Copacabana & ilsa del sol

slight hitch getting to Copacabana, we were half way there but the locals insisted we wouldn't be able to pick up a collectivo and we travelled all the way back to La Paz much to our protest and disgruntlement only to go straight back the way we´d come, oh well one thing we have is time. None the less we saw some amazing stars (they are so low because of the height and quite unrecognisable but have never seen so many and the milky way so pronounced) and our first glance of an upside down moon- so pleasing, but also had to cope with the constant meowing of a kitten in a box we never got to see or stroke, tough man.

Copacabana a festive kind of place in a sea side kind of way (lots of dogs living the high life), swan shaped pedalos across the lake side mostly used by Bolivians on the special blessing days which they flock to from far and wide. They eat massive bags of popcorn while buying tiny miniature replicas of bags of corn, cars, money etc... then climb the mount to have them blessed with the unshakable belief that they will receive the full size versions in good time. All the cars get decorated and beer is used to wash the wheels as a form of spiritual insurance and no vehicles have actual insurance, all rather loopy.

had some barking dreams: prince Charles taking off his size 9 shoes to show he really had size 4 feet. Ricky Gervais (2 dreams) both times he was putting on really crap events and I was going to tell him off. one where cartoon characters turned into tiny people that were being adopted. one family thought they had poo bear but it turned out to be pedantic snoopy and they were none pleased, felt very sorry for him,

anyway....

We did our first hike around the shore and up on the cliffs of Lake Titicaca is was muy lindo. Really beautiful and peaceful the only people we saw were farmers still using oxen and hand ploughs.

It was a 4 hour hike (among other things found an amazing echoing canyon & crazy shrine) and at the end we got a funny guy to take us over to the island. He was a cheerful soul how kept going on about how he was in the lonely planet guide. He took us on a traditional reed boat to get to his motor boat, looked like it was a few years old and very saggy but amazingly buoyant.

At the Island we didn't have much time to get to the other bay to get the last boat back and the Inca paths were so meandering that we had to off road it directly down the terraces. It was a fast, dirty and unnerving bit of spot and I was amazed we made it unscathed, just very dust and bright red. We were planning to come back the next day so more on the island soon.

Had fun on the boat back with some silly tourists. Caroline thought the terraced hillsides looked like her dads corduroy trousers (think she was homesick) we discussed tantric tortoises and inspector gadget, nice to meet some daft folk.

The next day was our last in one particular hostel, there was a ominous corrugated iron door in the bathroom but curiosity got the better of me and I decided to open it. Imagine my surprise when I came face to face with a very inquisitive alpaca (photo shortly), such a cutie.

Back to the Island:

we decided to camp wild on the western side which had sheltered beaches and no dwellings. Unlike clued up travellers we didn't think we could store most of our stuff and did a 4 hour hike up and down hills in the blazing sunshine with all our stuff, dope!

It was a bitch but every corner had a new view of a different bay and we constantly passed Shepard's and children on the winding paths with a managerie of animals, sheep, pigs, chickens, goats and cows and often a mix of all.

Went on some magnificent Inca roads and travelled through fragrant eucalyptus forrest's.

When we got to our bay sun was setting so we decided to camp on a peninsular right above the lake with 280 degree views so we could see the sun set and rise. After a hasty camp and rubbish soup (luckily we met a couple of travellers who sold us a screw on gas canister) we went to bed to be woken by lightening. Oh dear... we were in the worst possible place for being struck so spent a far bit of time outside wrapped up looking over at puru panicking about if ot was coming our way. Decided it was ok but had dreams of falling off the rock. At 5am the fear got the better of us and we took our trusty -10 sleeping bags found shelter and watched the sun rise, peachy.

more salty soup and packed up and moved down to the bay. it was perfect, the only person that came down all day was a pipe playing Shepard and his sheep. Dave and him swapped Spanish and English and he had a go on our bins to check out how far his flock had roamed. spent the day watching the birds and pottering about. Above us were some old Inca ruins called the maze that all the tourists were visiting. It was pleasing that they could see our tranquil spot but didn't have the balls to come down ofter the slog of getting there.

the lake wasn't that salty so we used our clever Ray Mears pump to make drinking water (2.99 from oxfam! should have been 30 pounds) looking forward to some food that isn't salty though.

went to sleep when the sun set after watching young seagulls endeavouring to catch fish and got up when the sun rose (Ive turned into a lark believe it or not!). trip back across the island was really nice as mostly downhill and so early not to warm. Got a boat back to Copacabana with a fisherman who stopped off to buy some more fish at another bay on the way. As with many indigenous all his front teeth were surrounded with gold, took a photo but too dark, we need a better camera, apparently they are half price in Argentina so photos should improve then.

Had a fantastic fish supper and a luxurious night in a very nice hotel overlooking the town.

more photos of Copacabana and Isla del Sol

Lake Titicaca

Decided to swap the bussle and dustiness of the city and head to the calmness and tranquility of Lake Titicaca (highest navicable lake in the world aparently, dont want to sail here though as it is traditional if someone falls in not to pull them out but give them as an offering to the earth godess Pachamama, about 4 fisherman a year meet this unfortunate end). A very holy place..............

