La Paz, Bolivia (3)

Thursday Feb. 7, 2013
We arrive in La Paz at 11am, a lot earlier than I thought. Me and Oscar (an Australian I met in the last few days), go to "Adventure Brew Backpackers" hostel near the bus terminal where I had spent a few days when I was in La Paz back in last September. I have a small headache in the afternoon due to the altitude, but I have a nap and feel great when I got back up. I meet up with another friend from Switzerland (Simon) at the hostel that I had met a few times before, but we had actually met the first time in this same hostel months before. We spent the evening at the bar having a chat and a few beers.

Friday Feb. 8, 2013
I got up that morning with an incredible headache, I blame the altitude but the beers from the evening before probably did not help either. I must get used to the altitude again, it will take a few days for that. "If I could give a good tip to anyone going in a high altitude destination like La Paz, I would say to stop in a place half way where the altitude is a little lower for a day or two. For exemple, I left Santa Cruz that is 300 meters and went strait to La Paz that is 3900 meters, I should have stopped for a day or two in Cochabamba that is at 2200 meters to get used to altitude a little more progressively." So on this morning even though I have that headache and the lack of appetite we leave at 9am to go for a tour in Tiwanaku that we had already booked the day before (50 Bob = 7.32$ Can.), an archeological site near La Paz. I have a very bad day because the aches just don't want to go away and stays all day and I also can't eat anything, or else I vomit in the next 15 minutes. Wheb we got back to town at 5pm, I go strait to bed and wake back up at 10pm, I get up for a little while and go back to bed at 11pm and spend the night waking up often because of the headaches.

Click on picture to see the whole "Tiwanaku" album.

Saturday Feb. 9, 2013
I woke up at 7h30 and go have a coca tea that seems to go down well. I then go for a shower and I'm finally able to eat a bit. What a relief when the headaches finally mostly goes away, I spent the day taking it easy not to overdue myself. I think I'll feel better the next day. The headaches come back in the evening, but much lighter and easier to deal with.

Sunday Feb. 10, 2013
I feel a lot better this morning. I spend all morning at the hostel anyways and go for a long walk in the afternoon. I already know my way around downtown La Paz, so I don't really visit anything and just walk around town simply because I need to move a bit after spending two days of not feeling good. I start eating normally again and everything seems to be back to normal. Small headaches come and go all day, but very minor and nothing compared to a few days back.

Monday Feb. 11, 2013
Another mellow day in La Paz. There was a parade in the streets yesterday and again today. The reason of the parades is that it's Carnival in Oruro and La Paz does its own parades too. So I'll spend part of the day watching that go by in the streets.

Tuesday Feb. 12, 2013
In the beginning of afternoon I leave and go to the Hotel Presidente where I'm going to do the "Urban Rush", that is a rappeling activity right downtown and you get to go down the side wall of the building (140 Bob = 20.50$ Can.). 50 meters of going down face front and the last 20 meters in free fall. When I got to the bottom, I was shaking from the adrenaline rush from the free fall, but what an incredible experience. I then go walk in the small market streets of town near the witches market to buy some souvenirs to bring back home for some friends, because it's official now I'm going back home on the first of March 2013.

Little practice before I really go

Woohoo

Free Fall

I made it.....

Hotel Presidente

Click on image to see the whole album "Urban Rush"

The view from Hotel Presidente

Wednesday Feb. 13, 2013
I get to the bus terminal in the early morning to get the first bus I can get that goes towards Puno, I find one for 8h30. We go through the border towards Peru and in Puno I take another bus to go to Arequipa. But before I could buy my ticket to Arequipa I needed local money. The bank machines at the terminal don't accept my cards or they are simply all empty, so I have to go into town to get a bank with a bank machine. I take a moto-taxi to go and come back. When I got into town it starts raining and I get caught right into it and do get wet. When I managed to get back to the terminal, I am just a little too late to be able to buy a ticket for the 3pm bus, even if I was quick going in town and back (goos thing I already knew the place), I have to wait for the 4pm bus. I get to Arequipa at 9h30pm and go to the "Amazing Hostel Arequipa" (50 soles for a private room = 20$ Can.), but before I look around the terminal for an early bus to go to Nasca the next morning. I am a bit against the clock for the next few days.