La Paz, Bolivia (finally!)

Well, despite our desire to go to the floating reed islands on Lake Titicaca (that you only get to via Puno), we finally got tired of waiting and decided to take the long way around to get to Bolivia, as we didn’t want to risk having rocks thrown at us by trying to get by any roadblocks! (the floating islands in Lake Titicaca are very cool– some very neat islands made from totora reeds, where they get around in boats made of the same reeds. If you want to see photos check out our Swiss friend’s bloghttp://www.vuelta-al-mundo-09.blogspot.com/ We also decided against taking a boat ride to the Isla del Sol from Copacabana, an ancient Incan site that they consider to be the birthplace of the sun, as well as Arequipa and the condors in the Colca Canyon, but you can see photos and videos of these places on their blog too!). Anyways, a trip that should have taken us 8 or 9 hours ended up taking us 4 (long, tedious 12 hour) days of driving, but we finally made it to Bolivia! On our last night in Cusco we went out for dinner and an evening of conversation with our Swiss friends, Katja and Resu, and the boys all tried Alpaca meat, which they liked. The next day we took off early on the long and winding journey back toward the coast (again). Because of the roadblock between Cusco and Puno, we had a very hard time finding gas anywhere near Cusco, but after a while on the road we were finally able to find a station that actually had gas! Whew! The drive was just as impressive as the first time we did it, winding up and down mountains with snowy peaks in front of the bright blue sky, and it was made even easier by a geography trivia game that Katja and Resu had given the kids. It was night time by the time we made it to the gas station in Puquio that we had stopped at on our way to Cusco, oh so long ago. In the middle of the night we were joined by Juelsch, the German surgeon who helped to fix the westy, who is driving his homemade camper van to Cartagena (in less than 4 weeks!) all by himself because his wife and children had to go back to Germany. The next day’s driving (through altiplano, herds of vicunas, and finally back into the moon-like desert landscape) was made a little easier with the fun of driving together and taking films and photos of each other! We made it to Nasca by mid-afternoon and went out for a quick bite to eat together before heading our separate ways, Juelsch north and us south. That night we drove until close to midnight, stopping to sleep in a gas station on the coast. We thought that – if we had to do this whole detour thing – at least it would be a nice change to drive in a straight, flat line on the coast: but no, it just so happens that this stretch of the Panamerican highway was built on the edge of a cliff, squished between some very high sand dunes and the crashing waves and jagged rocks below! It didn’t help that it gets dark by 5:30 here, and that the vast majority of bus and truck drivers in this country don’t know the meaning of “low beams.” Grrrr. The next day we went into the next town along the coast, Camana, and since it just so happened to be the “National Day of Cebiche,” we decided to indulge ourselves one last time in that coastal delight! Maybe it is just the copious amounts of ajinomoto that everyone puts into the food here, but almost everything in Peru tastes so darn good! (for those of you that don’t know, ajinomoto is this white, crystallized powder that they sell in huge bags in every supermarket – also known as pure, unadulterated MSG!). That day we drove and drove, moving inland from the coast and into the northern part of what in Chile is known as the Atacama Desert, one of the driest in the world. By early evening we made it to the small city of Moquegua (deciding against stopping in Arequipa, which is supposed to be a beautiful city, but it was a bit out of the way and to be honest at this point we just wanted to get out of Peru!). This is a very nice, prosperous town with fertile green valleys (and lots of grapes – they make pisco here) in the middle of the desert. We decided to get a hotel room that night, and