Mucho Agua

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Last week Tracey and I exited the crammed bus that we had boarded in Uyuni to step into the crazy city life of La Paz. La Paz was simply crazy. Busy like Buenos Aires, but far less controlled and organised. Men shouted and yelled from taxi vans, shoe shiners in balaclavas offered there services, and woman squated to relieve themselves in the middle of the street. The cities suburbs clung to the steep hillsides of this huge crater, and we could see even more construction beginning in even more dubious positions as we gazed out of the bus window in which we escaped (one day after arriving).
Although our time in La Paz was brief, I did however get the oppurtunity to appreciate its charm, and whilst the city was certainly not my kind of place I´m sure many travellers would love their time in the big city hustle-n-bustle. But you can give me a slow paced beach or forest walk any day.
Needless to say when we arrived in Copacabana (after putting our bus on a barge), I was very pleased. We found a marvellous little two star hotel with a continental breakfast, private bathroom, great lake views, and a chess board for just US 20 a night. We had a TV too, but with one and a half channels in spanish.
We spent our time in Copacabana eating at alot of different restaurants, and walking around the small charm filled town. The highlight of our time within the township was perhaps our visit to the top of the prayer hill(a steep 20 minute walk). Once at the top we basked in the sun and le6t our eyes wander over the landscape, which from the top was beautiful. Whilst we were up there a minister asked me to witness a blessing.
In Copacabana the local people have miniatures of the things they desire blessed, in the hope that they may attain them in the future. Generally the miniatures are of cars, houses or wads of fake cash (available at stalls at the top of the hill). In the case of the blessing I witnessed an editor from a newspaper in La Paz was having a pile of things blessed for his daughter. A pile so immense, that it made me think that a real miracle may have to occur. The blessing involved some words from the minister, and then some throwing of beer. After that the man began drinking beer, and thinking I had to I drank some, but it turned out he was just a beer fiend.
A few days hanging out in Copacabana, just 20km from Isla del sol, had us wondering when we may visit the island. So we got off our beach bums, and embarked on a 15km trek around the bays to the point opposite the island. The walk was full of beautiful scenery, often reminiscent of Eerie Bay in the Marlbrough Sounds. We followed Inca paths, and newly excavated roads through small villages, and through forest until we reached a boy with a boat.
This boy and his father took us on a traditional reed boat out to a modern speed boat, and out to Isla del sol. The trip took 20 mins and cost 12 new zealand dollars (cheaper than water taxis in the sounds). Isla del sol was an island packed with terraced agriculture, muels, and tourists. We neglected to take any photos, but appreciated how small that first inca guy must have been, from the size of his fortress.
The return journey took over an hour (3 dollars each), and was very much like travelling through the sounds.
Back in Copacabana we hung out for a few more days frequenting the cheap restaurant, and playing chess at the hostel, until today. We leave for Arequipa. The chess tele is 5-2 to me. One of traceys 2 being a stale mate!

Adios amigos,
til next week.

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Photos

We are out
Leaving the loco land of La Paz

To find
The low key Copacabana

Peta
You wanted to see beaches, does this count?

From up high
We climbed the hill from the last pictures to take this one. It was a wonderful view, and a refreshing breeze that greeted us there

The witness
I signed a blessing certificate as the official witness to this blessing of numerous gifts for this lovely couples daughter. But then I was pressured into consuming the evil beer. I only had a few so that I was able to get back down the hill tho!

Wara
Her name Wara means star in Quechuan. I think she was a little spoilt with the contents that were being blessed for her, but cute none-the-less

Trucha is popular
On our day walk to the island of the sun we passed some beautiful beaches and islands. This one had a trout farm set up behind it

Following the incas
down their paths, some gentle and pretty like this, others tuff and not so pretty

The wheels on the bus
When our bus arrived at the lakes edge, and could go no further we were prompted onto water taxis. But how was the bus getting across?

Reed boats float
and I was on one

Inca port
The small beach port at Isla del sol, where we could see the giant andes behind the lake,and appreciated the incan drainage system.

a tight squeeze
The size of the clearing through which our return boat from isla del sol went concerned Tracey and I, but that was it.

Comments

[Tomas]

Que bonito
Este parte de tu viaje se suena mas lindo que los desiertos y lagos de sal y seguro menos caloroso que la tierra de Salta. Me allegro que ustedes han pasado tantos dias relajando y tomando el aire y ambiente. Nunce estuve en La Paz. Siempre tuve un imagen romantico de la cuidad, talvece es si nombre, pero de tu cuento es obvio que la realidad es feo. Tampoco, nunca he visto un mujer urinando en la calle en todos mis viajes en American Latina! Lo vi una vez en Christchurch hace muchas anos! Hay mucho movimiento politico en Boliva en estes dias? Yo se que el nuevo presidente, Hugo Morales, esta tomando control de los industrios de petrolio, gas etc y hay oposicion. Escuche rumores por los New York Times que el CIA esta auydando los militares en un complot para un golpe del estado (como un coup d'etat). Probable es nada pero si hay senales que esto puedo pasar mientras ustedes estan alla (como manifestaciones, prensa inflamatoria) tienen que salir de Bolivia lo mas pronto posible ante se pasa algo. Despues un golpe es dificil a salir para semanas o meses. Espero que tu Espanol (Castellano) esta mejorando Andrew. No creo que hay tanta gente hablando Ingles en los alredores de tu viaje y por eso es seguro que estas llegando a ser fluente en la idioma. Buneo un abrazo a vos y Tracey y espero que tu viaje andaria tranquilamente y desfrutable.

[Cassels]

Will keep our eyes open
I will start buying the paper and checking on the internet to make sure I get a head start on any coup. Thanks for the warning. As for our spanish, we have mastered the simple stuff,and have no trouble in restaurants and travelling, but our conversational abilities leave alot to be desired. It is alot easier to understand the spanish of Peru as the people seem to speak alot slower then in Argentina. The incident with the lady on the street in La Paz was isolated I´m sure, and apparentley we missed out on the beautiful part of the city in our haste. We are currently in beautiful Arequipa (Peru), a city I´m sure you would appreciate. In a few weeks after doing the Inca trail (just Tracey, I might catch the train) we are touring southern Argentina. Very exciting. It looks beautiful down in Bariloche and Ushuiai.