine they all worship the devil - called Tío. Each Friday (I think) they give coca leaves (they chew these to give them energy and it helps with the lack of oxygen) and alcohol to a statue that is made of him. We saw one and it´s a life-sized statue with a huge face and eyes and it´s covered in coloured streamers. On the floor at it´s feet there is a huge pile of coca leaves and bottles of alcohol. They worship him in the hope that they will mine more minerals and that they weren´t get killed in the mine.
Our guide told us the statistics and 22 people died last year in the mine. They use dynamite everyday and our guide explained that this can go wrong. Losing fingers can happen relatively easily - two wagons can crash or the hammer can be misaimed. The average life-expectancy of a miner is also very low - less than 56 years. Most die because of the dust they´ve inhaled. Many people work in the mines for a couple of years and then find other work because they want to avoid the same thing happening to them. Some of the miners are covered by health insurance, but many aren´t and the government only gives a pension to those who have worked more than 20 years.
It was really eye-opening going to the mines. It was like going back to 16th century Britain. Many people in Potosi have no choice but to work in the mines and it´s often a family business - which is why you get such young people in the mines. We were only walking around for an hour and a half but it was dusty and at some points you really felt you were struggling for air as you´re also over 4,000m above sea level. I can´t imagine working down there for hours every day of the week - it´s claustraphobic as very few of the tunnels you can stand up in.
It was an amazing experience to go into the mines and it makes you look twice at the silver being sold in the street when you think how little of the money goes back to those who dug it out of the ground.
It´s the highest city in the world and used to be very very rich. The mountain nearby is full of silver and has been mined since before the Spanish came to South America. When the Spanish did come they, unsuprisingly, exploited the people and millions died in the conditions they were forced to work in the mines. This left Potosi smaller and without the riches it deserved. The mines are still running, however, and you are able to visit the working mines.
We first got our equipment - a very attractive set of blue waterproof trousers, jacket, boots and hat. Worryingly they were probably cleaner than the clothes that I was wearing at the time...
We then saw the processing plant. It seemed very basic, but did involve a lot of chemicals and had to grind the rock. Unfortunately Europe and other countries still make a lot of money because Bolivia doesn´t have the ability to complete the final part of the processing. They are trying to develop it and hopefully a plant will be built in Cochabamba soon.
And then we went to the mines. The first thing we saw was one of the wagons coming out of the tunnel filled with rocks and then we were following the tracks into the tunnel. It was, unsuprisingly, dark in the tunnels and they are supported by wood and by rocks at the tunnel entrance. All along the tunnels are pipes that carry pressuarised air for the drills. Apparently in the deeper parts of the mine were there is less oxygen the miners make small holes in the pipes and so they can get more air. We weren´t going down that far.
The wagons were going along the track and they were pushed by two men with two at the front guiding it. Each time one came past we had to move over to the side to let them pass and this meant that we got a chance to talk to the miners. I was shocked by how young some of them were and I asked our guide. He said they could start as young as 10 or 12 and later we met one who was 14. He had been working in the mines for 3 years and he looked much older than 14.
The miners are very superstious and above ground they are all Catholic but once they are in the mine they all worship the devil - called Tío. Each Friday (I think) they give coca leaves (they chew these to give them energy and it helps with the lack of oxygen) and alcohol to a statue that is made of him. We saw one and it´s a life-sized statue with a huge face and eyes and it´s covered in coloured streamers. On the floor at it´s feet there is a huge pile of coca leaves and bottles of alcohol. They worship him in the hope that they will mine more minerals and that they weren´t get killed in the mine.
Our guide told us the statistics and 22 people died last year in the mine. They use dynamite everyday and our guide explained that this can go wrong. Losing fingers can happen relatively easily - two wagons can crash or the hammer can be misaimed. The average life-expectancy of a miner is also very low - less than 56 years. Most die because of the dust they´ve inhaled. Many people work in the mines for a couple of years and then find other work because they want to avoid the same thing happening to them. Some of the miners are covered by health insurance, but many aren´t and the government only gives a pension to those who have worked more than 20 years.
It was really eye-opening going to the mines. It was like going back to 16th century Britain. Many people in Potosi have no choice but to work in the mines and it´s often a family business - which is why you get such young people in the mines. We were only walking around for an hour and a half but it was dusty and at some points you really felt you were struggling for air as you´re also over 4,000m above sea level. I can´t imagine working down there for hours every day of the week - it´s claustraphobic as very few of the tunnels you can stand up in.