Experienced our first silly pot holed bolivian roads from a packed colectivo, it was a bit like jounior kick start but with 4 wheels.

traveled across the flat altiplano, so much sky & amazing clouds!!!! ( no more basement living, phew) & the snow capped mountins looked close enough to touch (aparently you can see further in the thin air). Quite a desolate place with very simple dwellings & animals, a hard life but still the simplicity of it was complelling.

Got off the bus in a tiny local village much to the dismay of the 2 other tourists on the bus and the amusment of the locals. Well we had heard that Peuto Perez was a pictureque and quiet spot to break up the journey to Cococabana, but with no public transport to it we were off roading.
got a taxi who jubulently beeped all the way at nothing, we think to tell all his friends the beers were on him with the amount he over charged us.

The hotel was amazing, jutting out into the lake with 240 degree views from our balcony. It was lodge built by a German guy with massive windows from the many receptions, resterants and games rooms. We were the only guests and the waiter donned his white blazer & lit a fire for us at breakfast and supper. We just chilled on our balcony watching the odd blue sailed fishing boat, women cutting reads and listened to the birds (yes Fran we have been bird spotting, some fab green woodpeckers here). This was the place that Thor of the kon tiki made his second totora boat they are the only ones that still have the ancenicent skills of making these reed boats.

Nothing here but a queit square (that looks just like how I expected south america to be), mud dellings and farm animals grazing along the shore line. Oh and a football pitch with the best view right on the lake edge next to the school. Some of the houses are mud on the ground floor and then brick for the second. Not sure if tis is better for insulation on the cold nights or new found wealth half way through the build.

In the evening we played pool and table tenis and watched an electrical storm over the other side of the lake.

The hotel had a pet alpaca wondering the grounds, he was so cute. We really feel like we are on holiday now and have a healthy colour, though already we have lost a bit of weight (the bit we needed to loose!)

Daves been reading about how they lost the art of high tec terracing. This area used to supply food for thousands of people. They had to overcome the harsh cold and the problem of salt from the lake. To do this they built a system of raised fields (50 km sq) with a cobble stone base, lined with clay and then gravel and top soil. The dug deep gullies for the water and the sun heated this during the day to stop the cropps from freezing in the night. These waterways attracted fish and ducks that produced fertiliser making the land super for production of crops. Aid agencys today cant better this system and are trying to re introduce these skills.

This is also the place where they used to put boards round the heads of infants till the age of five as it was deemed a mark of culteral distiction to have a cone head.

More photos of Lake Titicaca (Puerto Perez)

Bolivia (1st stop La Paz)

We arrived in Bolivia 3 weeks ago and are finally setting up this blog, so apologies for the catch up.

Flight was great, flew over the Alps and Africa and thought Spiderman 3 was pretty good apart from the dodgy dance moves. Stopped over in Sao Paolo in Brasil for a night, and the city really has banned advertising. You can have your own branding on your shop etc.. but it isnt possible to buy advertising space in the city so blank bill boards etc. Really refeshing, will add photos later as it takes an age and the sun is busy beckoning.

We spent the first 4 Days in La Paz trying to get used to the altidude and food. Couldn´t walk up on flight of stairs without feeling like we´d run a marathon+ you get weird pins and needles in your hands or feet intermittantly. Fine apart from that as took precautionary drugs in advance after hearing stories of migrain blindness.

La Paz: a crazy city surrrounded by mountains, we had a great view of it all from our hotel.
Drank Coca leaf tea, which does nothing we found out later at the Coca museum, you have to chew to break the leaves and store them in the side of your cheek (like a hamster) for 15 mins to release the goodness, apparently you get a proper kick, havent been arsed yet though.
Coca Leaves contain more Vitamins and minerals than most other food sources, so there you go a very useful plant alround, its a shame we in the west deamonised it . Coca Cola is v cheap here as they get their leaves for flavouring from Bolivia.

We stayed in the middle of the market district surrounded by tiny indiginous Cholo paceña ladies (in there bowler hats, not sure how they keep them balanced so precariously) selling everything from batteries & potatoes, to dried glittery frogs and llama feouteses (for witches spells).. mmmmmmmmmm! nice.

Have been cautious travellers so far and not blatantly taken photos of them but will be braver next time we go back.

Went to see a football match between the two main La paz teams, it cost a pound, one team was called "The Strongest" and ofcourse they won!!! we backed the underdogs but didnt see much of the match as hordes of Bolivians get in the way trying to sell crisps coffe and ice cream.
there was amusing live music and dancing at the start (lots of high cut glitzy costumes),and we made concord like paper airoplanes for the kids as theirs were rubbish, we could still see one boy playing with his at the end of the match.

Daves supposedly cast iron stomach faltered on day two , due to unknown sources, we had a tv and watched iller people in "House".

There are very few traffic lights/road signs in the city, however they get by just fine with friendly beeping (a lot of it). Less rules better behaviour and courtesy on the roads. Not really a city for cyling though+ its so rediculously steep.

We are enjoying cheap Almuerzo´s (salad, soup and mains course) which are very filling & the cheapest thing you can buy for lunch, had one for 50p. However most food in the city has been rubbish including the special Andean sauce, made with Sage and Rosmeary, difficult to know what our lama steaks tasted like though that.

We have come to the conclusion that there is an 80´s mountain ( similar to a sugar mountain food surplus ). Bolivia has tapped into this big time. We went into a locals restaurant and its like a scene from Dynasty, lovely peach wallpaper and white/gold chairs, the clothing is the same.

more photos of La Paz