Copacabana – no, not that one, the other one!

Yes another wonderful place that is within a couple of hours of La Paz is the small town called Copacabana. It lies on the edge of the largest lake in South America, Lake Titicaca which, were it not for its cold water, would be one hell of a place for water sports and partying.  Perhaps this is for the best as it is venerated for having a rich, ancient past and historical communities on the mainland and its islands.

I really needed to have a few days in a hotel after spending what feels like months in dorm rooms. My wish list has come true because for 5 GBP a night I have a large room with a view of the harbor boats on the lake, cable TV, WI-FI and a private bathroom with hot water. To be able to watch some French Open Tennis like this is bliss and the ESPN previews of Wimbledon catch me missing home somewhat. I really do miss playing tennis right now out here so I hope to be able to figure something out, preferably at sea level and not 4K metres high!

Small 40ft boats with Yamaha outboard motors ferry people to the Isla del Sol and its very relaxed and simple lifestyle. I now have a third object to carry – my Suzuki semi-acoustic, red sunburst guitar – which I manage to drop the first time due to my forgetting about having it one my person! My simple needs are satisfied yet again when I manage to find a room situated on a hill overlooking the expansive lake and some of the white-capped Andean mountain range beyond. It is the same range that I saw much closer up whilst trekking in Sorata a few weeks previously.

My room on the hill

My commitment to now carrying a guitar feels like a worthy one as I play and sing with others staying with me during the day, around the night camp fire, at the most happening (and only!) bar in the village and at the beach. It is a bit crazy to be playing Stairway to Heaven twenty odd years after first learning how to play this maligned song, but it seems to drop very easily out here, where any sort of live entertainment is gratefully received and praised. A great thing about being here is that I have found somewhere that for once, does not think that playing loud crap DJ music means that a good time can be had! (am I now sounding a bit old?!)  Hell, I am old! Do I really need to be the eldest person in a hostel bar?!

So, apart from the cold lake water and the energy sapping altitude, Lake T is a beautiful and grounding place to be. My mind is also taken back to the jungle town of Rurrenaque and how peaceful that place also was and how I feel I would like to go back there for more time, now with my guitar, picking away at nothing in particular tune as yet another one of those classic water sun sets happen one more time.

La Paz – The highs and the lows and Jungle inbetween

Flying into La Paz in decadent fashion is not the norm as most travelers arrive by bus, but at 50GBP it feels like a valid splurge. I had imagined that it would be so high that one would struggle to even lift an arm to drink a beer. Fortunately, this not the case, as many a party goer proves otherwise in the Wild Rover Hostel. It is a place to stay where everyone is up for a good time and I very much welcome the very friendly atmosphere around.  My first day nerves are eased when I meet up again with some travelers with whom I partied with in Rio for Carnaval.  In fact, La Paz is a kind of traveler bottleneck where they stay far longer than planned.
The hostel’s karaoke themed night is just one big piss up so no chance to deliver one of my crooner songs. But the Killer Pool competition is rightly won by yours truly and thus my status and notoriety increase-unlevelled table and very average cues aside!

It's hilly in town!

One of La Paz’ greatest attractions are its surrounding attractions. One hears so much about The Death Road that it would be rude to not go down it at dangerous speed on a double suspension mountain bike, on a journey that takes much of the day. There used to be many fatalities until the new road was completed. That said, I heard of a car that had gone over the perilous side very recently, so nothing can ever be taken for granted when ‘doing it’.  My long time riding experience was a great help as I find that going faster makes it marginally safer because one can ride over the bumps, stones, rocks and dust. I could easily do it all over again it was that much fun.

I am up there somewhere

Eating a good pizza in a restaurant in Potosi was the first time that I had seen a travel poster of the hills surrounding Sorata, a town two hours north of La Paz.  So the offer by some friends to go there and trek to the Laguna Chillata and its glacial at 5,100 metres is too good to turn down. It also offers me the opportunity to get out of the city for a while. So three days, two friends, two mules and one guide/cook later I find myself camping out in nighttime temperatures that have me longing for the really good sleeping bag I bought last year in anticipation of this adventure (it got the final thumbs down very late in the packing stages). At times, whilst walking through the meadows I can only think of Julie Andrews in the opening to A Sound of Music!

Robben, you let me down bad!

A trip to Bolivia’s Amazon, The Pampas, is my first chance to experience it, and to also be somewhere near sea level for a time. I did not know what to expect to see so it was great to see so much wildlife, and to also be able to capture much of it well on camera. This is where my camera with its x36 zoom came into its own as all of the tree dwelling animals were well within my sights. The people on my tour are all so much fun to hang with:  in the rustic dorm rooms, the slow chugging boat trips and the partying in the town of Rurrenabaque (On the flight there from La Paz, it feels as if we are going to fly directly into the massive Huayna Potosí mountain).  My highlight is catching not one, but two piranhas using but a nylon string with hook and some meat on its end.  I don’t recall ever catching a fish before so to be the 'fisher king' feels very satisfying! Also, seeing a sloth doing not a lot in a tree reminds me a lot of myself at times!

Ah, dinner!

This guy sees a lot of himself in me.

The Parque Nacional Madidi is one of the South America’s gems in terms of wildlife and natural diversity and it just happens to be nearby, so the jungle tour just has to be done.  The two hour boat ride up the Rio Beni is a joy as the river breeze is much needed.  I was not so sure how I would cope in the Amazon but it was wonderful to witness pigs, monkeys, dazzling parrots and tarantulas doing their natural thing.  It is not for everyone - the night trek in the jungle could break a person of faint heart!

Heading back to La Paz

My return to La Paz means that my numerous mosquito back bites can heal and I can concentrate on purchasing a guitar, which has been sorely missed over these last six months of travel.

Sweet Sucre

After the lofty heights of Potosi, the city of Sucre is a very welcoming respite as it is about 2,000 metres less in altitude and quite different in attitude. It takes pride in calling itself the capital of the country despite the rest of the World recognizing La Paz as its premier city.  It feels like the most pleasant town for us gringos to rest up after either traversing the Salar or the partying in La Paz.

One of Sucre's pretty squares 

There are a few Dutch owned bars here which is perfect for hosting the celebrations for the Dutch Queen’s birthday, as well as any other reason for going out.  It is also one of the cheapest and easiest places to enroll in a school and to learn some Spanish. Me Gusta is the school that I have chosen to spend two weeks to learn.  I have also chosen to stay with a local family which is a great way to be in the language so much more than by staying in a hostel. I have so much respect for all those students who come to the UK to study and live.

Some of the boys working their Spanish at the homestay

 It is not until one attempts to seriously learn another language that one can appreciate just how difficult and rewarding it can be.  To be able to live in a country/continent for an extended time is priceless in my being able to ‘test-drive’ what I have been taught. I am beginning to relish the challenge of communicating in situations such as buying tickets, ordering food and buying stuff in shops. It does not always work out but as long as it does not cost me money or too much embarrassment then that is fine.

Another road block

Demonstrations continue to overshadow the genial atmosphere of Sucre. The doctors and transport workers are united in not allowing the government to increase their working hours for the same pay. I support their cause but it can be a real challenge to travel when there are daily road blocks.   Direct action appears to be the way of things here and I am told that it is generally successful.

I am sad to be leaving this town but I will take with me some lovely memories such as singing Karaoke in Spanish and feeling like I was part of a more natural style of living with the locals.