La Paz: dried llama fetus, bowler hats and mountain biking

It´s difficult to point out exactly what La Paz did to give us a rather dodgy impression. Bolivia’s capital came on to us as polluted, noisy and a bit scary. The Bolivians we´d met before coming to La Paz had been very friendly, but as we came into downtown the smiles and hospitality suddenly disappeared. 

Our dirty little hostel was located in the "Witches Market". The streets that make up this market are one of the main tourist attractions in the city. It´s filled with small shops that sell dried llama fetuses and other strange things that are used in different rituals. Women are dressed in traditional dresses and bowler hats - and they were not very happy with a pale tourist lurking around with a big camera.

The smell of cocoa leaves, dried llama babies and incense made us wanting to get out of the city. And as La Paz can offer crazy downhill biking down ”death road”, we had no other choice than getting our asses on some bikes. ”Death road” is a old dirt road between La Paz and town called Coroico. It is 62 km long, and drops from 4800 m.a.s.l to around 1000 m.a.s.l. In other words, some adrenalin filled hours down hill! All in all, La Paz turned out to be a good place to arrange some action filled adventures, but not a city we would like to hang out for longer than needed.

- LA PAZ - 

Witches market 

Finally a happy old lady in her micro shop.

The strangest and scariest mannequins, I still don´t get it. 

 - LA PAZ TO COROICO ON "DEATH ROAD"- 

Starting off on a paved highway

Heading into waterfalls and bumpy dirt roads

We survived without any bruises or broken bones, and spent the night in tropical Coroico with the view over the valley of the Yungas. Starting the day at high altitude with snow, and ending up by a swimming pool in the valley was fantastic! 

 Waking up to this @ Esmeralda Hotel

 Happy biker

 Hammock time!

“One always begins to forgive a place as soon as it’s left behind.” 

– Charles Dickens

KLEM 

AK

Cusco, alpacas and a blue Lake Titicaca

Before Inca Trail and Machu Picchu, we had a week to relax in Cusco. Cusco is a tourist hub in Peru, where almost everyone comes before heading out on different hikes and activities on the countryside. It´s also a good place for acclimatization, as the city itself is at 3400 meters above sea level. I was pleasantly surprised how lovely Cusco was - with a beautiful Plaza de Armas (main square), old churches, narrow cobble stone streets and excellent restaurants. What I thought was going to be a quite boring week of acclimatization turned out to be a relaxing cultural and gastronomical week (oh, the food was SO nice!).

After Machu Picchu, we took a bus straight to Copacabana in Bolivia. Our aim was to visit Lake Titicaca, but to get away from the tourist traps on the Peruvian side of the lake. ”Lago Titicaca” is largest lake in South America, the highest lake in the world and the home of many Incas. Copacabana is a town on the Bolivian side of the Lake, and definitely not a place to get away from the crowds. But Isla del Sol, an hours boat ride away was a beautiful get-away.  We took an early morning boat to the northern side and hiked along the ridge of the island to the southern side. This trail had stunning views over the lake and the Andes, and is definitely something I would recommend doing if you ever find your self on Lake Titicaca. After a couple of days on the lake, we jumped on a local bus to La Paz, and I promise you - it was the scariest thing so far on this trip. Narrow roads, speeding and a semi-drunk bus driver made the experience a rather nerve thrilling one. To crown it all, the bus had to be transported across the lake on a rotten fleet! I was very happy to arrive in La Paz alive after that ride. 

- Cusco -

How to get a kiss from a stray dog

Dream catchers

At San Pedro Market

Fresh juice for a penny.

Birhtday boy!

Plaza De Armas

The streets of San Blas

- Copacabana & Lake Titicaca - 

Isla Del Sol 

 Breakfast by the lake

 Hiking across from north to south, Isla del Sol

 The main village lies on the top of a steep hill. The lack of  fresh water supplies up to the village means that donkeys and humans have to carry all the water up some steep steep trails. 

The fleet transporting our bus across the lake

“Stop worrying about the potholes in the road and celebrate the journey.” 

Fitz Hugh Mullan

KLEM

AK