http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Bolivia/La-Paz-Department/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from South America , Bolivia , La Paz Department en-us Sat, 12 Dec 09 04:43:53 +0000 Sat, 12 Dec 09 04:43:53 +0000 Sorata is our last stay in Bolivia before we head back to La Paz again and take the flight to Quito in Ecuador. We have been here for the last four days and itrsquos been raining for most of it. To say it reminds me of a holiday in Wales would be an understatement.We arrived here to the sight of a road that suddenly stopped the road we were on and the road we needed to be on to get to Sorat http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Bolivia/La-Paz-Department/Sorata/blog-458174.html ...after the mines we decided to continue our travels with Tanja and Francisco and went to Sucre. A beautiful towncity just noth of Potosi and the Bolivien capital. The bus drive here was fantastic winding our way through the Altiplano along a dried up riverbed on the side of red soiled mountains speckled with trees.After 6h we arrived in Sucre and found a hostel to stay in. We then set off to f http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Bolivia/La-Paz-Department/La-Paz/blog-457210.html Before I started this trip I was sure that I wanted to see Machu Picchu and do the Inca trail but there is a 3 months in advance reservation required. After further investigations I decided to join a tour for 3 weeks so that I was sure to do the Inca Trail and have some company for a while. Even though I must say it is very easy to travel around Southamerica alone I always meet people heading http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Bolivia/La-Paz-Department/La-Paz/blog-454848.html The surreality of La Paz is perhaps expressed no more distinctly than in the Valley of the Moon or Valle de la Luna as it is known here. Where in England could you find a city where moonscapes flank its edges Quite normal here though normal in this capital of Bolivia a microcosm of the strangeness of its mother country. We visited the valley this morning but I'm still not sure what to m http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Bolivia/La-Paz-Department/La-Paz/blog-453342.html We're now in Peru. Thank god. They nearly didnt let me leave Bolivia...i'll get to that in a minute but first an update on our last few days in 'lovely' Bolivia i only write that with muted sarcasm becasue Bolivia has really pissed me off in the last 24 hours i love it reallySo we ended up getting delayed in our Amazon oasis Rurrenabaque for another day as we were rained in meaning no planes http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Bolivia/La-Paz-Department/Copacabana/blog-452475.html Nov 6 2009There were a few things Justinrsquos Grandpa was worried about before we left for our trip. One of them included how well wersquod take the altitude at the highest capital city in the world at 3660 meters La Paz. Since Justin and I had already been through our share of high altitude cities including Potosi Bolivia 4000 meters and places throughout our Uyuni Salt Flat tour such http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Bolivia/La-Paz-Department/La-Paz/blog-452014.html I was not supposed to go to Bolivia at all I was supposed to travel from Peru' to Brazil BUT I did a very silly mistake I didnrsquot check whether I needed any vaccination coming from Peru' and guess what I needed a yellow fever vaccine which I didn't have When I checkedin in Lima they asked me whether my injections were up to date and when they explained to me that Brazil would DENY me en http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Bolivia/La-Paz-Department/La-Paz/blog-451718.html Following our 3 day adventure around south west Bolivia hanging out in hot springs and amusing ourselves with what we have all decided are the campest animals in the world Llamas we arrived in lofty La Paz the second largest city in Bolivia. I had heard alot about La Paz mainly so from the book i read last year called Marching Powder which tells the story of a Brit who got locked up in a pri http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Bolivia/La-Paz-Department/La-Paz/blog-450475.html TITIKAKA 31.10.2009 SEK LA PAZ BOLIVIA 1.2.11.2009rdquoKvele hitaasti sy kohtuullisesti ja nuku paljon sieluparkasi vuoksirdquo kuuluu bolivialaisten neuvo vuoristotaudin karttamiseksi.Reppumatkailijat kertovat legendaa ett kaikki aina sairastuvat La Pazissa Boliviassa. En uskonut ennen kuin ensimmisen yn sairastuin oikein kunnolla. En tied mik osa siit on vuoristotautia mik http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Bolivia/La-Paz-Department/La-Paz/blog-450313.html Walking down the Prado the main road in the heart of La Paz I cant help thinking of Detroit. My memory isnt envoked for the similarities but for the stark differences. And for that matter I might as well picture Any City USA.There is a life here that permeates every corner. Every park bench. The life is outside. Walking down the street. Selling vegetables while huddling over