Lake Titicaca

ALL PHOTOS

Sitting at 12,500 feet, Lake Titicaca is the largest lake in South America and a sight to behold. Glaciar clad mountains tower off of one shore, islands dot the massive expanse of blue, some holding ruins of Incan structures built long ago. It is called the Holy or Sacred Lake by the people of Bolivia and Peru, whose shores are shared by the two countries. Copacabana was our launching point to the Isla del Sol, or Island of the Sun. Three communities live on the island, and an Incan fortress and holy places can be found there as well.

Sam, Becky, Amanda, and I spent a couple days exploring the Island. The ruins were a bit of a disappointment, but the lake was stunning in its natural beauty. Tourism is why the island communities survive, and the port town of Copacabana thrives off of it as well. We spent all our time between these two places, hiking the island, wandering Copacabana's streets, and hanging out in restraunts before heading back to La Paz.

The Ghost Ride

After flirting with death on The Death Ride, Sam and I decided we hadn't had enough and to do another mountain bike ride named the Ghost Ride. I don't know what ghosts had to do with it. Something about a haunted castle that seemed pleasant enough to me. It was a more technical and challenging ride, and we hit speeds higher than on The Death Road, probably around 50 kmh down its dirt tracks. It even had some steep, technial single track options to offer. It was a lot more fun to ride down than The Death Road, although nothing can beat the feeling of riding your bike down within literal inches of a 1000 foot drop.

There was only one real fall on The Death Road (For us. You may have heard lately that about 4 people have died in the last two weeks. That wasn't us. We just had a guy get scraped up). Everyone managed some sort of crash on The Ghost Ride. I pulled off two, Sam at least three brilliant falls. On one, when all were at the bottom waiting as Sam was the last to come down, he flew straight over the handle bars in a spectacular flight. He was fine, and we were impressed. Another fall I witnessed was by and Aussie on the trip, who came down off a single track onto the main road, then straight off the edge on the otherside, dropping about 12 feet into a river gully while pulling off a flip to land on his feet. He was unhurt as well, though we couldn't figure how. I wish we each had a helmet cam to witness all these falls, because it would have made for some unbelievable video at the end. So would have the close encounters with traffic as we came around corners as well; I'll tell ya, suddenly staring at a big grill of a big truck as it blares its horn at you is a bit unnerving. But close calls were all they were, and we survived our games of chicken with the traffic, as well as our unseatings from our bikes. We all arrived at the bottom a bit battered with the aches and pains of bruised muscles and scraped skin. You would never have known it though seeing us race down the hill, pedaling until no resistance was offered, tucking to limit air drag, and sticking out feet to corner tighter and faster on the hairpin turns. It was one of the best mountain bike rides of my life.

How I Ever Ended Up in the Back of a Bolivian Police Jeep

Sometimes travel just throws you some unexpected curves. In La Paz it came in the form of riding in the back of a Bolivian police cruisers with my friend Becky. I swear, we were innocent. =)

Becky had met up with Sam, Amanda, and I in La Paz and was another volunteer from Santa Cruz. One morning, after having locked some belongings in her locker the night before, Becky went to her locked locker located in a continually staffed office and found that her camera and all her money in her locker had been stolen. Peculiar, considering it was a locked locker in a continually staffed office, with a lock bought from the hostel itself. Needless to say the implications were obvious, though we didn't say as much, but the staff became very unhelpful in the whole process.

We went to the Tourist Police office in La Paz to file a report. They sent two detectives to investigate. The staff was so helpful in showing them how the locker couldn't have been forced into, and basically made their own implications that our story was a bunch of rubbish. Yet they seemed to be missing our main point: Becky's camera and money were missing (gone, vanished, i.e. not there anymore) from a locked locker in a continually staffed office. Somehow this didn't seemed to register with them.

After the tourist police came we had to go to the main police office to file a report. A long few hours later we saw a detective who wanted to go see the locker as well. So Becky and I jumped in the back of the Bolivian Police's cruiser and went back to the hostel. The staff wasn't so happy to see us again, bringing with us a new set of police detectives. It basically went the same. Try to discredit us despite the fact that it was clear things were gone. The police didn't really listen to them, though there wasn't much they could do to get anything back. They were just there to file a report anyway. They did demonstrate the fact though that the locks we had could be opened with any other set of keys with the same brand...quite easily in fact. That was a jaw dropper. I had the same kind of lock. That basically settled how the locker was broken into.

