Boliviana!

Greetings from La Paz! How exactly I got here...no se. After saying goodbye to our friends from the trek, I was left with a proposition to travel with the lovely Danish girls to Lake Titicaca - how can you pass up a trip to this infamous lake?? Thus, I packed my bags the next day and prepared to leave the following night on a bus that was to eventually take me to Copacabana. That´s right... Copa, Copacabaaaaaaaannnnaaaaa. And let me tell you, it is nearly impossible to NOT sing that song while you are meandering through the streets of Copa, Copacabaaanaaa. Luckily the girls knew it too, so I wasn´t the only one humming it all day long. So, after a bus change or two, I arrived at Copacabana in the early AM and met with the girls to find a place to stay. PS For future information, you literally have to WALK across the Peru/Bolivia border...and it´s up a hill, so at 4000mts, prepare work a little bit for your passport stamp.

We eventually found this great little hostal, well maybe just little hostal, with an lake-front view of the vast waters. The signs for kayaking were too tempting to pass up, and for the equivalent of 2.50USD, who wouldn´t want to kayak on Lake Titicaca. It was great to paddle out far enough so the sounds on shore were drowned out by the splashing of the waves against the kayak. Aside from the fact there was a hole in the kayak and the paddles were designed to empty into the lap of the person paddling, it was one of the best hours of my trip so far. Sadly, it´s very hard to pass up American products when you are scanning through lots of unknown products in dusty packaging, so our snacks for the day consisted of two flavors of Pringles. Don´t eat them at home so I wouldn´t know this, but they have got some crazy flavors here - Salt & Vinegar, Pizza, Jalepeno, Four Cheese?? Anyways, we basically ate our way through the first day we were there. Oddly enough, in the second most visited tourist town in Bolivia, there is no ATM...you have to see the "only bank man" that can despense 400 Bolivianos per person each day. Slightly odd. However, the highlight of the day (or for me, the entire time we were there) was discovering a little cafe that was full of Bolivian and Moroccan decor, had a very warm feel, and that blasted some of the best jazz music I´ve ever heard.

We visited the Isla de Sol the next day via a "speedboat" that dropped us off at the nothern part of the island. The 4-hour walk back was beautiful in every way - we were able to see some pre-Incan ruins, enjoy the incredibly varying landscape, and we had the opportunity to walk through some small villages along the way. The people and homes in those villages had such an amazing presence and personality...plus there were kids EVERYWHERE, so that only heightened the lively spirit of the village. The landscape covered all realms - we were walking on a path that was lined with rocks and looked like a Bolivian version of the Great Wall of China, all the while being able to see endless blue waters with snow-capped Andean mountains in the background. UNREAL! In addition, I learned a little more about my travelmates, which was a gift, as they shared with me their experiences and helped open my mind even further. Upon our return to Copacabana, it was time to meet "the money man" once more...this time, however, we weren´t the only ones. As we were waiting in line, in walk our two favorite Dutch twins, Paco y Ramone, who were also in search of the infamous money man. What are the chances??? So thankful to meet up with them again, as they are two of the most considerate and compassionate men I have ever met. They spent the evening with us, joining us for dinner at a quaint little restaurant along the main (and only) drag in Copacabana. I can´t really grasp how inexpensive it is to travel here, but for those at home, a dinner for 5 (including a whole pizza and 4 other main course dishes) with drinks and a bottle of wine...drumroll............about 25USD. NICE!!!! And once more, the amazing cafe with LIVE MUSIC from the owners themselves - A-MAZING!!! Could have stayed there all night - great ambiance, incredibly intricate improvisational soloing from all, and fabulous company. Couldn´t be better.

After an unforgettable night, the girls packed up their rucksacks for their travels to La Paz. La Paz you say, why not. One interesting 4-hour bus ride and we landed ourselves in the capital city. The girls who were ultimately wanting to get to Uyuni found a bus that left 20 minutes after we arrived. As traveling goes, off they went to visit the desert and salt mines of Uyuni and off I went to figure out where I was. Needless to say, things worked out well and within 3 hours, I was wondering the streets of the Witches Market. Nice, eh? Last night, due to the fact I only kept to the main streets, I didn´t get a chance to truly see how the people of this city live. It wasn´t until today that I realized how poor this country really is - the poverty is quite overwhelming. Just turn down any side street and you will see these people struggling to survive. It is amazing to me that despite their situation, they can channel their talents and craftsmanship to create products for sale to help sustain them. Thus, I tried to do my part and buy their products...all of them. Well, all of them except was is sold in the Black Market, which consisted of things such as llama fetuses (placed under the foundations of a home as a symbol of good luck and offering for the Pachamama). Tonight, it´s off the the southern part of town to visit the highest oxygen bar in the world, followed by a coca tea at a nearby cafe. Much love to all, miss you very much! Take care.