Travels through South America

After Sucre, La Paz was a shock to the system. Cramped, hectic, and haphazard, it is safe to say that it is probably my least favourite place so far. Everything seemed to pale in comparison – the food we ate was poor, the hostel (Hostal Cactus) was horrible and I felt quite depressed to tell the truth!

Still, we had three reasons to come here: shopping, getting to Lake Titicaca and Peru and cycling down the ¨World`s Most Dangerous Road¨.

The World`s Most Dangerous Road

An exhilirating descent of 3,500 metres from the snowy mountain above La Paz through cloud forest to the sub-tropical rainforest of Coroico, all in under four hours. At times very scary, you pass dizzying drops and many gravestones of locals and tourists alike who have plunged to their deaths. Yes, I was mad to attempt it but we were in good hands and we did not pass any cars. You can probably understand why I didn`t mention is to my parents first…

If you are thinking of hurtling down this dangerously uneven, haphazard road then I can recommend B`Side Tours.

Shopping

More exhaustine than the bike ride, I`m not sure how well I did, and my only advice is to haggle, haggle, haggle! I think perhaps Domingo found the shopping more exhausting than I did as the very next day the Bolivian belly finally got to him and we had to spend an extra day in the ironically named La Paz.

Lake Titicaca and La Isla Del Sol

The next day, Domingo still felt ill but wanted to leave La Paz so we set off for Copacabana on the shores of Lake Titicaca.  This time the bus journey was by day so we got to see the views as we approached the town.

Lake Titicaca is often described as the world`s highest navigable lake but, according to Lonely Planet, Chile beats that. Titicaca however, is immense and impressive. Copacabana itself is pretty little port town (in parts) with an enormous cathedral.

We settled in to another bleak hostel with no hot water and Domingo began to feel worse, probably brought on by the altitude. We both decided another relaxed day was in order for him so I set off on a boat for La Isla Del Sol.

The Incas believed Isla del Sol was the birthplace of the Sun God and there are supposedly a 180 ruins on this small island. I only actually visited one sight, instead choosing to just sit and look out at the lake. The sound of a flute accompanied me as I sat munching on a sandwich, looking out past the lake to the snow-capped mountains in the distance. The lake is a virulent cobalt and, on the Peruvian side, stretches out to the horizon.  Pigs run about the island as freely as the children do, there being no risk of being run over by a speeding vehicle. The land is harsh yet every possible inch of it seems to be farmed.

The return journey was intensely irritating as was unable to escape listening to a flirtatious conversation between and Israeli and a Polish backpacker. I was so ecstatic to see Domingo at the port again and escape the boredom and discomfort I felt at being a lone traveller, even for just one day! We then set to trying to find the quickest route out of Copacabana and into Peru.  We had had our fill of Bolivia.