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So after our climb up Huayna Potosi we deserved a 2 day rest in La Paz doing very little except watching cable TV, eating and buying new jeans for Anne.

Keep on Trekking

James and Anne Walkington
2006-09-11 11:53:54

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had a swimming pool but annoyingly we didn't have our swimming stuff with us, neither did we have many clean clothes!

The following morning we got onto another old Bolivian bus and set out to this road deemed the most dangerous in the World by the World Bank (they are financing a replacement). Around 300 people a year (mostly on buses) die after their vehicles fall over the precipice. The road construction is a joke and James felt very nervous as we drove along a crumbling dirt road, through waterfalls and squeezing by trucks coming down the hill. Also at times overtaking other vehicles very close to the edge which only ended at the bottom of the valley 1500m below. To make matters worse scores of tourists cycle down the road - as if it is not dangerous enough!

Thankfully we made it back to La Paz after about 4 hours and spent the rest of the day looking for white gas for our stove.

The following day we got an early bus to Copacabana on the shores of Lake Titicaca. Found a reasonable hotel with stunning views out towards the lake, and spent the afternoon on the lake in a pedalo. For sunset we walked up a small hill past the Stations of the Cross. The hill looked deceptively small but was very hard work at 3800m despite spending nearly 4 weeks at this altitude now. Sunset was fantastic over the lake although the walk down was rather more dangerous. Dinner was in Jardin Colonial. Unfortunately we had to send the food back because it was stone cold and clearly hadn't even been near an oven.

The following day was occupied by another deceptively long walk to the headland about an hour from the town. Passing small hamlets, fishermen and skinny-dippers. Lunch was pizza and was followed by buying supplies for our 3 day trek to the Isla del Sol. This evening we went to a lovely recommended tourist restaurant. Just after the food came the owner came running through and in very good American English explained that ...

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