went out to a restaurant called “Mesa Enjoy” and were surprised to have the best Chinese food we have ever had (probably that darn ajinomoto again…) The next morning we checked the news and found out that they had opened the road to Puno the day after we left (d’oh!), but that the next day there was going to be a massive National strike of transportation workers (trucks, buses) and roadblocks all over the place: we needed to get out of there, today! We were a bit anxious because we knew that the border crossing at Lake Titicaca closes at 6 pm and we wanted to make it before then. So we hopped into the westy and drove like mad, back up and into the mountains, and spent most of the day on the altiplano (4,600 metres). Because we had been on the coast, we had to spend a bit of time acclimatizing again, so we chewed on some more coca leaves. There were lots of llamas, alpacas, flamingos, rheas, as well as small communities and lots and lots of dogs – but again, no gas stations! We ended up having to buy gas out of a barrel at the side of someone’s house. We passed Desaguadero (the border crossing where all of the trucks and buses headed for La Paz cross) and, instead of crossing there, decided to head north toward Puno so that we could cross at another point on Lake Titicaca, 8 km from Copacabana, Bolivia. After passing many places where the rocks from the roadblocks line the roads (ready for the next time, I guess!) we made it just in time to the border (we forgot that Bolivia is an hour ahead of Peru). We crossed with relative ease, and drove into Copacabana before sunset. We headed straight for a hotel that was recommended to us where we could park called “La Cupola.” It is a pretty fancy place, but we were lucky because there were some cancellations and they let us have a great room (with a loft for the kids) cheap. It was a lucky thing too, because it is really cold here at night! We had cosy beds, a warm heater, and nice hot showers. The hotel even prepares hot water bottles for you on request (now that is what I call service!). After walking around Copacabana and marveling at the street action, friendly vibe (and cold temperature) at night, we fell into bed and slept like the dead. The next day we woke up and explored the town some more, went to the market, the plaza and cathedral (where they bless cars!) and ate trucha criolla (delicious rainbow trout from Lake Titicaca) on the shore of the lake. We thought that we were going to have to sleep in the westy because the hotel was booked that night, so after making a delicious soup with quinoa and four different kinds of potatoes, we started to sort out the hot water bottles. The guy at reception told us that the strike in Peru meant that some people didn’t make it that day, so we could have a (huge) nice warm room for the same price as last night. We had company too - a cute little black kitten had adopted us that day (who reminded us of Eddie!), and he insisted on spending the night with us (he would cry at the door every time we tried to kick him out!). The next day we left before noon, heading for La Paz. Of course, we needed gas again and the only gas station in Copacabana (surprise!) did not have any gas. So, once again we took off with our fingers crossed. Luckily, the fumes in the tank were enough to get us to a place where a ten year old girl sold us gas out of a bucket in front of her house. On the way to La Paz, you have to cross Lake Titicaca on these precarious-looking barges – very fun! The drive into La Paz was amazing – altiplano, yellow grass and mud-coloured houses everywhere, and as you get closer to the city it gets more and more heavily populated. In “el Alto” – which is where the less well-off live – it is crazy, busy, with traffic jams everywhere and people were crowding around the car asking us questions. And then, just as we turned a corner heading for the centre of town, our breath was taken away as we caught a glimpse of the huge city sprawling in a bowl down below. All of the buildings seem to be clinging to the sides of the bowl, while the huge snow-covered Mount Illimani towers overhead. It is impressive! We