It was an amazing experience to go into the mines and it makes you look twice at the silver being sold in the street when you think how little of the money goes back to those who dug it out of the ground.
Friday, 2 September 2011
Salar de Uyuni
Bolivia is known for the salt flats more than anything else and I soon discovered why this was.
The only way to see the salt flats is to take a jeep trip and I choose the 3 day trip. It sounds very lazy but it was nice to spend a bit of time doing nothing and not having to worry about meals / hostels. My feet appreciated the break from walking, I have lots of blisters on my toes!
The first thing that we went to visit was a train cemetary. This sounds like it was just something to keep us occupied (and it probably was) but it was cool to see. The trains have just been left there to rust away and are still sitting on the tracks in the middle of the desert. It is very different to England´s policy on making sure that everything is environmentally friendly!
We then saw were the salt was processed and bagged. There was salt everywhere. Even the buildings were built out of salt bricks (although they said that houses weren´t as the salt isn´t good insulation but hostels are built out of it). It´s all a family business and there were three girls, no older than 12 bagging up the salt for sending on. They filled the bags and then used a flame to seal the edges. The fact that tourists were allowed in just to watch them felt like a violation on their part but their father was collecting tips at the door for their trouble. There is plently of salt for them to sell but the price of it is still very cheap and it is necessary to import iodine from Chile, which is not so cheap.
After seeing this we went to see the salt flats and they´re impossible to imagine! It is just white for miles and miles. Some parts are organised into squares and then in each square (about 1m by 1m) the salt is gathered into a pile in the middle and water collects around it. It´s amazing to see, and so bright! You really squint in the sunlight. Our jeep had UV protected windows and you don´t notice the difference until you get out and are suddenly hit by the glaring sun!
The next stop was the Isla del Pescado. This is in the middle of the salt flats and is a rock with lots of cactuses on it, why it´s called the island of fish I´m not sure. The salt flats go on for miles and to suddenly see a load of cactuses is definetely a surprise, it´s so out of place compared to everything else. Standing at the top and looking down you can see cactuses, miles of salt and then mountains - a very surreal view.
Overnight we stayed in a hostal that was made of salt and everything was salty - even the floor!
The next day we stopped off in San Juan for a little longer than intended. There was something wrong with the oil in our cheap. However, our driver was fantastic and managed to fix it while we had a chance to wander around San Juan. It´s tiny, I think there was one or two buildings above one storey and you could walk from one end to the other in less than 5minutes if you were dawdling. I can´t even imagine living in a village like that - you would be completely isolated from the rest of the world.
Once we got going again we went to see the lakes and they had flamingoes in them. What suprised me most about them was that they make a noise like seagulls and they make it constantly. The second lake we saw was absolutely fillled with flamingoes - they were everywhere! It was also surrounded by mountains which were reflected in the lake.
To get to the next lake we drove through a desert. Except it´s winter here and cold - there was snow in parts of the desert. Apparently sometimes the pass gets blocked because of the snow, I was glad it didn´t as it would have meant we got stuck! The second lake was a dark red colour and apparently changes colour during the day because of the algae in it. And it had more flamingoes in it!
That night was very cold. Although we had been warned about this so I was wearing about 4 layers plus a sleeping bag plus all the blankets they gave us. I don´t think it was possible for me to be cold. However, the next morning we had to get up at 4 and outside of the many layers it was very very cold. We all sat shivering in the jeep waiting for the sun to rise. Before that we got to see geysers. It was a great way to warm you hands, but you could smell the sulphur in the air!
Our jeep then had another mishap - we decided that our jeep didn´t like mornings. This time it was a flat tyre and our driver fixed it in under 10 minutes. However, the jeep then took another 10 minutes or so to start. Luckily it did and by this time the sun was up - it was getting warmer!
To aid in returning the circulation to my toes we also got a chance to go in some thermal baths. At first I was unsure whether I wanted to remove my 5 layers to go in the water but I braved it and it was well worth it. I had feeling in my toes for the first time in hours and the scenery was gorgeous. Most thermal paths are just a swimming pool but in this one it was stones surrounding it and no swimming pool tiles. You were right next to the lake which you could see steaming. It was a good way to spend half an hour!
The final day was mostly driving. We went right to the border of Chile as some people crossed the border but then we drove back to Uyuni. I then spent a couple of hours here before getting on another bus. The salt flats tour was amazing and you see so many different things, each day is different from the one before. However, Uyuni has been ruined by tourism and most people couldn´t wait to get out and away from the over-inflated prices!
