From Cusco we went to Puno and stayed there for one night only, because all the travellers we met before told us, it would be even more touristic. When we arrived, we ourselves did not have the feeling, that it was worse than in Cusco, but well...! Lesson to be learned: Make your own experiences!
After Puno, we went to Copacabana at the lake Titicaca. This is out of the season, so the town seems deserted. Well, there are tourists, but many hotels are empty. As before, we stayed in a hostal, recommended by the lonely planet and we were fine. The crossing of the border from Peru to Bolivia was easy, the busdrivers even smuggled one French guy in, who had forgotten or lost his passport in Cusco. Now, everything is even cheaper. Ten Bolivianos are about
one Euro, a pack of cigarettes is three to six Bolivianos, but a bottle of wine still sixty Bolivianos, the hostal costs fifteen Bolivianos per person per night, external bath.
We liked Copacabana a lot, it is a paradise for photographers, because the air is very clear, no pollution. Remember, lake Titicaca is at 3800 meters
altitude! It hard to breath, though, and taking stairs is hard work! I still took some trips around the town and the local mountains and was always rewarded by amazing, awesome views!
We took a trip to the Isla del Sol and were a little sorry, that we did not book to stay there overnight, because, the island is beautiful. It deserves its name, it´s like I imagine the carribean or the greek islands. The Isla del Sol and Copacabana reminded me a little of Malta.
From Copacabana we took the bus through poor and pretty deserted pampa to La Paz, and this is where we are now. And this town is moving, so I will stop spending my time in front of the laptop, but rather go out into this crazy town!
Probably tomorrow, we take a sixteen-hour busride to Rurrenabaque (Ruhr an der Backe, to remember!) in the north of Boliva and do some volunteer work in a jungle-camp. There is no electricity and no running water, and thus no internet, so this blog has to wait for some updates!
Talk to you later,
bye now,
Stefan & Nadège