Ola!

Managed to find a rather old and incredibly slow computer at our hostel! Still no hot showers!

So we arrived in Puno late afternoon- beautiful drive there up the mountains but we were the only white people on the bus and there were people carrying live chickens on the bus! Harriet was struck by altitude sickness as soon as we got off the bus, so after checking in the hostel at about 5pm she went to bed. I headed out to explore the town- it is in the middle of major renovation works and so most of the streets were being dug up as they change dirt tracks into paved streets. It is right beside Lake Titicaca and lots of older tourists were around.

I had a strange experience- the first time in my life I have ever been out to eat alone!! Nowhere was as cheap as other places we've been but I chose a restaurant upstairs and when I got up there I was the only one there! So I ordered trout (a local speciality given the lake) and salad and then sat there- next time I would take a book as I ended up studying my hand! An American couple come in so I listened to their conversation as I finished my fruit salad. I saw the local cathedral and market and then headed back to check on Harriet, who couldn´t even stomach a banana! The hostel was quiet and not very sociable so I sat and used the internet to research Bolivia!

Saturday- Harriet felt a bit better and so we booked on the half day trip to the floating islands of Uros on Lake Titicaca. It was a nice gentle boat ride out and the guide explained about the lake and the islands. The lake is beautiful as it is surrounded by mountains, but it looks more like the sea because it is so huge and you can´t see the end. It is the worlds highest freshwater lake. We arrived at one of the 87 floating islands made out of mud and reeds and which house local people who live in huts made of the reeds. The president of the island talked to us about how they made the islands and their way of life. We were taken into one of the families huts and Harriet felt guilt-tripped into buying some of the crap they make. Some of the women in traditional dress sang for us and then we got one of their traditional reed boats across to another island. It was interesting but all very touristy and they were out to make all the money they could from you, ie souvenirs, paying extra for boat ride, paying for a stamp in your passport so they could buy solar panels, etc, you can´t really blame them but it kind of takes away the genuineness of their traditional way of life.

Back in Puno we went for lunch at a small and cheap cervicheria! Very yummy! Then we got a taxi with an Aussie couple to the bus station for the 2.30pm bus to Copocabana.

The bus was full of backpackers and we sat near the Aussie couple who were amusing! However, the bus was falling apart. It was about 6 hours drive along the edge of the lake, which was pretty. We arrived at the border, which was more like a couple of huts! We went to the office on the Peruvian side and got stamped out and then went to the office slightly up the road to get stamped into Bolivia.

It wasn´t much further until we arrived in Copocabana about 8.30, we hadn´t got a hsotel booked as there were none on Hostelworld as the bolivians don´t use the internet as much. We walked along the main strip and found a reasonable looking hostel, although it was a hotel really, where we got a twin with ensuite for about 9 pound. Just in time, as Harriet had diarrarhoea. You could just about see the lake from the window and there was a nice view on the upstairs terrace. We walked around the main street, although most things were shut. We had a coca tea in a cafe and then headed back to the hostel to update our journals.

Sunday- Harriet didn´t want to the do the Isle of Sun tour as it involved a lot of walking, so we instead explored the town. We saw the blessing of the cars ceremony outside the catherdral which was interesting. They park their cars and then decorate them with flowers and then spray fizzy wine over them and throw firecrackers before driving around like it. We peeked in the cathedral, which was very grand but full for the sunday service. We booked a bus for 1.30pm and luckily the women in the centre showed us the time becuase it turns out that in bolivia we are only 5 hours behind you, not six like in Peru- we´d had no idea! We walked around further and found an indoor market type place full of food stalls, where you sit at a bench and a local woman cooks for you in front of you. We were the only gringo´s in there but it was great to eat amongst the locals and try the food there way! Trout was the main thing on the menus so we both had fried trout, rice, salad and potato type stuff! It was delicious, possibly my favourite meal for about 1.80pound. We then carried on walking through the local area and it took us to a cove around from the main one. It was lovely because you got a view of the lake with none of the tourists, boats, etc. Very peaceful!

We walked back and got our bags and went to wait for the bus- again full of backpackers! About 4 hour drive to La Paz and after an hour we all had to get off and get a little boat across a small part of the lake, while the bus was loaded onto an unsafe looking long boat thing to be bought across. Again the drive was all along the edge of the lake- it really is huge- and up in the mountains. We arrived in La Paz about 5 with no hostel, as my internet hadn´t worked at the last place. We got a taxi and asked them to take us to a hostel. Again we ended up in more of a hotel, but it is so cheap here that we got a twin with ensuite for not much. We dumped our stuff and headed out to explore the city. We walked to the cathedral square and a free walking tour was then starting so we joined that! However, we were then starting the tour when Harriet felt ill and had to make a dash back to the hostel where she spent the night in the toilet with the trots. I enjoyed the tour and found out a lot about La Paz and the history and traditions. I did not know that La Paz is not actually the capital of Bolivia although the government and everything is based here. Sucre is the official capital, if anyone already knew this it would be Jake. We walked up to the highest point in middle of the city and got a wonderful view. It is a big city in a bowl shape surrounded by the mountains which is cool. We went to the witches market and learnt about the offerings they make to mother earth to bring them luck. It was love day here and so everyone wlaking around with heart balloons and celebrating as it was also the start of spring and student day. Met a few nice Austrians on the tour who gave me tips on things to do. Found my way back to the hostel luckily and Harriet was still suffering, luckily they had another toilet downstairs for me to use, haha!

Monday- changing hostels this morning and then depending how Harriet feels I fancy a tour to the moon valley or around the museums or up the cable car on the edge of the city. I like the feel of Bolivia- plus it is cheap!

Mum and Dad, Bas put a nice picture on Facebook of you all! Glad you had fun, hope you enjoy your time in Amsterdam too. Paul enjoy walking in Scotland- hope you find it easier than I found Misti! Vic, party sounded good, hope you don´t work too hard this week and alice is behaving. Ian, good news about football- lets hope they win again tonight! Take care!