Headed through the border across the lovely lake Titicaca, where we visited the birthplace of the sun ( a hot dusty island as you might imagine!) and drank the best hot chocolate we have ever had.

we heard there was a fiesta in La Paz so we hopped on a bus that drove across the bleak altiplano past thousands of llamas and tiny women wrapped up in shawls and then dropped into the bowl that is la paz.

Its so high up you can´t walk up hills quickly or your heart explodes. La Fiesta del Gran Poder was from 6am till 10pm on saturday and all day was carnival troupes and dancing and drinking, with costumes and traditional dances from all over the altiplano (mountainous bit of Bolivia). It was absolutely ace, so many different colours. about 45 different processions, about 6000 people dancing in costumes. by lunchtime they were all drunk on local pasteña beer, even the little women in rainbow skirts.. the marching bands were all sort of stumbling around and letting the crowd play their trombones.

Its very cheap here and you can buy an excellent chicken and vegetable pastie for 1 boliviano (7p). And there is a curry house so I had my first chicken Jalfrezi for 9 months. heaven! We´ve been eating well!