In Bolvia! Kool hey! This feels like real south america now. Chile was kool and argentina was kool too but this is a bit more....well south america i guess. Left Arica on sunday morning and jumped on the bus with no real idea of how long it was going to take. Best road sign ever leaving chile ...simply said PERU BOLVIA -----> ! The scenery from the bus as we started to climb was pretty kool. Passed loads of like shack type things and made some really random stops to pick up people on the way to the border. The border crossing was really easy, no bag check! very unlike chile! Really started to feel the altitude! And the cold! I went from sea level and the beach to land locked 3600ft La Paz. Highest city in the world! The border crossing itself is a bit higher than that apprarently and i definitly felt a bit funny getting off the bus to go through immigration. Had some Coco tea which definitly helped. Coco tea leaves are what bolivians chew to help with the altitude, apparently it contains traces of cocaine but VERY minimal amounts and everyone recomends that you have some to help with the altitude. Luckily so far i think ive been ok. Had a bit of a headache and am very out of breath from silly things like climbing stairs geting on to the bunk bed and even talking is an effort but some stories ive heard ...ive been lucky. Fingers crossed i dont get sick. Ive got to walk the inca trail in just over a week! La Paz is kool! Just to walk around and see the local people in traditional dress, especially the women with their bowler hats and huge shawls. I thnk they carry everythign from babies to the kitchen sink in those things. sunday I just collapsed and went to bed, and yesterday I took everyones advice and took it very easy! Wandering around the city and working out all the things im going to send bak home! Loving the Boliviano (the currency) it goes Very far! Its hard to take pictures here as its not like Id want to go flashing my camara around but managed to get the best picture ever yesterday...Was just wandering down the street past all the markets and stalls and there were these police officers with huge guns and SWAT written on their jackets...doing a crossword! Had to cross over the street and go up some stairs to get the picture I was scared they were going to get me! It wasnt even a difficult crossword it was massive with big letters and pictures lol! Anyway its really hard to get good photos here! There isnt a huge amount of tourists wandering around so A its unsafe to get your camara out all over the place but also you feel a bit rude! Its just their normal life and theres me finding it really interesting. Little kids doing their homework on the market stalls, the women selling random things on the street and the crazy mini bus drivers!  All very kool!

Definitely if anyone is feeling at all stressed or overworked at home I would recomend coming up to 3600ft! Go climb a mountain! Its amazing i feel far more relaxed here than ive felt anywhere else. Which is crazy cos this city is mad! Yesterday did a really GRingo tour on a red london sightseeing bus would you believe. Best bus so far! Although the low wires and bridges on around the city make the thing a bit of a death trap! Was really kool to see the outskirts of the city which was a complete contrast to the downtown area which is so far all ive seen! It was like malibu or beverly hills it was that different! Then headed up to the luna valley which is a kool place with stalagmites and huge craters which all used to be under water---back in the day! Amazing views!  the city looks like its built out of lego blocks!

yep kool place...like it!