Beata and Tomek's Guestbook

Sorry about the loss of your pictures...
the ones that you saved are really great. I'm also sorry about your experience where the government seems to milk tourists for every last penny. I'm thinking of using a local travel agent for the entire trip from Lima to Cuzco, the Sacred Valley, Lake Titicaca, and La Paz (11 days for $1145/person for everything) where I know the price up front and they take care of everything. I usually travel independently, but think that this may be the exception.

Incredible panorama!
What lucky travelers you too are to have caught that parade with the fantastic costumes! Thanks for the tip about the lower trail being more interesting on the Isla del Sol since I was hoping to take a boat to one end and stay, then walk to the other end, stay a night and leave from there. Happy trails!

Great scenery
Wish we had been with you on this leg of the journey. Sounds fantastic. Love the rituals and dances. We need to get to Bolivia. Loved your summary at the end.

Great cholo photos!
Congrats on managing to get those amazing photos of the indigenous women--very sneaky and clever! Fab tips too, since I´m somewhat following your footsteps. Great to hear the overnight buses are ok, and I´d love to know the name or street of your Cochabamba hostal. My computer´s been broken, but I´m hoping to get it repaired in big city Sucre and catch up on your (and my) blogs. Enjoy Central America!

With you on the common sense
I have noticed that 99 out of a 100 times it is just because of not using common sense that something bad happened to a person. Of course there is always this 1 time, where they did all the right things and still got robbed, it happens. But, yep, mostly bad reputations are built on stupid mistakes by tourists, who instead of admitting it, blame the country or the locals, saying it is just a dangerous place, full of bad people. And so the reputation perpetuates with every successive generation of backpackers. I never had anything bad happen to me anywhere in S. America, not because I was particularly lucky, but because, like you, I kept my wits about me at all times, as I would do back home as well if I were in a city I didn't know.

Brilliant shot!

Totally agree!
It really was an amazing trip.... We did the same one and it was the highlight of our time in South America. Love your blogs and photos too! Linese

Nice blog
Thanks for sharing guys. I loved the gorgeous photos and an entertaining read. The salt plains remains one of my all time favourite travel destinations, and your blog helped to make my visit in 2005 feel like yesterday. Well done and keep on trucking!

great pictures!
hard to choose a favorite. but i like the ones where some people look small