So after a bit more questioning the police left and we stayed a few more awkward days at our hostel. Becky got her police report and all that taken care of, but lost all her photos of her travels down here. She was a trooper through the whole ordeal though, very calm and not letting her emotions get the best of her, which I thought was impressive. She bought a new lock the next day, although I am pretty sure she didn't put anything of value into that locked locker in a continually staffed office.

The Death Road

The name alone inspires fear. The stomach churns, the legs start to fail, dizziness makes the room spin. It is a warning. Don't come down or else. That, or it makes the heart pump with anticipation of the challenge as it encourages you, nay, begs you to plunge down it, to defy its hefty title as you grip your bike's handle bars and point your bike downhill. Most can guess, to my mother's dismay, that "The World's Most Dangerous Road," or "The Death Road," had the second effect on me.

(more pictures)

What's in a name?
The name is not entirely underserved. It is narrow and strewn with loose gravel, whose right shoulder is a steep mountain face and whose left side is a sheer cliff of an average of two to three hundred meters. It ain't no cake walk, and it has claimed the most lives of any road on record. That said, there are far more dangerous roads still in use in Bolivia and Peru, and because of the new installation of a paved and safer alternative route, The Death Road sees far less traffic than it used too. Still, more than 13 tourists have died on it since 2001, a couple in the last couple weeks, but this has not deterred the hundreds if not thousands of tourists every year that brave its winding curves as it plunges into the Bolvian low country in one of the most stunning settings imaginable. It is one of the primary tourists attractions of La Paz.

So is it really that dangerous? I would say no. What it really comes down to is potential. We have all fallen off our bikes (some more spectacularly than others; point and case to the right). We knew there might be pain or tears or blood, but despite this we still got on to take ride. Our parents still sent us out to pedal down the road. The only difference between a normal day out on the bike and going down the "World's Most Dangerous Road" is this: a normal day on the bike usually does not contain, within all its many possibilities of disaster, the potential outcome of falling off your bike and then plummeting over a 1ooo foot cliff, all the while enjoying what will probably be one of the most amazing views you will witness in your life (especially given that it only has a few seconds left to be carried out). So that is what it comes down to. Potential.

Title: "Potential"

Title: "Your Last View"

The (Death) Ride

I went hurtling down the Death Road with some friends I met in Santa Cruz. Sam, another typical guy, was all for the danger and adventure. Amanda, however, was not. At one point tears were falling, and though she admitted later she was glad she did it, in the same breath stated she was also glad it was over. But she was a trooper and made it down in one piece, even smiling a bit at the end.

The group, all of which survived

A little encouragement from the guide

The ride starts above 4000m on tarmac and covers about 64 km in total. The tarmac section is fun because the cliff-side drops are less intense and you can really lean into the curves when you get your speed up. The next section is the gravel road with the spectacular drops, with the loose terrain adding to that potential for disaster I was talking about. At first the clouds obscured our view of the drop, making it not too bad. Out of sight, out of mind. But after dropping down below the clouds we had an open view of that 300m plunge, and you felt the heart sink in your chest and prayed your pants weren't going to get wet when you chanced a glance over the side.

"Look, Mom, I got this close to the edge!"

Needless to say, it was a day full of adrenaline, aprhensive excitement, and joyous fear. I survived The Death Road, and even got a t-shirt to prove it.

On the Road Again

Well, if you can't get through road blocks, fly over them. In the best of conditions, it is an 18 hour bus journey to La Paz from Santa Cruz. In the current conditions, it could be around a 24 hour total journey, with maybe an 8-10 hour layover midway through. It took one hour to fly. One. Best $83 I have spent on the trip, regardless if I said I was't going to fly. The flight had incredible views, and we passed within hundreds of feet from a towering giant of a mountain, with patterns in the snow field plainly visible from our seats on the plane before descending into the highest airport in the world.

La Paz is an incredible city. The setting is stunning and adds so much character to the city. I am not sure what I expected, but the reality of La Paz was far different, better in many ways. Flying in we landed on the upper plateau above the city, then took a micro bus (a.k.a. small van) down into the city. The first view from the canyon top was breathtaking. Looking down from the flat plateau, the city sprawls out through a deep canyon and up its walls, forming itself fluidly to the terrain rather than the other way around. The city already sits at about 12,000 feet, but in the distance massive, snowy mountains tower over the flat plateau. It is quite possibly the most impressive setting for a city I have ever seen.

