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Published: January 6th 2008
Hola.....sorry it has taken me so long to write another entry, we have been no where long enough or in the middle of the desert.
Well after we finished the Inca trail we caught the train (10 hours but amazing scenery) to Puno on the edge of lake Titicaca on the Peruvian side...well a total dump hence no entry of its own and a horrible hostel the only good thing to say is we got a 3 course meal and a coke for a quid...bargin or what, not that you would have been impressed if it was served up at home but when on a budget its amazing what you find acceptable.
Anyway we swiftly left Puno and headed for Bolivia and to Copacabana for Christmas which is the other end of Lake Titicaca. It was much nicer and we stayed in a lovely hostel and christmas came early as we had a duvet...pure luxury. We spent christmas eve with friends that we made on the Inca trail which was good fun. Then I hung up my stocking and curled up in my duvet in anticipation of Santa finding me. .....Guess what he did, my stocking was full all be it with Chocolate, gloves and a woolly hat I was over the moon (along with a few pressies i sneaked in my bag from home).
We spent the day in the sun and took a day trip to an island called Isla del Luna which was really nice but didn´t feel like christmas until just before we went to bed there was a spectacular thunderstorm with hail and all, just a small reminder of home.
We then left Copacabana on Boxing day to head for La Paz, the worlds highest capital, what a great city my best so far a real buzz and just market after market (to Deans delight). They don´t seem to do shops just market stalls for everything from shampoo to extension leads totally mad but a real buzz. Having had enough of markets and me haggling for hammocks (convinced there would be no cheaper place...4 pound for a hammock) Dean decided it was a good idea to tackle the death road. Not happy enough with the fact I completed the Inca trail with a small bruise from falling downhill and aching limbs he decided it was time for another challenge. So the worlds most dangerous road it was.
A 7am rise we were off on a 68km bike ride to descend 3650m. At the top 4700m we were kitted up a bit like the saying ´all the gear and no idea' and off we went. Arrgggghhh the first part is along the road....not to bad until the first stop (where my hands are stuck to the handle bars its so cold) the driver makes us look over the edge to show us where a passenger bus had fallen off the edge. GREAT!!
We continued on but after a third of the way the death road begins....it is a graval track with a sheer drop off the edge. I am convinced if the drop doesn´t get you a heart attack must. Well I have the photos, t-shirt, video and arms and legs full of bites from finishing in the rainforest to show I completed it, all be it a mile behind Dean with one hand firmly on the rear break at all times!!
It was then the night bus to Uyuni to catch the 3 day jeep ride to Chile across the Bolivian Salt flats. The Salt flats were incredible and we stayed in a Salt Hotel on the first night which was great surprisingly all made out of salt including the bed!! The second night was a total hovel in the middle of nowhere in a cold and damp dorm room. The group this time was a little different a lovely retired German couple and 2 other German Ladies (Erika and Sillie who you will hear more about) travelling together who had met on the internet who were .... well.....different lets say. Then our driver Raphael......a total nutter who broke our car and had to be woken by us from his druken stooper to make sure we got to the border on time after he had told us to be up no later than 4.30am. We did make it to the border and into Chile just in time for New Year in Chile........Well now you have all fallen alseep I hope you had a lovely Christmas and Happy New Year xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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Diane Barry
non-member comment
Wow!
Well done you too, I only hope you survive the pain and the strain to make it home. You are certainly packing in as much as you can - Great. really proud of you. lol Mum et al xx