were trying to get to the Oberlander, a Swiss-owned hotel that allows camping in the parking lot that was recommended to us by Katja and Resu. The place is located in Mallasa, also know as the “Valley of the Moon” (a look at the photos will tell you why) a well-to-do suburb to the southeast of La Paz, and we had to traverse the whole city to get there. For the past three days we have been camped out in the gravel parking lot of the hotel, beside the hotel’s garbage, but at least we have Wi-Fi and use of the swimming pool. The second day we took a taxi into La Paz and wandered around for the whole day, marveling at the sights, sounds and smells of the highest capital city in the world. What an interesting place! It is amazing how different the vibe here is compared to in Peru, and we cant help but think it has something to do with the government….people just seem more hopeful or something. It is neat, because instead of guys in uniforms directing traffic, they have people dressed up in zebra costumes – besides paying more attention, everyone loves it! It is also much more indigenous here, more traditional, and you can tell that the Bolivian women run the show! We stopped in at a nice, funky café run by a really nice Bolivian guy and the kids had a “submarino” which is a tall glass of piping hot milk and a chocolate bar to submerge in it – yum! We did a bit of shopping for some warm clothes (mostly alpaca ponchos and hats) because the rest of Bolivia is apparently going to be VERY cold. We wandered for a long time in the “Witches Market” which is a string of stalls with women selling everything from herbs to amulets to dried toads to toucan beaks to llama fetuses to shrunken llamas! At one of the many music stores, Mateo got himself a pan flute (actually, a zamphir) and Ariel got a Charango, a small traditional Bolivian string instrument a bit like a ukelele, so they are busy making music once again! Before heading back to the Moon Valley, we stopped for dinner at Star of India, the best Indian restaurant this side of our beloved Modern India Buffet in Hamilton (it was really good!). After hanging out by the pool and doing some work on the computer (including this update) all day, we decided to try the Swiss cuisine in the hotel’s restaurant – and we did not regret it! We had this amazing dinner called raclette, with different cheeses that you melt at the table on this little burner, cornichons, tomatoes, onions, and delicious Bolivian boiled potatoes! You eat slowly, taking your time melting the cheeses, accompanied with a nice bottle of Bolivian red wine – very delicious. Thanks to Katja and Resu for recommending it! Today we are taking off for Oruro, where it is supposed to be -11 degrees at night…brrrr! Then we are off to Potosi, where the famous and terrible Cerro Rico silver mines are. Then on to the giant salt flats of Uyuni, before heading for Argentina….Bueno, aunque teniamos muchas ganas de visitar las famosas islas flotantes de lago Titicaca (que solo se llega de Puno), nos cansamos de esperar para que levanten los bloqueos y nos mandamos por la costa de nuevo para poder llegar a Bolivia. (Si tienen ganas de ver fotos de las islas de totora y otros lugares que no pudimos ir, como Arequipa y el Canyon de Colca y la isla del Sol, pueden verlos en el blog de nuestros amigos suizos!http://www.vuelta-al-mundo-09.blogspot.com/). Un viaje que nos tenia que llevar 8 horas nos llevo 4 dias, bien laaaargos. La ultima noche en Cusco salimos a comer con nuestros amigos suizos, Katja y Resu, y los chicos carnivoros probaron carne de alpaca (y les gusto!!!). Al otro dia nos levantamos bien temprano y salimos. Despues de un panico porque so habia gasolina por ningun lado (por los bloqueos), por fin encontramos una estacion que tenia y respiramos un poco mas tranquilos. La manejada fue igual de impresionante que la primera vez que la hicimos, por las montanias con nevados en el cielo azul, pero esta vez se hizo mas corto porque jugamos un juego de geografia que los suizos les regalaron a los nenes.. Llegamos de noche a la misma estacion de servicio en Puquio, mas o menos en la mitad del