The only way to see the salt flats is to take a jeep trip and I choose the 3 day trip. It sounds very lazy but it was nice to spend a bit of time doing nothing and not having to worry about meals / hostels. My feet appreciated the break from walking, I have lots of blisters on my toes!
The first thing that we went to visit was a train cemetary. This sounds like it was just something to keep us occupied (and it probably was) but it was cool to see. The trains have just been left there to rust away and are still sitting on the tracks in the middle of the desert. It is very different to England´s policy on making sure that everything is environmentally friendly!
We then saw were the salt was processed and bagged. There was salt everywhere. Even the buildings were built out of salt bricks (although they said that houses weren´t as the salt isn´t good insulation but hostels are built out of it). It´s all a family business and there were three girls, no older than 12 bagging up the salt for sending on. They filled the bags and then used a flame to seal the edges. The fact that tourists were allowed in just to watch them felt like a violation on their part but their father was collecting tips at the door for their trouble. There is plently of salt for them to sell but the price of it is still very cheap and it is necessary to import iodine from Chile, which is not so cheap.
After seeing this we went to see the salt flats and they´re impossible to imagine! It is just white for miles and miles. Some parts are organised into squares and then in each square (about 1m by 1m) the salt is gathered into a pile in the middle and water collects around it. It´s amazing to see, and so bright! You really squint in the sunlight. Our jeep had UV protected windows and you don´t notice the difference until you get out and are suddenly hit by the glaring sun!
The next stop was the Isla del Pescado. This is in the middle of the salt flats and is a rock with lots of cactuses on it, why it´s called the island of fish I´m not sure. The salt flats go on for miles and to suddenly see a load of cactuses is definetely a surprise, it´s so out of place compared to everything else. Standing at the top and looking down you can see cactuses, miles of salt and then mountains - a very surreal view.
Overnight we stayed in a hostal that was made of salt and everything was salty - even the floor!
The next day we stopped off in San Juan for a little longer than intended. There was something wrong with the oil in our cheap. However, our driver was fantastic and managed to fix it while we had a chance to wander around San Juan. It´s tiny, I think there was one or two buildings above one storey and you could walk from one end to the other in less than 5minutes if you were dawdling. I can´t even imagine living in a village like that - you would be completely isolated from the rest of the world.
Once we got going again we went to see the lakes and they had flamingoes in them. What suprised me most about them was that they make a noise like seagulls and they make it constantly. The second lake we saw was absolutely fillled with flamingoes - they were everywhere! It was also surrounded by mountains which were reflected in the lake.
To get to the next lake we drove through a desert. Except it´s winter here and cold - there was snow in parts of the desert. Apparently sometimes the pass gets blocked because of the snow, I was glad it didn´t as it would have meant we got stuck! The second lake was a dark red colour and apparently changes colour during the day because of the algae in it. And it had more flamingoes in it!
That night was very cold. Although we had been warned about this so I was wearing about 4 layers plus a sleeping bag plus all the blankets they gave us. I don´t think it was possible for me to be cold. However, the next morning we had to get up at 4 and outside of the many layers it was very very cold. We all sat shivering in the jeep waiting for the sun to rise. Before that we got to see geysers. It was a great way to warm you hands, but you could smell the sulphur in the air!
Our jeep then had another mishap - we decided that our jeep didn´t like mornings. This time it was a flat tyre and our driver fixed it in under 10 minutes. However, the jeep then took another 10 minutes or so to start. Luckily it did and by this time the sun was up - it was getting warmer!
To aid in returning the circulation to my toes we also got a chance to go in some thermal baths. At first I was unsure whether I wanted to remove my 5 layers to go in the water but I braved it and it was well worth it. I had feeling in my toes for the first time in hours and the scenery was gorgeous. Most thermal paths are just a swimming pool but in this one it was stones surrounding it and no swimming pool tiles. You were right next to the lake which you could see steaming. It was a good way to spend half an hour!
The final day was mostly driving. We went right to the border of Chile as some people crossed the border but then we drove back to Uyuni. I then spent a couple of hours here before getting on another bus. The salt flats tour was amazing and you see so many different things, each day is different from the one before. However, Uyuni has been ruined by tourism and most people couldn´t wait to get out and away from the over-inflated prices!
Isla del Sol
My first stop in Bolivia was Copacabana. However, I spent all of about half an hour here before jumping onto the next boat to the Isla del Sol - an island in Lake Titicaca about an hour and a half away from Copacabana. It has a reputation for being beautiful and my first taste of Bolivia was not disappointing!
