Isla del Sol & La Paz

The busride to Copacabana was another experience. In the morning after spending the night the bus with the most disgusting toilet ever they told us that we have to go on with a public bus because this bus would be the direct bus to La Paz. Having read that this last bit to Copacabana is full of scams and mugging I was not too happy about this change of plan but in the end I arrived safely in Bolivia. I met an Australian girl with whom I got something to eat and hung out with until my ferry to the Isla del Sol was leaving at 13:30h. The boat ride was about 1,5hours over the Lake Titicaca on over 3.800meters above NN. I really enjoyed the beautiful landscape. To get to the hostel I had to go via the "Escalera de Incas" with my big backpack. Usually it is not a big deal but in this altitude it was a lot of work. Now it is three weeks that I am over 3.000meters and I am looking so much forward to come back to a normal altitude. But all the suffering is worth for what I am seeing. On the island itself it was really quiet and all there was to do is watching the sun go down and walk around all the way up north to explore some more ruins of the Incas. This is what I did the first day. By now I also had to realize that I would be getting sick. My stomach started to do weird stuff and also coughing got to an every day business of mine. Thanks to Immodium and other drugs I do not bother to much. The next morning I got the morning ferry back to Copacabana to catch a bus to La Paz. Interestingly I had to pay 20Bolivianos instead of 10 that it cost to get to the island. They have done it every time and it is getting REALLY annoying...On the way back I met four German girls who are doing voluntary work in Paraguay. As I am still not knowing if I also travel through Paraguay I found it very informative talking to them.


I was on the bus to La Paz with a German couple giving some comfort among all the Bolivianos. Next to me sat an old man who could speak German being Bolivian. He had lived in Germany in the 60s and 70s. After about an hour we had to get off the bus to cross some water body. Having seen the really to safe looking ferry for the bus I was happy to be on the passenger boat. My hostel in La Paz was chosen and after the price for the taxi was negotiated and the license plate written down by a police officer I arrived safely at my destination. The ride through the city was very slow due to traffic, the air completely polluted, hurting in the nostrils when breathing. Most of the houses here are half finished-La Paz, the highest capital of the world & completely hectic. On my first day I went to the Witch´s Market and booked my Death Road Adventure for the next day.

At 7:30h was the pick up. I was looking forward to this event eventhough not really knowing what would expect me-Downhill the Death Road, the most dangerous road in the world, with a mountain bike. 65Km and 3500m altitude were to manage. When this road was still the only connection each month one bus or truck was falling of the up to 600m cliffs doing dangerous maneuvers to let another cars pass. Climatewise we had everything...clowds, fog, rain, sun, and almost tropical temparatures at the end of the trip. It was great fun and although we knew how deep you fall once leaving the street we went down with a fairly good speed. Unfortunately, my group was full of arrogant French leaving me and a German couple as a separate group. The Germans had loads of fun and were making fun of the French whenever they could. Imagine this...out of six French only one could undestand the English language and had to translate the information given by the guide...Now how embarrassing is that?!? Wake up guys-French is not the world anymore (and it never was). The whole trip was good fun though and going back up with the van with the bikes on the roof was even more scary than going downhill. Now back in La Paz I am hoping to hear from Andrea and Vera soon to meet up again before I go home...

PERU - Arequipa & Cusco

After a more or less cruel bustrip from Sucre via Oruru to Iquique I arrived safely in Arica - alltogether 27hours and a few fights with the busdrivers. Meanwhile, I was by myself but not for long...At my next destination Arequipa I met up with Melanie, a friend of mine back from uni. From Arica I took a "train" through the dessert to Tacna in Peru and from there a bus for another six hours. As Peruvian people are extremely jaelous I had to stay at a hostel which did not bother me too much. It was a really chilled out place with a roof terrace, some hammocks, and a lot of nice people. I decided just to do nothing in Arequipa after all that travelling I had done over the last weeks. Mel and I met daily, had a drink, and kept on talking forever. I was really happy to see her again. After three nights it was time to head on-Machu Picchu!


From Arequipa I took the safest bus company to Cusco. Announce- ments were like on a plane yet the comfort more like economy class. Next to me sat a gringo from Oregon who would spend the next two days with me. Eventhough we did not sleep too much, we went straight on to Auga Calientes, the access to Machu Picchu. We dropped off our bags at the hostel where I would stay the next week (planned were two nights). As everything that only includes the name "Machu Picchu" is heavily overpriced I used Mel´s advise to get up there as cheap as possible. We took a bus for about two hours to a village of which I still cannot pronounce or write the name and then the train two hours to Agua Calientes. Using my "personality" I safed sh.. loads of money by receiving discounts on the train and half price for the entrance fee for Machu Picchu. We spent the night in Agua Calients, did some shopping and visited the Hot Springs. The next morning the bus left at 5:30h to go up to Machu Picchu. For 15 minutes each way they charged 14USD-F.....! Yet it was worth it-it is just too fascinating what the Incas created about 500 years ago without any machinery and difficult accessible terrain. Now just look at the pics-luckily I was there in the low season so you see more ruins than tourists :) The clouds gave this impressive sight a mysterious touch...
The big steep mountain you see is the Waynapicchu...But even a 73-year old made it all the way up. Being on 2500m and a really humid climate it was really tough! The same day I went back to Cusco-completely exhausted and out of order...

Due to that ever socializing Loki Hostal, fun people (one of them being Tom who I met in the San Pedro) I got stuck like we did on Ko Phangang two years ago. In the days to follow we decided to do a three day/two night rafting trip on one of the 10-best rafting rivers. Well, the night before we left they left us a note on the backpack of one of the two girls we were meant to go, that we are not enough people and that we can only do the two-day trip. I do not want to go too much into detail, but we got really pissed off, argued a little and then enjoyed the two days/one night. Did rafting the first day, enjoyed the camp with just us (Tom, Niki, Hannah, and I) and did the same piece of river the next day again...Luckily enough we had a really cool guide how made the second day a lot more exciting! It was fun and wet!

On Monday we got our money back and thus had a really really cheap rafting trip...Tom went on to Lima, the girls stayed and that same night I went to Copacabana on Lake Titicaca...