camino a Nasca. En la madrugada llego Juelsch (el aleman cirugano que nos ayudo a arregalr la camioneta en Cusco!) para acompaniarnos hasta la costa. Su mujer e hijos se fueron a Alemania, y ahora el tiene que manejar solo hasta Cartagena en 4 semanas! Por lo menos el viaje hasta la costa se hizo un poco mas divertido, porque nos ibamos sacando fotos y filmando en ese paisaje tan extranio – de altiplano (con vicunias!) al desierto que parece la luna. Llegamos a Nasca de tarde, y paramos a comer algo en la plaza principal todos juntos, antes de que Juelsch se fuera para el norte y nosotros, como siempre, seguimos para el sur. Ese noche no paramos hasta cerca de medionoche, parando a dormir en una estacion de servicio en la Panamericana. Estabamos consolados pensando que por lo menos si tenemos que manejar en la costa que es chato, y recto, y eso fue un descanzo de las montanias, pero no: esta parte de la Panamericana es una carretera angotosta y alta, entre dunas gigantes y precipicios con las olas y rocas debajo. Fue bastante feo, especialmente de noche con los camiones y omnibuses que parece que no saben lo que es el cambio de luces. Al otro dia pasamos por Camana en la costa, donde de casualidad era el “Dia Nacional de Cebiche” – asi que aprovechamos para deleitarnos un vez mas! Fue el cebiche mas rico que comimos; aunque estabamos empezando a sospechar que la razon porque casi toda la comida en Peru sabe tan rica es por las cantidades enormes de ajinomoto que usan. (Ajinomoto es un polvo cristalino que venden en bolsas gigantes en todos los supermercados – tambien conocido como monosodio glutamate, es una sal que hace resaltar los sabores). Ese dia manejamos bastante, pasando Arequipa de largo (aunque dicen que es la ciudad mas linda de Peru – pero queriamos seguir camino) y terminarmos de tarde en Moquegua, una ciudad muy linda, rodeada de valles verdes y plantaciones de uvas y paltas, increiblemente ubicada en el medio de la parte mas al norte de lo que en Chile llaman el desierto de Atacama. Alli nos quedamos en un hotelito y salimos a comer en un restarante que se llamado “Mesa Enjoy” …la comida china mas rica que hemos probado (debe ser ese maldito ajinomoto….). De maniana fuimos a un cyber para ver los emails y ver las noticias, y descubrimos que habian levantado el bloqueo en Puno el dia despues que nos fuimos. D’oh! Pero al otro dia estaban preparando para una huelga nacional de transportistas, camiones y buses, con hartos bloqueos (aca en el sur ya hablan como chilenos!). Teniamos un dia para llegar a la frontera e irnos bien rapido de este pais! Manejamos como locos, subiendo de la costa al altiplano. La mayoria del tiempo de ese dia lo pasamos a mas de 4,500 metros de altura, y como habiamos bajado a la costa nos tuvimos que acostumbrar nuevamente, masticando hojas de coca. Pasamos muchas llamas, vicunias, flamingos, niandues, campesinos y muchos, muchos perros, pero – por supuesto - ninguna estacion de servicio. Justo cuando nos estabamos empezando a poner nerviosos, encontramos un lugar donde compramos gasolina de un barril en frente de la casa de alguien. Llegamos en buen tiempo a Desaguadero, la frontera donde cruzan la mayoria de los camiones, asi que decidimos no cruzar alli (alli vas directo a La Paz) para poder ver un poco del Lago Titicaca. Nos mandamos hacia Puno, viendo un monton de rocas en los costados de la carretera, listas para el bloque del proximo dia! Llegamos justo antes de las 6 a la frontera (nos olvidamos que en Bolivia es una hora despues) y cruzamos sin problemas. De alli en la frontera es solo 8 km a Copacabana. Fuimos directo a un hotel que nos habian recomendado para estacionar, y justo tenian un cuarto lindisimo disponible que nos dejaron re-barato. Menos mal, porque en esta epoca hace un frio de morirse! Teniamos camas calentitas, una estufita, y duchas calientes. En el hotel hasta te preparan bolsas de agua caliente para dormir- que servicio! Esa noche despues de salir a caminar por el pueblo, y sorpredernos de lo tranquilo que esta aca comparado con Peru, nos caimos en la cama. Al otro dia salimos a recorrer un poco mas, el mercado, la