Potosi, La Paz and Titicaca

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Last I left it was the spare day in Potosi before a night bus. Much to my delight I ate steak, spuds and veges for dinner (elusive here to have veges and not some dodgy salad) that night, the next day having the luxury of a midday check out. And on the better side of feeling acclimatized at altitude on a fine Potosi day, a UNESCO labeled city 10 hours south of La Paz. And so I tested the exercise waters by going for a stroll that morning, but nausea seems to always strike.

The day was spent lazy as most others did, chatting over doing internet ‘work’ , roaming the streets for those cheap medicines, electronic equipment or bargain nutritious meals, and snapping moments with locals going about their street sport, pack or child hauling, or selling things cross-legged on the footpath or at Mercado central. Sick of the sight of cows heads fresh off the truck out side here, I took solice at a vegetarian café called Manzana Magic for tea, a popular place, albeit the meal was rushed so I could make the rendezvous back at hotel to head to main bus station for a night bus. 5 million USD was spent on this terminal and it shows, so perhaps Bolivia is slowly coming around to servicing tourists better than other Latin America well-knowns.

Night buses have their own features, like locals yelling out to ‘slow down’ in middle of night, or some fights breaking out over seating arrangements…in the first instance half asleep I grabbed the man sitting next to me when I woke abruptly, scared I was being robbed. Then we realized it was a speeding driver and not robber that was rocking us all sideways, to which the driver evidently replied ‘shut up I need to get some sleep’. Affirming to know he had his mind on the job. A 2nd driver was not one, he was more baggage slave extraordinaire, in the incredible chaos of a Bolivian bus system, and was kind enough to let me off for a minute while I nearly chucked my insides out again from travel nausea. Not fun. Even if the rain was a soothing contrast to the hot bus cabin.

Arriving in La Paz to miserable skies and rain turned out to be as I was told. Smelly. Dirty. Big city in steep valley, that makes uphill walking that much harder at 3600m or so (less than Potosi, also hilly). Wide awake with little sleep at 7am, I went strolling to ease some limited oxygen into my body, and took in a high point of La Paz (where the paths ran into mud and terraced gardens of greenery), the market district of dead animalia, washing powder, and produce amongst other things, the downtown obelisk, San Francisco church, a free Art Museum exhibition, various government buildings of note on my tourist map and even ran a delayed errand in the earring street at long last with a little bargaining. Concerned I might hate this city enough to leave, I made fast plans to travel to Copacabana that afternoon, which meant getting repacked after a 6 hour stay in the lovely Hotel Las Brisas, forgoing the final night paid but worthy of the space to shower and hang out. On the hoof I left at 2.30pm after final group goodbyes and made it to Copa at 6pm passing over a small strait during the trip in a boat while the bus did so separately. With nothing arranged, I paid my 1 boliviano for another skanky flush-less toilet and went puffing uphill to find a bed.

I need not have worried as chanced on a hostel where I could use a kitchen, absolute luxury after so much restaurant food! The town was hopping to a festival of ladies twirling men and jiving and band a playing, until the wee smalls. So glad for a scenic spot on the hill at when the fireworks came and to be away from the heat of the action, even if the whole town got to hear it in spades. The next day was spent discvering Isla del Sol, observing the commercial mindedness of the Bolivian travel industry (even if infrastructure is lacking they know how to make a buck), the beauty, the intense sun rays, meeting and walking with people and finally with 4 bolivianos to spare an encounter with a colourful cambio (money exchange) lady, her kid and the local marketplace for a cheap night in.

I have since joined the trail to Macchi Piccu on a Gap tour, leaving tomorrow, and really am praying to the Inca gods for less lluvial and more luz, por favor!!!!!!!!!

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Photos

Potosi plaits
at 4070m you have to be groovy, and fit, to wear this style, even if you look pre diabetic