Bolivia - Copacabana & La Paz

Currency Conversion 1US= 6.6 Bolivianos

Population: 10.4 million (questionable as no one really knows who's filling out the census)

Languages: Spanish, Quechua, Aymara 

After a week of trekking the Andes, we had one day in Cusco and decided it was only appropriate to order "quy", guinea pig, and try it once before we go. We were told to eat at Chicha, a fancy looking place in the city centre with beautifully plated food and unfortunately, didn't completely please the palate and I was done after one bite. I stuck to the quinoa and veggies in the bowl rather than the "meat". Cusco has a lot of great eats but the buses don't so we hit up a polleria in the neighbourhood and bough a whole bird for $50Bs with as many sides as I could pack from the salad bar, chopped it all and packed it into tupperware and we were ready to hit the road on a night bus into Bolivia.

At the border crossing from Peru into Bolivia, it took a while for us to get all the paper work done as we walked from border to border with our bags and 9 other travelers with a bit of cash to pay the van man on the other side (if we found him).

Once we got into town in Copacabana, we stayed at Las Olas/La Cupula. This place was hand built by a German guy who is also a sculptor. From the main beach you can see his newest addition, a snail like villa with a fireplace, mini kitchen, hot showers and a view of Lake Titicaca. It was unbeatable after our Salkantay Trek, we checked into suite #20. It had a fireplace, a jacuzzi and a panoramic view of the lake and the town below. It was worth splurging and on discount at $33US/night. Nearby is the Islasdel Sol where a 3km hike awaited for visitors who want to visit. We opted for staying in town instead and spent a few days enjoying the lake and the food at the restaurant. The Chicken Curry was by far the best meal I had in Bolivia, so if you're in Copacabana, get to Las Olas' restaurant and treat yourself. If it is full, there was also another hostel located next door that looked beautiful with the same panoramic view called, La Aldea del Inca with a four star rating on trip advisor. 

BUSES: Book bus tickets from the bus station. We learned the expensive way! We paid $190Bs at our hostel and received "tickets" at the bus station with the price $50Bs on them. The man at our hostel in Cusco, Pariwana Hostel, made $90Bs off our sale.

From Copacabana, we took a bus to La Paz, 3650m above sea level and full of life! 

La Paz, a vibrant city filled with people 24/7. Shoe shiners in full face masks, Cholitas chewing coca leaves, children waiting in line to take photos with Bolivian Santa and busy bodies working the food carts serving up hot carne sandwiches con papas (beef and chips) y jugos con agua o leche (juice with water or milk).

We stayed at Arty's Guesthouse for $85Bs/head per night. He was closing on Dece 21^st so we stayed there for four nights until we were kicked out of town. It's a super homey feel and has a curfew of midnight, so if you stay here, get back before midnight or else you're locked out til 6 am. We met a few families and couples staying here, one of which was a Dad and his two early twenties son and daughter. The dad brought his kids on the same route he traveled 25 years earlier. What an incredible journey to share with his children who are now adults. I couldn't help but remind his son and daughter in private how lucky they were to be traveling with their dad and doing crazy shit together!

Red Caps Walking tour run everyday at 11am and 2 pm that start at the ever famous San Pedro Park, across from San Pedro Prison. It's about 2.5 hours and worth every step to see and learn about the city, culture and a warm welcome into the country. The tour guides speak English well and answered any questions that came up like, "Who's that guy trying to sell us entrance into the prison following us?". Turns out the guy was an ex inmate and often tries to hassle the groups to make some cash. You can't visit the prison anymore as it hasn't been as safe since Thomas McFadden was released and his story Marching Powder was told worldwide. At the end, just leave a tip for the guides, they run these tours because they want to share their city and they're running a good tour! 

Death Road is a MUST if you're in La Paz. Yes, people have died on this road and YES, it's beautiful! We booked with Vertigo Biking at $430Bs per person ($450 regular price). They didn't budge much even though we were a group of five. You're picked up in the morning, get a light lunch at the start, buffet meal at the end and a whole lot of suspension in between! It was my first time off road mountain biking like that and it was both scary and fun. It's a full day out and we had to dress for cold, wet and sun! 

Most of our time in La Paz was soaking up the culture and the Christmas spirit that was building up in the city with all it's lights and music. We even managed to find a Cuban Resto-Bar for us to re live our Havana trip. Cubano Sabor is run by Ramiro Estrada, a young cuban himself who is warm, friendly and serves up some delicious mojitos! We went here twice in the same day for food and at night for live drumming and singing along to a musical backing track. It was bumpin' with locals and backpackers alike. This place is a must visit if you haven't been to Cuba before. 

After our week in La Paz, we had to move on towards the south if we were going to make it Argentina by January. So we packed up and headed to the bus station and headed south to Sucre and Tupiza for Christmas and what would be, a brightly lit new year!