Alcala Apart Hotel La Paz

... and you are winded by one set of stairs. La Paz has quite a few markets set up and a lot of the local still wear the traditional clothing - the women wear many skirts and dresses and shawls and have two long black braids hanging from under bowler hats. They also carry items and babies on their backs in the multi-colored blankets. We took a look through the Witches Market, where these women sell all sorts of herbs and potions (and llama ...

... fairly quickly that it seemed to be burning a little. I ignored it as I assumed it was sunburn. That is, until it became really quite sore and I peeled it all off to reveal a couple of red lines on my skin. This later developed into blisters... The paint was probably leaded or something but I'll survive. It hasn't left a lasting mark, anyway.<br><br>I was even more surprised that the stadium was nowhere near full but we still made our voices heard. We watched the action bathed in ...

... both arms and mud was flying all over me and still I was careering down this muddy road. After a while it became wider and the drops became further away and less steep. Here, I think everyone let loose a bit and really went for speed. Soooooo much fun! <br><br>We then took a bit of a shortcut, away from the then safe and wide (relatively) road, down a narrow and steep dirt track that was almost completely flooded and like cycling through a river. This was by far the best bit ...

After leaving Cusco and heading south I stopped in the town of Puno for the morning. From there I caught a boat out to the Floating Islands. Situated in Lake Titicaca one of the highest navigable lakes in the world at 3800m They are home to the Uros people and although heavily visited by tourists they still dress and live in a traditional manor. The islands are created by the roots from the reed beds which float to the surface in floods. The islanders live ...

... Voordat je iets doet ben je al enorm aan het hijgen. We zijn gestegen van 3.700 hm tot 4.300 hm. De tijd was op en genoeg getest, geslaagd!<br><br> <br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br >Over 5 minuten de riders-meeting, dan krijgen we uitleg over de komende dagen, de route, het weer, de afstand etc. Ik ga er maar snel heen. De volgende plek waar we zullen zijn is Copacabana.<br><br>Hasta luego.<br><br><br>

... and bumped into him again in Guayaquil) and his riding buddy August (spelling?) for lunch. We went to oliver's Travels a very English pub that serves great pie and mash (or in our case pie and chips). It was expensive for Bolivia (the equivalent of £11 for 2 pie and chips and 2 pints of lager, no crisps!) but it was very nice. They have an extensive library of books that you can read and free wifi, so we're thinking of ...

... another long, fursteratin day again with the Buell and so as not to bore you with the boring details of breakdowns and repair efforts, suffice it to say we just barely made it to La Paz after dark and to the hostel. A few jumpstarts and several times having to stop to cool the bike - but we made it to the comfortable hostel safe and sound.... <br>

... itself from the early morning mist which shrouded the rows of concrete huts that stretch way up into the clouds to where the airport is in El Alto. It´s pretty breathtaking in every sense of the word, and is surrouded on all sides by rocky outcrops that peel their way out from the sea of shanty huts and highrises that make up the centre of La Paz.<br><br>After my morning **** and a mad ***** prison style breakfast consisting of toast, bread roll and crackers with a bit of butter ...

... I made it down for lunch and rest and some ¨ghetto guac¨ as I deemed it. The avocados here are so big you only need a small portion for a sandwich, so the rest went with our onions and seasonings to make guac in the shell. So, ....so good. That afternoon we went on a viscacha hunt. These little critters live in the rocks around our camp and are in the hundreds if you can get them out to see them. They are a close relative to the ...

... I found out about all the markets dotted around. There is even a witches market which sells all sorts of things including llama fetuses, we didn´t quite think we would get that through New Zealand customs so passed on purchasing one! La Paz unlike the other cities we visited, doesn´t have the old colonial buildings, but does have some amazing churches including the Cathedral of San Francisco (where the saint is buried). Climbing the streets ...