Copacabana drinks are free...

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We didnt have many options when it came to leaving Puno, we didnt have enough money for the tourist bus and time wasnt on our side so we went local. These buses are sort of coach minibus hybrids usually complete with an array of locals and mandatory vomiting child.

The journey was enjoyable and after traveling with western travellers in reclining seats for so long it was such a more rewarding (and cheaper) way to travel with local people. The views over the lake and into the snow capped Andes was immense as we navigated the edge of the lake. Along the lake the local people work the land and it still surprises me to see people living this way so close to larger towns, its a very rural way of life.

Two albums into the journey there it is, a small girl who had sat next to Tom vomits a fruity mixtures over his leg and bag, my time will come im sure so i wont dwell on it too much.

The bus journey ended 3km form the Bolivian border, we got off and were instantly offered a ride in bicycle rickshaw, we accepted. These fellas cyclyed up the hill as i looked over my shoulder at tom and matt in theirs smiling like schoolboys, it was truely surreal experience especially when it became up hill and the guys where literally pushing us up hill at such a slow place i decided to get out and help him, and also take a fetching photo of matt and tom.

We arrive at the border and change our remaining Soles and get the stamps from the unenthusiastic border patrol. Welcome to Boliva.

As we head into Copacabana we ask for a recommended hostel off the bus driver, hes takes us to a fancy looking hotel overlooking the lake as a fire red sunset decends. Convinced we cant afford this we ask how much, 30 Bolivianos was his reply, 2 pounds. He takes us up to our room which is huge, with en suite and a double bed and two singles, surely this cant be back packing. After getting over the shock we head out and stroll around this small and tranquil town after the constant horns and noise of the past week (minus the Inca Trail) this place looks like heaven. Heaven without an ATM. With no money we panic for a bit then change some Argentinian Tom has left over and head out to eat.

We find a very reggae restaurent full of travellers and decide this wiil do, after a good meal and a few drinks we go to leave when 4 girls walk in, they look shocked and it becomes clear these are girls Tom and Matt have met preiously. This has become quite common with some Irish boys they knew being at Loki and two well off young english boys walking into a bar at Cusco. Oh and i bumped into a girl i knew from the Colly at Cusco train station, really does put the small world theory to the test hey Shaun.

After a few drinks with these 4 Swedes, they dont look Swedish and one had a striking resemblence to Karen O (yet to be confirmed) we head back to the penthouse.

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