Contrary to its name (meaning The Peace, which is really just short for the Nuestra Señora de La Paz <>, following the strong Latin American Catholic tradition) , the street life of La Paz is better described as simply chaotic. Smoky busses and vans spew out exhaust as solicitors shout out destinations in robotic voices to pedestrians. Get 10 vans in one location, and it is a free-for-all auction for destinations, and one of the weirdest, funniest sights I have seen (and heard). For entertainment you can wander the slanted roads winding up the canyon walls, weave through stands in the street market, and eat a three course meal for about a dollar. There is also a lot to do around La Paz, but more on that in later posts. I feel many times while visiting cities that I could just be in any other city in any other place, but La Paz was a place all its own, and a welcome surprise along the traveling road.

Long, looooong time in Santa Cruz

Whatever will I do myself when I return to the real world of responsibility? I have grown accustomed to the traveling lifestyle, with change and novelties brought anew everyday. There is no time to be bored, to grow tired of things. More terrifying yet is the fact that I have stopped for about a month now in Santa Cruz, Bolivia to visit a friend I made in Brazil. Day to day life is very much slower. I have the same bed to sleep in every night (and it is comfortable!), I have routine, and I can rest. No squeaky dorm beds in loud dorm rooms, no rattling busses traveling through the long hours of the night. The rest and relaxation I have felt since arriving here justifies me calling this stop a vacation from my vacation. Not that I am complaining about traveling, just that all the moving around does make you pretty tired. But if indeed I am growing accustomed to traveling vacations, then taking vacation from that vacation, then what am I to do when I return to home and get a job? I have now been out of the country going on 10 months. 10 MONTHS!! That is insane. Babies are made and born within that time. I was originally planning on being gone a long 5 months. 10 months later I find myself in Bolivia, a hop, skip, and heck of a long way from home. And those 10 months have been filled with Brazilian weddings, Argentinean barbeques, Paraguayan terere, Uruguayan mate, samba nights, salsa nights, amazing (and sometimes not so amazing) food, trekking, stunning natural scenery, tall mountains, warm beaches, wine tasting, beer tasting, river rafting, horseback riding, volcano climbing, salt flat adventuring, playing soccer with 20 different nationalities in 5 different countries, being shocked by culture, and more incredible experiences (and how can I forget the unforgettable places I have found myself going to the bathroom in?). If I could go back and do it over again, I would have studied traveling as my major. Civil engineering was alright, aside from nearly killing me my last year, but I have a feeling concrete might not offer all the perks that come with having a guidebook, a backpack, and absolutely no idea where you are in the middle of some foreign city.

So what have I been up to? Here are some highlights:

Abercrombie & Fitch Salesman
My friend I am visiting here has his own shop selling A&F, Hollister, and some American Eagle clothing. At first I just started hanging out there, but soon I was giving out prices, selling clothes, giving discounts, and closing down the shop. Actually, the majority of the time I really just chill and listen to music and get some good reading in.


Cuban Night (more pictures)
The big daddies of cigars, Cubans are renowned for their quality. In reality, I have no idea what makes a good cigar and what doesn’t, but I do know that they are banned in the States so their appeal goes up just by that fact alone. So since I am in the whole traveling spirit of experiencing new things, I decided to check out the Cuban Night at a local café, where one can purchase real Cuban cigars and smoke them in candle light ambiance. The experience was fun and interesting, and while I wasn’t sick or hacking up a lung or anything, I don’t know that I will ever feel the need to smoke a cigar again. I have done it, with those world famous Cubans no less, so that is enough for me. The part of the night was dressing goofy and taking pictures like we were some kind of elite Cuban cigar smokers.

La Quinta (more pictures)
My friend’s sister has a country home that is absolutely spectacular. I spent three different weekends there, and it was amazing. What can be better than having a soccer pitch, pool, large barbeque (usually full of meat and sausage for you to eat), beautiful setting and view, and spacious chill out places to chill out in, all to yourself? Filling it with friends and enjoying it of course. We met some cool volunteers from all over the world, and since they were staying in the city as well and not moving around, we had some good times together. Whether it was my friend’s family, our friends, or whoever, it was always a good time at La Quinta.


Learning (Proper) English
Some of the volunteers I met in Santa Cruz were Brits, and it was quite interesting hanging out and conversing with them. We all seem to share the view that going home to real life will be bollocks and we quite fancy the traveling lifestyle. As it has turned out there has been quite a few adventures. Whether it is risking our lives by sitting in the boot of an overcrowded taxi, getting rat-arsed at theirs and waking up feeling knackered, venturing to mental football matches, searching for loo roll after Bolivian meals, or simply taking the piss out of each other while wrapping sarnies in cling film and eating spag bol, it has all been just lovely.