The boat ride was enjoyable and nice to relax, although I think one of the ladies opposite wasn´t feeling quite the same. When we docked the first thing that we were all faced with were people asking for money. For each of the towns on the island you had to pay entry and they wanted the money for the ticket. We had barely reached land! The next challenge was to climb up to the village. As I had got off the bus from Peru and got straight on a boat I had all my stuff with me and climbing up the stairs at about 4000m above sea level wasn´t easy.
Once this had been accomplished and I´d had a much-needed shower (a night bus does very little for hygiene) I started to explore the island. It really was beautiful. It was about 4 so there was plenty of sunlight but all the day tourists had left. This meant that the island was relatively empty of people and was so peaceful to walk around.
Lake Titicaca is huge an it was like being off the coast rather than in a lake - you couldn´t see the Peruvian side of the lake at all. You can see some of the mountains on the mainland of Bolivia and they seem to have been painted against the sky - it was a gorgeous walk.
The next morning I watched the sunrise over the mountains. It really was beautiful and it was an added bonus that I got to watch it from my bed. Although in the sunshine it´s very warm - especially because of the altitude - during the night it can get very cold so I appreciated being wrapped up in blankets!
The previous day I had just walked in the south of the island and I got up early to walk across the island to see some ruins. I had been told this was a ´moderately hard, 3 to 4 hour walk´. It was a very easy one and a half hour walk. It was an easy path to follow and you could always see the lake on both sides (the island is very small). You walked over the ridge and got to see most of the island. Although there was that was rare or not found anywhere else (that I know of, it´s veyr possible I´m just ignorant) it was great just to walk along with the lake in sight. As it was quite early there was also no-one else there, which was brilliant!
I saw the ruins in the north of the island and I have to admit I wasn´t massivley impressed, but after seeing so many in Cusco I wasn´t too worried about seeing them. Although the French people camped in the middle of them was interesting.
To walk back to other end of the island I was able to walk a different route that was nearer the shore. This went through some forest and you could see more of the shore on the east side. Nice to have something different and I also walked through a village were some children ran up and asked me for photos. They were very enthusiastic!
By the time I got back to the hostal I was very tired as I had ended up walking for about 6 or 7 hours. However, it was well worth it and I headed straight down to the boats to Copacabana. I wasn´t the only one who was tired - during the boat trip everyone was asleep!
The boat ride was enjoyable and nice to relax, although I think one of the ladies opposite wasn´t feeling quite the same. When we docked the first thing that we were all faced with were people asking for money. For each of the towns on the island you had to pay entry and they wanted the money for the ticket. We had barely reached land! The next challenge was to climb up to the village. As I had got off the bus from Peru and got straight on a boat I had all my stuff with me and climbing up the stairs at about 4000m above sea level wasn´t easy.
Once this had been accomplished and I´d had a much-needed shower (a night bus does very little for hygiene) I started to explore the island. It really was beautiful. It was about 4 so there was plenty of sunlight but all the day tourists had left. This meant that the island was relatively empty of people and was so peaceful to walk around.
Lake Titicaca is huge an it was like being off the coast rather than in a lake - you couldn´t see the Peruvian side of the lake at all. You can see some of the mountains on the mainland of Bolivia and they seem to have been painted against the sky - it was a gorgeous walk.
The next morning I watched the sunrise over the mountains. It really was beautiful and it was an added bonus that I got to watch it from my bed. Although in the sunshine it´s very warm - especially because of the altitude - during the night it can get very cold so I appreciated being wrapped up in blankets!
The previous day I had just walked in the south of the island and I got up early to walk across the island to see some ruins. I had been told this was a ´moderately hard, 3 to 4 hour walk´. It was a very easy one and a half hour walk. It was an easy path to follow and you could always see the lake on both sides (the island is very small). You walked over the ridge and got to see most of the island. Although there was that was rare or not found anywhere else (that I know of, it´s veyr possible I´m just ignorant) it was great just to walk along with the lake in sight. As it was quite early there was also no-one else there, which was brilliant!
I saw the ruins in the north of the island and I have to admit I wasn´t massivley impressed, but after seeing so many in Cusco I wasn´t too worried about seeing them. Although the French people camped in the middle of them was interesting.
To walk back to other end of the island I was able to walk a different route that was nearer the shore. This went through some forest and you could see more of the shore on the east side. Nice to have something different and I also walked through a village were some children ran up and asked me for photos. They were very enthusiastic!
By the time I got back to the hostal I was very tired as I had ended up walking for about 6 or 7 hours. However, it was well worth it and I headed straight down to the boats to Copacabana. I wasn´t the only one who was tired - during the boat trip everyone was asleep!
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