I´m so vain, I probably think this blog is about me

24.09.08 Gringo Love
Take a walk along the shoreline in search of a cleaner stretch of beach. Don´t find one. Hear a shout of, ´Gringos´and are greeted by an old timer straight from the scenes of a Bolivian western. We´re not sure if this is a stick up until he surprisingly invites us to join him and his family for a BBQ on the beach...after making certain we´re not Americans.

Politely eat my second plate of animal offal in a month - he´s literally all heart. Not entirely sure of the conversation but believe we cover race, religion and politics in between him elatedly shouting ´Gringos´more often than not.

Later we climb one of the tall hills that looms over the town. If the walk doesn´t leave us breathless, the view of the sun setting over the eternal lake does.

25.09.08
Buy one of those traditional hats that are usually only seen sported by garden gnomes - Smurf´s up dude!. Flo prevents me from my first choice of colour, bright orange, for fear of traveling the world with a traffic cone!

Visit the famed cathedral that has become a site for pilgramages since miracles were cast by an effigy of a black christ (racist!). People even bring their new cars to be blessed by the priest outside - apparently, it saves on car insurance.

Make my mother, who is behind only the Pope and Mother Theresa in the order of Catholic hierarchy, proud by lighting candles for her and my sister in an eerie tomb below the cathedral. Question my fallen relationship with religion- I only pray in times of desperate need and even when those prayers are answered I don´t have faith...J.C. gets a bum deal.

26.09.08 Here comes the sun
Take another slow boat to the Isla de Sol that lies on the lake (except when it´s telling the truth:). Early civilisations believed this was the birthplace of the sun...maybe lay off those coca leaves?

Follow a hillside trail across the island, which resembles an Aegean postcard, until we reach the small village of Challa. It´s the closest thing to a sandy beach that landlocked Bolivia has to offer. Immediately strip off to pay our respects to the sun god - just as the local school finishes for the day...

Fantasy Island
Become our very own tourist attraction as hordes of children pass us in stunned excitement. Boys swagger by stealing nonchalant glances at Flo. The girls are far less subtle, actually stopping dead to whisper, giggle and blush. Sweet dreams are made of teenage girls checking you out:)

Rosa
One shy, little girl named Rosa remains when the others have left. She sits near us occasionally stealing looks before bashfully looking away. We share some cookies with her - but she´s already taken the biscuit as the sweetest Bolivian we´ve met.

She cuts a lonesome figure as we leave and seems to be ignored by everyone around her. After watching her from a distance, a heart string breaks and I return to the beach where she hasn´t moved. I request a picture and, after she accepts, silently slip her enough money to feed her family for a week (or get me drunk for a day). Her smile as she waves goodbye makes it worth every Boliviano...think more about teaching when I return.

You know how we do it
Spend the rest of the afternoon unconciously acting out scenes from Boyz in the Hood - sitting on our porch, smoking Ls, drinking 40s and pouring sips to the ground for the homies that ain´t here...seriously! I expect a drive-by any moment.

Our hilltop hostel costs the princely sum of three pounds for the night but the view is priceless - stretching out over the lake with the Cordilla Real mountain range gradually exposing itself behind as if watching a photograph being developed.

Later that evening we recall a parting gift of a couple of herbal pills. Fall asleep waiting for them to work. Wake three hours later and cannot sleep again that night. Should have remembered, ´Ritchy don´t play that hippy shit!´Cheers Vick.Rx

27.09.08 Just Chillaxing
Hike the short distance to the neighbouring village of Challapampa. Sun is deceptively hot - leaving me with a fresh pair of Panda eyes when I take my shades off. Ritch-Chi-Chi is no longer an endangered species.

Decide to spend the day in bed drinking wine. Nish, if you are reading this, thank you for your gift of a Swiss Army knife. Like we said, it would come to save my life - I can always open a bottle! You say wino...I say why not?

Attempt an early dinner but told to return at eight despite the cross-eyed look in the waitress´ eyes suggesting she is a banjo short of a hillbilly. Bide our time watching the galaxy of stars above us - why in a sky of a million stars is it so easy to spot the brightest? Return at the requested time to find the only restaurant closing!

28.09.08
Trek the entire length of the island across climbing trails and cliffside paths. Stop to see the stone that the sun was born from and the ruins of an Incan labyrinth...it´s a maze...ing:) Take the slowest boat yet back to Copacabana, listening to music as the sun sets...

Top Three Sunset Tracks...so far
1. Ain´t No Sunshine - Bill Withers
2. Talk Show Host - Radiohead
3. They Say It Changes When The Sun Goes Down - Arctic Monkeys

The first true tragedy of our travels occurs when I lose my secondary shades, almost scuppering plans to have a self-taken headshot wearing the same sunglasses in front of some of the world´s most iconic landmarks. Luckily, I have an identical pair...I´m so vain, I probably think this blog is about me:)

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