plaza, la catedral (donde bendicen los autos con flores y champan!) y comimos una riquisima trucha criolla en frente del lago. Pensamos que ibamos a tener que dormir en la camioneta, asi que despues de preparar una rica sopita de quinoa con 4 variedades de papas que habiamos comprado en la calle, fuimos a pedir las bolsas de agua. Justo habian cancelado un monton de gete por lo de los bloqueos en Peru, asi que nos dejaron tener un cuarto mas grade que el primero por el mismo precio! Asi que otra noche calentitos (y acompaniados – se nos pego como un chicle- un gatitto negro, igual al Eddie, que insistio dormir en el cuarto con nostoros! Antes del mediodia salimos para La Paz. Por supuesto, estabamos sin nafta otra vez – y la unica estacion de servicio en Copacabana no tenia! Otra vez salimos a la ruta con los dedos cruzados. Por suerte, los vapores que quedaban en el tanque de nafta alcanzaron para que llegaramos a una casa en la ruta donde una nena como de 10 anios nos vendio gasolina de un tacho de plastico. En el camino a La Paz tenes que cruzar el Lago Titicaca en unas lanchas bien precarias – muy divertido! El camino a La Paz fue impresionante. Alejandose del lago esta todo el altiplano con pasto amarrillo y casas hechas de barro, llamas y comunidades chicas. Acercadnose a la ciudad, se pone mas poblado, y el trafico en “El Alto” es de locos! Se nos acercaban todos, preguntandonos donde ibamos. Cuando dimos vuelta una esquina para ir para el centro, de repente nos choqueo la vista de la ciudad – todos los edificios en un “bowl gigante,” con la montania Illimani nevada atrás! Tuvimos que manejar por toda la ciudad para llegar a la parte sur este, donde esta la comunidad de Mallasa, donde vive la gente con mas plata (politicos y ex ministros). Nos dirijimos a esta zona porque los suizos nos recomendaron un hotel donde se puede acampar. Hace tres dias estamos aca, estacionados en el parking al lado de la basura del hotel, pero por lo menos tenemos Wi-FI y los nenes pueden usar la piscina. El segundo dia nos tomamos un taxi hasta el centro de La Paz, y pasamos el dia disfrutantdo de los ruidos, sonidos y espectaculos de la capital mas alta del mundo. Es muy notable la diferencia (palpable) entre Peru y Bolivia, y nos parece que debe tener algo que ver con el gobierno. La gente aquí en general parece tener un poco mas de esperanza, por lo menos. Lo que esta bueno en el centro es que, en vez de unos policias en uniforme, tienen a unas personas vestidas de cebras dirigiendo el trafico – y no saben como hace caso la gente! En general la sociedad aca es mas indigena, mas tradicional, y nos parece que las mujeres aca tienen mucha fuerza! De tarde paramos en un café con buena onda donde los nenes tomaron un submarino, su preferido, y despues seguimos caminando por alli. Nos compramos un poco de abrigo (gorras y ponchos de alpaca) porque va a hacer muchisimo frio en el resto de Bolivia! Nos quedamos mirando todo por un buen rato en el mercado de hechicerias, donde mujeres indigenas venden de todo – incluyendo picos de tucan, fetos de llamas secas, llamas encogidas, sapos secos, yuyos, y otras locuras. En uno de las muchas tiendas de instrumentos musicales, Mateo se compro un zamphir (como una flauta pan) y Ariel un Charango, y ahora estan tocando musica con eso. Antes de volver al Valle de la Luna de nuevo, paramos a comer en un restarante Hindu – riquisimo! Al otro dia, despues de pasar todo el dia en la piscina y trabajando en la compu, decidimos probar la comida suiza del restaurant del hotel – y no nos arrepentimos para nada! Que rico que es el raclette, una variedad de quesos que derretis en un quemador arriba de la mesa, acompaniado con pepinillos, cebollitas, tomates y papas bolivianas riquisimas. Comimos despacito, tomandonos el tiempo en derretir el queso con una rica bottellita de vino tinto boliviano– muy rico! Gracias Katja y Resu por recomendarlo! Hoy ya vamos a salir para Oruro (donde aparentemente hace –11 grados de noche! brrr!)
Despues para Potosi, donde estan las famosas y terribles minas de Cerro Rico, y finalmente al Salar de Uyuni. Despues de eso, ya salimos hacia Argentina…