So, here I am again, this time in Peru!  It´s a shame we didn´t get to spend more time in Bolivia, but that seems to be the same with everywhere we visit.  Again, I don´t know where to start with telling you what´s been going on...  we seem to have done so much.

Well, first of all there was Uyuni where we got a 4x4 out to the salt flats - about 12,500 sq kms of desert landscape, but all salt not sand.  We had such a fun day there....  the most fun I´ve had with a camera in a long time!  Because everything is pure white, you can make up pictures without perspective getting in the way.  When I can upload some photos I´ll share them, but we were balancing on wine bottle tops, crawling out of Pringles cans, surfing on each other, etc etc.  We also made the most of the solitude... and got naked!  All in the name of art I assure you...!!!  The boys went off on their own to do the "Evolution of Man" pose, and us girls posed with our backs to the camera, sitting cross-legged, and then lying on our tummies, legs crossed and chins resting on hands.  The pics are all perfectly decent (sorry to disappoint you!), but were the biggest giggle to do!  The shots are great fun and as soon as I can get them online I´ll let you know.

From Uyuni we went to Potosi, which is a town that thrived a few decades ago because of the silver mining there, but now most of the silver is gone and all that remains is the faded grandeur of what it once was.  The mine was fascinating - miners still use the same processes as they did all that time ago, relying on sticks of dynamite and hand tools to extract the minerals, to be taken by wheel-barrow to the exits.  Although the miners form co-operatives they work for themselves and possibly only get about $10 for a sack weighing about 50 kgs.  Children as young as 11 or 12 were working there too and even though it´s illegal, nobody bothers to police it.  Reports vary, but up to 9 million people have died in the mine since it opened.  It was quite sad and moving to witness this.

Moving on, we headed to La Paz - although not the official capital of Bolivia, it is the largest city and the administrational capital.  La Paz is an amazing city - always busy, full of bustling street markets, all the locals wearing their national dress (including bowler hats on ladies - at least 2 sizes smaller than their heads so that they perch right on top of their heads!).  We spent a day wandering around the streets and the plazas soaking up the atmosphere.

Our other day in La Paz I chose to go mountain biking on (wait for it...!) Death Road!  The name should give you an indication of the type of terrain we were dealing with here!  It´s a route about 65 kms long, descending a total of about 3,500 metres - just under half on very fast asphalt road, the rest on a gravel/dirt track - all on the edge of the mountain-side with shear drops of up to 600 m at a time!  I lost count of the number of crucifixes and shrines on the edge of the road in memory of those who have gone over the edge - one as recently as only a month ago (which I obviously didn´t know about before putting my name down!!).  The adrenalin rush was something else - hurtling down this mountain at speeds of up to 65 km/hr on tarmac and 45 km/hr on gravel.  We cycled under waterfalls and through streams and got thoroughly soaked!  Oh, and the scenery was also breathtaking.  To be fair though, I can´t imagine people coming unstuck unless they were doing something completely stupid - our guides were fantastic, the bikes were amazing, and we were kitted out with proper gear, so although it was scary enough I don´t think it was really stupid!  It was certainly the best fun I´ve ever had on a bike!  At the bottom of the mountain, cold beers were waiting for us and were very welcome!

After La Paz we sadly left Bolivia - a truly beautiful country, despite being the poorest in South America.  However we have now crossed the border into Peru, and I´ve already remembered why I wanted to come back here so much.  We arrived in Puno, which lies on the banks of Lake Titicaca which forms the natural border between Bolivia and Peru and covers about 8,500 sq kms.  From here we took a boat out to one of the islands where indigenous people live without cars, telephones, tv, and bearly any electricity.  Sadly my day was ruined slightly by a nasty bout of altitude sickness, which seems to have got to everyone in our group at one stage or another, and is fairly indiscriminate about who, where or when it attacks.  Luckily for me, 24 hours later and I´m back on form again, and was able to enjoy the rest of the day, which we spent staying with a local family on the island.  For one night I adopted a wonderful lady called Eustaquia as my Mum, and I had a 15 year old sister called Janet, and a 4 year old sister called Lis.  Two of my brothers are working in Lima, and my other brother is studying English at the university in Puno!  I was treated as one of the family, eating with them and trying to make as much conversation as I could - the islanders speak the local Quechua language, which meant that I possibly spoke more Spanish than some of them!  For the evening we all got dressed up in the national costume (more funny photos to come!) to go to a dance at the community hall!  Think bizarre school disco, with halogen strip lighting, coca-colas lined up on a table at the front, and everyone sat on benches on either side of the room waiting to see who would ask who to dance next!  It was great fun, but my god, does the altitude make dancing seem like running a marathon!

This morning after bidding our families goodbye we got back onto the boat and visited the Uros Islands, which are made of reeds and literally float on the lake.  Everything on the islands is also made of reeds, and despite the rather spongey feel of walking around, it all seems to be pretty stable!

Tomorrow we head to Cusco, and start the Inca Trail on Tuesday.  Hopefully the altitude sickness will keep away as it will be hard enough as it is - the altitude makes you incredibly breathless doing even the smallest amount of exercise.

I can´t believe how fast the time is going... I´m well over half way through my trip now.  Thanks again for keeping in touch - it´s lovely to hear how you´re doing.

The next time I update this blog I will have (hopefully) successfully finished the Inca Trail and will be on top of the world!

Until then, take care.  Speak soon.

All my love
Nikki xxxxx