Leaving Puno and my new friends was tough but the bus ride through the Altiplano region and around Lake Titicaca was amazing. A tip for the bus rides, don´t always go for the cheapest bus. Sometimes it is worth the extra 5US to have a nice bus with decent smelling people. I had a rickety bus and sat next to the smelliest man ever. Our bus wound around the lake and then into Copacabana where we changed buses and continued through to La Paz. Thanks to our former president and the War on Drugs, Americans now have to pay 135US to get into the cheapest country in South America. That amount could cover your living, eating and going out expenses in the country for a week. At one point we had to disembark and cross the lake on a boat. The crazy thing was that so did our bus!! We road a small boat across while our buses were loaded onto cargo flats the same size as the bus with a little motor on the back. While waiting for the bus I snacked on some local street food. There were ladies sitting in the plaza frying up little fish from the lake. What looked and tasted like sardines with a little hot sauce on top made for a delicous snack. The rest of the bus ride was uneventful aside from when we finally decended into La Paz.
When you enter La Paz the road opens up, overlooking the valley that is La Paz and it is breathtaking. I did a little research on hostels and found one boasting home brew so that is where I cut straight to. Unfortunatly that spot and the next 5 I tried were all booked. I was exhausted and out of breath (the altitude is no joke) then finally found a spot on the opposite side of town from where I started. This wound up being a great deal as I paid the same for a solo room with shared bathroom as most kids were paying for a dorm bed in a large room with shared facilities. The downside with my spot was that it was not a popular backpacker spot so I had to go elsewhere to meet folks....so that is what I did!
After dropping my bags and catching my breath, I headed out to gather info on the city then back to that homebrew hostel to do a little research. They had 4 beers on tap and the Amber was by far the best. While there I started chatting with a group of travellers that I had overheard mention the San Pedro Prison tour. I had just finished reading 'Marching Powder' which is about the prison and was eager to take a look inside. Not necessarily a tourist thing but still a tourist thing. They were paying about 80US for the tour the following day. I found out all kinds of other great info including who ran the best and cheapest mountain bike adventure and what to do in Uyuni. It took a minute to come out of my shell but by the end of the evening I had made many friends at the hostel and found out all kinds of valuable info. I also came in second playing the game Shithead (which I learned on the spot).
The following day I was set on getting into the prison. I first tried to walk right in the front gates but was turned around with a stern, 'No turistos'. I was told to just stand in the plaza and look like a gringo to get a tour so that is what I tried next. Within minutes a guy walked up to me asking if I wanted a tour and telling me that I needed to go in the side door if I wanted but first we had to pay a few people off. I gave him about 3US at first to pay off one guy then he said we had to go to another spot to get another stamp and I needed another 10US. I gave him basically a 20 and he never came back. What a sucker I am. But he did give me some information while we were walking around that I used to my advantage. I actually can't get into the real story here as there is a pending international investigation and soon-to-be big news coming out of the prison but suffice it to say I got what I was looking for with the prison. I managed to get in and I managed to chat with someone inside for a bit. This story is one for the books so definetly ask me when I see you next!
The street food here in La Paz has been fantastic. For the first two nights I went to the same strip of stalls opposite the huge cathedral and plaza for a beef, egg, grilled onion and dressing sandwich for 1US. During the days while walking around I will usually have an empanada type thing for breakfast with fresh juice and then a set lunch menu for ultra cheap. It is a great way to meet locals and try the flavors.
The following morning I had to be up early for the bike ride. La Paz has a road that is billed as 'the most dangerous road in the world'. It is now closed to traffic so groups of mountain bikers dare it on a daily basis. I was given knee pads, a helmet, gloves and wind proof pants and jacket. We started about an hour outside of La Paz at 4,700 meters. It was freezing and there was snow around us. From there we decended on a paved road for about an hour. The weather was more than fog but less than rain. It was wet. The road was wet and water was flying in my eyes as we raced down this part. Then, at about 3,000 meters, it started to rain. No one in the group was prepared for this but we all buckled down...and got soaked. Shortly after that we hit the infamous road which is unpaved and follows a precarious path down the mountain. There are 40 meter drops off the side, and, because of the rain, there were mudslides and huge waterfalls cascading down onto the path. It was beautiful but it was definetly hairy. The last 1,000 meters were the best. By that time we had come out of the rain and into the jungle. I was directly behind the guide the whole time and he let open a little at the end so we were racing crazy down the mountain. I almost lost it twice which was just the excitement I had been looking for. At the end we had travelled 65km from 4,700meters in the snow to 1,000 meters in the jungle. It was badass! The group also became pretty tight by the end of the adventure and we shared many great tips and stories over lunch and on the ride home.
Last night was Friday night and I made the wise decision to take it easy and just read in bed. This morning, I was very happy about that decision as it was gorgeous out and I was able to finally put on some shorts. I wanted to check out the black market and witches market as they are infamous in town. I scored another cheap pair of shades and a new mp3 player for ultra cheap in the black market where everything is for sale. The witches market had all kinds of wierd things like alpaca fetus's that are dried and used as good luck charms as well as various spices and herbs. Tonight I head out to Uyuni to check the salt flats. It is an overnight bus which should be an adventure given the recent weather and road conditions in this country. All in all, if I had more time, I would like to spend it here in Bolivia. It is cheap and there is everything. Further North is the Amazon jungle with amazing wildlife and further East are the college towns and other major cities. The good thing about my expensive visa is that it is good for 5 years....so maybe I'll come back!!
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