Holaa all,

Well seeng as I didnt even finish my last blog I have a lot to fill you in on so I am going to use bullet point again to try and stop myself rambling on too much.

• Left cochabamba to get the bus to la paz but when we got to the bus station we found out that there were blockades and they couldnt tell us when we would be able to get the bus.This was one of the times when I was so happy to have a tour lader who can speak fluent spanish and try and sort something out. But we managed to pass the time with a good old game of s***head which is becomeing quite a regular occurence now and sitting in the sunshine. It wasn{t long before Paul (our legendary tour leader) had managed somehow to find us a bus to the capital of Bolivia...LA Paz.
• To our delight we arrived at a very nice hotel with HOT showers (always a bonus after travelling) and comfy beds. After dumping our bags many of us were craving curry, so we ended up in the highest indian restaurant in the world, eating the most delicious food. One guy in outr group decided to take on the challenge of eating the vindaloo, for which if he finished it he would win a T-shirtstating just that. Seeing his eyes water after the second mouthful I really did not think he would make it...but to everyones suprise and awe he did it!!! He ate the whole bloody thing and I think his toilet suffered quite badly that night.
• The next day we took it upon ourselvees to go and explore the witches market we had all read about in outr guide books. This consisted of shop after shop selling the most colourful scarfs, hats, cloths, hammocks and many more handmade products. Here sophie and miranda treated themselves to some llama things such as jumpers, hats and socks. We werent very good at haggling but one guy in our group Matt helped us to get some bargains!!
• This is where I got up to when writing my last blog so the next event was my birthday celebration!! Seeing as it was the last night of out tour I thought it would be nice to celebrate my birthday with the group before we left them (and also coz I am greddy and wanted a double birthay celebration...but hey you are only 21 once in your life right!!) So we went to a lovely asian restautrant where we all enjoyed the delights of chinese, thai and indian cuisine. When everyones plates were licked clean and everyone was ready to explode, the waiter brought out one of the biggest cakes with a 21 candle on top. Happy birhtday was sung and the candles were blown out with a wish made and I was ready to cut the cake. But no. I wasnt allowed to cut the cake until I had followed south amercian tradition of taking the first bite of the cake with my hands behind my back!! Did they think i was born yesterday?? I celebrated my birthday in India last year where I was told the exact same thing with the slight variation that the first piece of cake had to be fed to me. So I put up a fight and told them I knew what they were going to do but after all I didn{t want to be a spoil sport so went along with it to have paul push my face into the cake as I approached to have cake uo my nostrils and on my face. Funny funny times. The cake was delicious with an incredible marshmellow icing of which I ate the majority. Sadly we had to leave half the cake because we were going out dancing afterwards. SO next stop was a cute little bar where we drank coctails and wine, danced to both western and a bit of latin american music to get the old hips moving and ended the night by dancing on the table and chairs. yet another top class night and a great start to birhtday celebrations!!
• Because that was the last night of the tour we got kicked out of room at 11...and after a heavy night we were not too pleased!! So we dumped our bags in someones elses room and decided to go and cabbage somwhere until we felt a little more human. We found an english pub with lovely comfy sofas and all the english traditional food. So we enjoyed pints of english teas (yes actually sertved in pint glasses) and pie, english breakie etc. We were still there at about 1.30 when the rest of the group turned up...obviously in search for the same cure.
• That evening the group met their new members and got told their itenary for the rest of their trip to quito in equador. Basically we are going to the same places as them but independently (so we aremost likely just going to end up following them) This is when we found out that for my birhtday they would be in Puno which is on our way to the inca taril anyway so Hooray we could plan another bday celelbration.
• Because we had now left the tour and so had Paul because he was starting a different tour we had to decide what we wanted to do with ourselves. We decided we would visit coppacabana together with Paul and babara another tour leader who was on our trip training...so lucky us because we got a free tour and still don{t have to think too much for ourselves.
• Coppacabanna was quite touristy but not very busy. Here we found a hostel to sleep in for 2 pounds and enjoyed watewr pedalling on lake titikaka. This lake is the largest lake at that altitude with gorgeous crystal blue waters with the andes surrounding it. Later on we watched the sunset at the top a a huge climb, with breathtaking views of the lake. That night we enjoyed delicious fresh stuffed trout which tasted like it had been caught that morning- def beats the frozen white fish I enjoy at uni.
• The next morning we took the slowest boat ever to the Isla del Sol (island of the sun) the biggest of 40 island in the lake. Here we enjoyed a 4 hour trek from the north of the island to the south in the burning sunshin with stunning viwes of the white sandy beaches, crystal blue water and bluest sky you will ever see with the contrast of the snow capped andes in the background. The trek was pretty tough with our backpacks on (little not big though!) with amny uphill ascends. But the beautiful weather and gorgeous views made it all worth it. and it was good training for the inca trail. We decided to stay the night on the isalnd so that I would wake up on my 21st birthday to the stunning views I coulkd wish for.
• That evening we found a tiny little restaurant which was very cosy with dim lighting and candles. definately the warmest place we ahd eaten in a while. Here we enjoyed vegetable soup with fresh trout (again- but have to amke the most of it!) an all the trimmings for 2 pounds 50...boy how I miss bolivian prices. Although we did have to wait about an hour for our food because there was just one man runnign the show with the help of his 8 year olfd son and 6 year old daughter. ALso I don{t think Bolivians do stress...they are prety laid back.
• Then I woke up yesterday on my birthday on the island of the sun where Miranda and Sophie waved a happy 21st birhtday banner and gave me a loely card and necklace. I also got a lovely handmade bolivian notebook from babara the other tour leader. So straight away I felt so happy to be there celebarting my birhtday with 2 of my best friends on this beautiful island. After babana and choc pancakes we haeaded back to copacabana and then caught the bus to Puno where the rest of the group already were.
• Then last night the group had organised another (fantastic!) birhtday night out. Starting with a a delicious meal and vino blanco ( I ahd th trout again!), the restaurant bought me a tequila and then I got bought an ameretto sour...so by this point you could say I was very happy. O yes and I forgot to mention that I was dressed in my 21st birhtday banner (with a dress underneath dont worry) and then at the bar I was given my very own red birthday crown. The bar was decorated with balloons and again here I was treated to a flaming shot. Then there was CAKE...which said happy birhtday emma and was delish. But again I got told by the new peruvian tour leader that it was peruvian traditio to eat the first bite of the cake...so yet agin i got cake in my face...but this time ALL OVER. But this time I didnt let them get awaty with it and covered EVERYONE in cake...a very messy night. Ended the night in anther bar dancing the night away to crash into bed at about 3 this morning. I have to say possibly one of THE BEST birthdays ever!!! I am currently a very happy girl!!
• We had to leave our room by 11 this morning so I had no time to shower and still ahve cake in my hair!! Just enjoyed a 3 course meal for 4 pounds and again had trout and we are visiting the man made floating islands this afternoon and then taking a night bus off to cusco tonight to see the group agian tomorrow.