Pardon? You can’t understand anything I just wrote? Ok…I will switch back to American. =)

Football Matches
I was able to see a clasico game in Santa Cruz, which is when the two home teams play one another. It was another great soccer experience with crazed fans and a great game. In the first half 6 goals were scored in 26 minutes (unreal!), all of them quality. Singing, drumming, dancing, jumping, and especially cussing echoed in the stadium walls. Because both teams were at home, it was a good fifty-fifty split in fans, making for a very passionate game. At previous games there was apparently rioting and tear gas, but we managed to avoid that scene this time. Exciting event nonetheless.

Leaving is impossible
I was in Santa Cruz a long, long while. I tried to leave maybe 5 times then always ended up staying. First it was just the enjoyment of not having to pack up the bag and move again. Then I thought about taking off but that week was the Easter holy week, a week long celebration where everything basically shuts down. Then a friend I had met was going to leave the weekend after so we decided to travel together, but then there were 2 day road blocks starting the night we wanted to leave, so she flew to Argentina and I decided to stay another weekend to go to the birthday party of the guy whose house I am staying in. I was for sure going to leave that next Monday until two of my other friends convinced me to stay a few more days because they were going to La Paz as well. We aren't sure how we are going to get there, as there are more and more roadblocks occuring between here and La Paz. Will I ever leave?

Welcome to Bolivia

I am now entirely sick of fiction novels. Especially suspense novels. I have read like 10 in the last 3 months. There is usually some down to earth average Joe that everyone identifies with who happens to be incredibly smart at solving mysteries and attracts his fair share of ladies (although because he is a respectable gentlemen nothing ever really happens, but you have to make the point that he is handsome), who gradually solves a mystery that the author only gradually gives you with little twists and misdirections that are usually so similar between books that I know what will happen 100 pages before it actually does. I am good at that with movies too. I can totally ruin it for people sometimes (sorry ‘bout that). It seems modern book writing has become too much like television. Too bad it is these suspense novels are what take up the majority of shelf space in book exchanges. That and romance novels, and books in German. I will take suspense to romance, unless it is a proven classic, and I just simply can’t read German, which sucks actually, because the Germans usually seem to be reading the more interesting, better written books. So because I am so sick of reading the same style book over and over, and I now realize I have written about 55 blog entries, I thought I would spice up the reading for you all, and write a poem. It is based on my experiences thus far in Bolivia, and while all is more or less true, I have taken literary license to make my experiences sound funnier and more adventurous then they perhaps in reality were. I have entitled it “Welcome to Bolivia,” and I anticipate it will be up for the Nobel Prize for Literature at the end of the year.


Welcome to Bolivia

Llama empanadas on a two day horse back tour,
Is yummy in your tummy though the butt is very sore,
People wearing silly clothes are gringos from the west,
While locals in their native garb live with so much less,
Welcome to Bolivia, Tupiza you are in,
With a little bit of luck, the food will be your friend.

Stinky, smelly, no cover, toilettes have seen their use,
You can get a good leg burn while trying to squat a deuce,
Flush with a pitcher of water into the bowl,
But that is better than having nothing but a hole,
Welcome to Bolivia, where toilettes you will see,
Don’t think you can handle it? Then you better not eat.

Busses shake, rattle and roll on bumpy pot marked streets,
You will not sleep a wink but at least you have a seat,
Stuffy, hot…or cold, a bathroom break there soon (?) may be,
Can’t find the bathroom? Just pee in the middle of the street,
Welcome to Bolivia, any bus you are on,
They get you where you’re going but aren’t a bunch of fun.

Mountain mines and dynamite in dark and musty holes,
Makes even the bravest ones turn into claustrophobes,
Leisurely strolls up the block at thirteen thousand feet,
Will make you gasp for air while chewing your coca leaves ,
Welcome to Bolivia, Potosi is the town,
At forty-one-hundred meters it throws the gauntlet down.

And I’ve failed to mention La Paz, Sucre, Santa Cruz,
Where there are more adventures to be had, more to choose,
So when you come to this land set high above the sea,
Make sure to bring your camera and chew some coca leaves,
Because this is Bolivia, in all its majesty,
And you never know, it might just make you write poetry.