Still Monkey-ing Around in South America (Part II)

Check out http://whatispriyastilldoing.blogspot.com/ for the latest adventures ie life after the tour!!! (By the way....it´s sweeeeet!!!!)

I´ve Run Away With The Circus!!!

As we sat in a bar in La Paz, playing our last round of cards....depressed by the looming fact that we were about to lose yet another member of Team Moonkeh, talk began. We had arrived in La Paz, knowing that we were going to be sending Cathy off to join her tour group, which takes her across Bolivia, through the Pantanal and into Rio...but knowing this previously didnt help ease the pain of the separation. So as Brett and I sat there, listening to the lowdown of the ´first tour meeting´ that Cathy had just attended...spirits were low.Strangely enough, one of the girls who was meant to be rooming with Cathy had failed to show...how odd....the cogs started whirring and before we knew it, there was excited talk of how fun it would be if I posed to be the mystery girl and joined the group. "It would be great fun...hilarious...Id love to go...No, seriously, I would be up for it...." ..Laughing halted after a few minutes, but an air of seriousness lingered...."Ok, seriously now....how do we get me on that tour....?!" So...the three of us went through all the various pros and cons of me joining the tour and more than that how I could buy my way on...."ok, ok, let´s not get excited....the deadline to sign up for the tour was a month ago...they aren´t going to take me the night before...especially as its about 11pm already!!" ..... The next morning, bright and early, the three of us went for our final breakfast, it was a sombre mood that morning...despite all having a generous portion of watermelon on our plates, which had made us so happy at the previous day´s breakfast.... At 8.30am (30mins before Cathy is due to desert us) we camp outside Denise, the tour guide´s room and anxiously wait... 8.31am....no sign of her...."do you think she´s in her room?" 8.32am....this isn´t looking good.... 8.33am...this is never going to work...."I haven´t even vaguely packed and would need to go and get cash" 8.34am...Ah well...it was a crazy idea anyway... 8.35am...Denise appears....we pounce....Cathy: "Morning Denise, can I have a word...the mystery girl hasn´t turned up, but my friend Priya here (cue: Priya smiles) would love to join our tour......" 8.35.30am...Denise: "Umm..Ok...well...let me think...I will need to phone head office in Lima" 8.35.31am - 8.36.00am....frenzied discussion over logistics, cost and availability ensue.... 8.36.30am...Priya makes a mad dash for her room and begins to pack, in the event that head office agrees. 8.55am...Priya is packed and has all her stuff downstairs....doey-eyed...hoping that we get the green light... 9.00am...Priya has introduced herself to her "new group" in the hope of forming some eternal bonds, so that Denise CANT say no... 9.10am...Frenzied discussion over insurance, visas, credit cards and logistics takes place again.... 9.12am...Priya gets the GREEN light!!!! She has to sprint (despite the altitude) to the cash point and withdraw her deposit... 9.15am...Priya returns after the four block round trip...on the verge of collapse...she has delayed the leaving of the group a little....the eternal bonds aren´t quite so eternal, as the group doesn´t seem overly impressed by the new recruit...9.16am....there is a teary farewell as we leave the Cowboy (ie Brett) 9.17am...Cathy and Priya have settled themselves at the back of the bus....they are highly excitable....very hyper...cant believe this has happened..this is crazy...mad...what the hell....this is gonna be incredible.... 9.20am....Away we go.....first stop: The Salt Flats... And that my friends, is a lesson in spontaneity!!! Check in on the Adventures from the tour: http://whatispriyadoingnow.blogspot.com/

La Paz, Bolivia

Copacabana and La Isla del Sol, Bolivia

Got ourselves to Copacabana late in the evening after getting dropped off by the bus not far from the Peruvian/Bolivian border, taking two bicycle rickshaws (who insisted that they would be able to transport Brett, Cathy, myself, three big rucksacks, our daypacks, the gee-tar and a walking stick!! They struggled...no surprises and we had to walk alongside the cycle for most of the trip...and yet, I still felt compelled to tip the guy?!) up to the border, getting our passports stamped, our luggage ransacked by customs and changing money from Soles to Bolivianos at a rubbish rate! Had had a hotel recommended to us by a couple that we met in Puno and so beelined for La Cúpula as quickly as possible. Once there, we requested a triple room only to be told that the only thing available was a suíte. Well, we did promise ourselves some luxury...ok...umm...can we really afford it...what do you mean by suíte...should we take it guys...what d´ya reckon...the hotel down the road looked ok....hang on...excuse me sir, how much is that gonna set us back? $35....per night....for the room.... 35 bucks each, thats kinda steep. Hang on...did you say for the room? En Serio? DONE!!!! So we plod along behind the guy to our room, get let in, turn on the lights and KAZAAM!!! This place is HUGE, amazing, well furnished, massive (and when i say massive...im not exagerrating (for a change!!)) windows, set over two floors, three doublé beds....what a treat!! THIRTY FIVE BUCKS...SCORE!!! There were a few hairy moments as we were told that we would only be able to keep the room, oops sorry...suite...for one night, but with a bit of sweet talking (on my part obviously....I was the Spanish spokesperson after all) We managed to wing it and kept the place for three!! Actually, thinking about it, when the lady came into make the beds in the morning she prob saw the mess that was ours and figured that moving out would be no easy feat.... So we make ourselves at home, doesnt take long for there to be an explosion in the room as Cath and I unpack our stuff!! Basically, we just open our bulging rucksacks and let the clothes come pouring out for themselves...there´s no stopping ´em! After the initial excitement (which did last for quite a while) we settled down at our coffee table, in front of our glass wall and looked out over Lake Titicaca!! Days passed as did nights, filled with us eating, drinking and generally milling about the town. We head off to Islã del Sol for a day and hiked from one end of the island to the other which took a couple of hours. Islã del Sol is said to be the birthplace of the Sun and the first of the Incans. It was a fantastic day away and we checked out a few ruins and the Sacred rock among other sites!

ECUADOR, PERU DOWN...BOLIVIA, COLOMBIA, ETC TO GO!

5 Day, 4 Night Lares Trek to Macchu Picchu - I'm Alive!

I made it back alive....update to come. Was gonna attempt to get this entry out, but it is now 2.35am and I have to attempt to catch a train to Puno (towards Lake Titicaca, then onto Bolivia) at the crack of dawn!
Stay tuned though...this episode will be well worth it!
xx

5 Day, 4 Night Lares Trek to Macchu Picchu

So...just to let y'all know (that is, if anyone is actually reading this!!) that I shall be offline for the next week as I am leaving at 6am tomorrow morning (Monday) for a 5 day, 4 night trek on the Lares trail.
The way my travelling has been going, meant that I wasnt actually sure when I would be in Cuzco and so didnt book myself onto the Inca Trail. Inevitably it is all booked up until mid June, so we are opting for an "alternative" trail, which should no doubt be bundles of fun!!
So away I go...will be scaling Macchu Picchu at the crack of dawn on Friday morning...stay tuned to find out how it all went!
All love....xx