a bowl of http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Bolivia/La-Paz-Department/La-Paz/blog-448111.html La Pazista San Pedro de AtacamaanKolme viikkoa on vierhtnyt ksittmttmn nopeasti ja olemme jo psseet matkan viimeiseen maahan Chileen. Lht La Pazista oli lievsti sanottuna stressaava olimme tulleet edellisen iltana kiireesti viidakosta takaisin kaupunkiin ja koko pivn matkustamisesta uupuneina illalla ei oikein mihinkn tarttuminen huvittanut. Olimme kuitenkin suunnitelleet ett http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Bolivia/La-Paz-Department/La-Paz/blog-447884.html Been a while since the last blog we have been super busy travelling the length of Bolivia and loving every minute of itAfter we left Potosi behind we headed further north to Sucre on a fairly pleasant but bumpy six hour bus ride a little sceptical about going to another big city but we were very pleasantly surprised. We spent a good day or so just pottering about the city tasting the local mark http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Bolivia/La-Paz-Department/Copacabana/blog-447837.html I arrived in Puno Peru bright and early on Monday morning 430am and took a mototaxi to my hostel only to find that my reservations had not been processed and the only habitacion available was a triple with private bathroom costing 30. I treked across town moderately enjoying the sunrise over Lake Titicaca the largest lake in South America and the worlds highest navigable lake. I found http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Bolivia/La-Paz-Department/Copacabana/blog-447344.html Whilst on Lake Titicaca we visited the Uros Islands which are floating reed islands anchored to the bottom of the lake on which communities live go to school trade etc. Although the compacted reeds are 2 metres thick its still a strange floating sensation when you are on them. After some shopping opportunities our group made their way to another island Amantani.Here we stayed the night wit http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Bolivia/La-Paz-Department/La-Paz/blog-447261.html After an eleven hour local bus trip from Puno we arrived in La Paz Bolivia but not before an entertaining border crossing near Copacabana not the Rio one. Leaving the bus to cross the border without us we had to walk through the slack passport and emigration controls before reboarding the bus on the Bolivian side. Several hours later we had to leave the bus again as it crossed the end of http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Bolivia/La-Paz-Department/La-Paz/blog-446156.html So i guess Im in Bolivia.How and why i ended up here i do not know. From as far back as i can remember Ive been waiting for my life to start. As a child even as a romantic teenager i never remember having the urge to travel. Just the all consuming believe that there must be more in the world than the small patch id experienced in Spennymoor when i left for Univeristy even just travelling th http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Bolivia/La-Paz-Department/La-Paz/blog-445635.html Ladies and GentlemenWelcome to El Multifunctional in El Alto for La Lucha LibreTonight we have a star studded line up just for you. Its a special evening indeed. The ticket you hold in your hand is priceless my friends. For your eyes only tonight we have Ninja Boliviano Gitano El Magnifico and Jaider Lee. Back from the dead we have Gran Mortis and Cobarde. Back from the future Picudo will tr http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Bolivia/La-Paz-Department/La-Paz/blog-445621.html An early bus booked all on our own now we were off the tour took us to Copacabana on the shore of Lake Titicaca. Stunning little place and we managed to get a brilliant room overlooking the lake.The sun was shining and there ain't much to do around there so we basked in the glorious weather and sampled the local food drink. Got a bit drunk and forgot to put suncream on burnt face. They love http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Bolivia/La-Paz-Department/Copacabana/blog-444968.html Another long drive day all the way to La Paz a place most of us were looking forward too. We had a few drinks on the way then for some reason in the evening the truck just turned into one big moving nightclub. The music went up a notch the beers were flying down and everyone was up dancing. Great truck day We arrived at night slightly drunk and checked into another nice Bolivian hotel.A grou http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Bolivia/La-Paz-Department/La-Paz/blog-444811.html At 3660m above sea level La Paz is the highest capital city in the world with its buildings clinging to the sides of the canyon and downwards. There are many alleys and markets in the centre of the city with many of the indigenous women walking around with their long black plaits hanging from under their bowler hats selling all types of wares from food to magical goods. The women wear the hat on http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Bolivia/La-Paz-Department/La-Paz/blog-444127.html