Bolivia at last!

pictures go from bottom to top again...scroll up to see them in sequence!
There are also some cool pictures of the streets of La Paz...but they won´t load for some reason! That will have to wait till next time:(


local fabrics on sale in La Paz...the local women use these to make elaborate skirts


another picture from the witch markets, these little bottles house good luck charms for everything you can imagine!


baby lama fetuses at the witch market in la paz, legend has it that locals bury these under their houses to ward off evil spirits


one last shot of lake titicaca....goregous:)


la luna sobre la isla del sol


sunset from camp


algae nearby our campsite...mmmm


camp spot found. Beautiful!


ancient ruins on the Isla del Sol


Over look of lake Titicaca on the Isla del sol


On the boat to the Isla del sol (Island of the sun)


pink church in Copacabana


the city of Copacabana from above


Some cool cacti at a hip local coffee shop in Copacabana


Bolivians decorate their vehicles with flowers for good luck and safe journeys


the goregous cathedral in Copacabana


one last photo from huaraz...our favorite late night snack...sex burger!


Hola faithful followers!
Dave and I have found ourselves in La Paz, after several long bus rides, strange fiascos with boarder officials, and a goregous stay at Lake Titicaca. Since our last entry, Dave and I left Huaraz aboard an overnight bus, and stayed in Lima for 4 days, treating ourselves to a nice hostel, and buying some much needed items that we have been neglecting for a while. I needed some new shirts (wearing the same 5 shirts for the past 4 months was getting a little repetative) and we also stocked up on some of our favorite teas, soaps, and other ¨luxury items¨ that we were afraid we might not be able to find in Bolivia. The next few days were a whirlwind of bus rides through Arequipa, and to the boarder of Bolivia, where we decided to take a whole day of buses and try and make it through the boarder before dark. We made it to the boarder just as dark hit, but forgot to account for the time change between Bolivia and Peru (Bolivia is one hour ahead) and we exited Peru and arrived at the Bolivian immigration office just as the immigration official was locking up shop. At first he gave us a hard time and told us to go back to Peru (which was absurd because we had just exited the country and their immigration office was about to close as well), but eventually through excessive pleading and batting of the eyelashes, he told us we could stay the night in Copacobana and return to the immigration office in the morning. We exchanged our money in town, found a quiet hostel, and crashed for the night.
The next morning when we arrived back at immigration (carrying our packs, which we thought they might want to check...but of course they didn´t) they charged us an extra $5, in addition to the $135 that Americans have to pay for a visa, because they ¨did us a favor¨the night before by letting us enter the country without a visa. We were a bit annoyed, but we have heard other Americans have been given a much harder time, so we were grateful that we weren´t asked for more money. We were given a 90 day visa, and were not required to give them all the paper work that we so diligently prepared in the states for our entry. It seemed that they were not really concerned about the legality of our entry, only our money. Such is life.
We spent a day and a half wandering around copacabana, meeting some interesting travelers at our hostel, and preparing for our trip to the isla del sol, a 1.5 hour boatride away, across lake titicaca, where we were told we could camp and enjoy the scenery for a pretty affordable price. We met another american from brookline, MA on the boat who worked from home and was traveling while working on his blackberry. He said that his boss was getting suspicious because all of his work phone calls were international, and he has been sending e-mails at strange hours. It was fun to meet another traveler from so close to where I grew up!
The island turned out to be a total gringo zone, with tons of vendors selling goods, and tons of wanderers from all over the world. We were happy to duck off the trail (after seeing the famous ruins) and seek out a private campsite for the evening. We spent the day in the sun, reading, relaxing, and taking pictures from our camp in our private bay.
The next day (yesterday) we headed back to Copacabana on the first boat of the day (after running down a steep hill with packs on in order to make it in time!). I went out for lunch while Dave did some exploring, and met a man who is traveling around the world by bike! He is from Ireland and his next country to explore will be the states. I pointed him in the direction of Oregon and recommended some bike routes for him... he is in for a treat!
After lunch we caught a bus to La Paz, a goregous ride along Lake Titicaca. About 2 hours into the ride, we had to get off the bus with no explanation...it turned out we were going to be crossing lake Titicaca by barge in order to acess the highway that ran to La Paz. It was funny watching our bus floating on the lake (on the barge) from a motorboat across the way.
When we finally made it to La Paz, we were greeted by 3 local policemen at the bus station who insisted on hailing a taxi for us. La Paz can be a very dangerous city, especially at night...and they have ¨tourist police¨ who roam the streets at night helping tourists find their way and not end up in sketchy situations. When they hailed us a taxi, they took down the drivers plates and everything...there have been reported incidents of drivers taking tourists for a joy ride outside of the city and then robbing them; keeping track of where the taxis are going is a measure that the local police have taken to combat it. We thought that the police were a bit neurotic, but we were quickly proven wrong when 2 people tried to enter the vehicle (one through the trunk, and one through the side door) presumably to try and steal our backpacks. Luckily, all the doors were locked and we got to our hostel safe and sound. We were a bit shaken, however, and have been taking more precautions such as carrying our backpacks on our chests when out in the city, and I have been hiding my cash in my bra (hey...it works).
Today we explored the city a bit, and visited the famed ¨witch markets¨of La Paz. The women at the witch markets sell good luck charms of every variety, including llama fetuses, various sacred plants, and idols for worship. We spent some time talking to a woman who owned one of the stalls about the meaning of the charms, and she proved to be very informative! Our spanish is rapidly improving, and its fun to talk with street vendors about their wares to help improve our vocabulary and get to know the culture better.
We have found Bolivians to be just as friendly and charming as Peruvians, the majority of people we met today were not only informative, but concerned for our safety. They informed us of the areas to stay away from in the city, and one woman warned me to keep my camera hidden from sight. For all the ¨bad scary people¨ in this city, there are dozens who are wonderfully caring, and do their best to help keep you safe.
We will be spending the next 3 days in La Paz, seeing the sights, exploring, and gearing up for our next month, which we will be spending in its entirely in western Bolivia, outside of Parque National Madidi volunteering on a farm! If you are interested in what we will be doing, check out their website! http://www.sachawasi.org/eng/index_eng.html

Some other quick anctedotes:
-La Paz is the highest capital city in the world, measuring at 12,000 feet. Breathless climbing of stairs and up steep streets is definately a challenge.

-The world cup is in full swing and the people of south america LOVE IT. We have started watching the games on occasion, or asking people on the streets who is playing that particular day and what the score is, which is always a great way to start a conversation. The games are ALWAYS on, and its not unusual to see people lined up outside of a bar on the streets, blocking traffic, and watching the game. Also, Shakiras theme song for the world cup is also ALWAYS PLAYING, and although its a sweet song, its been stuck in my head for 3 days now and its starting to infiltrate my dreams. It´s a bit annoying.

- The Bolivian currency is the Boliviano, and 1 US dollar is equal to roughly 7 Bolivianos you can get a giant jugo for 6 Bolivianos, a room at a medium rate hostel for 20-25, and a nice, classy meal at a restaurant for 30. It´s a pretty cheap country to travel, for sure.

...thats all for now folks, hopefully more pictures to come in the next few days of the city of La Paz, and whatever else we happen upon!

much love,
Robin:)