Friday, January 21, 2011

Swallows Mature Girdle

from La Paz from Copacabana

OF COPACABANA IN broke Annika and I together with Francisco and Julian from Argentina to the sun island. We had plenty stocked up with food to cook in these evenings can be: there is neither in Copacabana still on the island an ATM, so we had to rely on a small saving program!

Fortunately, we have therefore not give up the best sites on the island: Our hostel was situated on a ridge, which runs from the south to the north of the island and from which we could see the lake on both sides of the island sun. And the views were spectacular: In the east we could see in the distance the snow-capped peaks of the Bolivian Andes, over which the morning sun and the moon was rising in the evening. In the west, the scenery was less spectacular, but offered to us, at least on the first of the two evenings that we spent on the island, a great sunset. Women in traditional clothing as well as llamas and donkeys completed the picture.

But all was not affected by Western influences and dubious developments show not the Isla del Sol : Tourism is booming, and leaves its mark: It seems that most of the container on the island building as a hotel or hostel was being used, Internet cafes and small stands with woolen goods are easy to find, and for each and every one propina is required, a tip: For photos (including sheep and llamas), for information, for the passing of a way ...

Our walk from our hostel in the south of the island to the north of the island and back takes us to the ruins, which are located almost on the northern most tip of the island. They were, especially after Machu Picchu, not particularly impressive. In contrast to the beach in the northeast of the island, we passed a little later: here countless tents lined up together, grills the lake shrouded in smoke and guitar players and jugglers entertained the audience. How happy I was to have come across in the south of the island, had lost his way while (perhaps due to the steep rise?) Only a few tourists!

The day after our island tour we headed back to Copacabana. The half hour flew by in the boat, and so did Annie and I are soon confronted with a small but predictable problem: We had our bus ride to La Paz now, but had no more money! Without a credit card could I stand out in Copacabana, where there are no ATMs, no money, and for some reason was Annika's credit card is not accepted. All attempts to negotiate with the bus companies have failed, all bids were turned down on our part. What now? What's Next? Julián Francisco and on the go back to Peru on loan to us at the last second the necessary ten dollars and allowed itself to be the transit and thus a life outside of Copacabana.

The bus ride to La Paz took about three hours, of which two hours in chill storage in El Alto, a city that has grown together with La Paz, have been placed. Apart from the authoritative cloud formations and the snowy peaks of the six views from the bus window was rather bleak: It was clearly visible that in Bolivia there are other, less financial means than in Peru or Ecuador. Half-finished mud and brick houses everywhere and poor (but traditional) dressed people on both sides of the road.

La Paz scared me at first: The first look at the Bolivian city I could from the edge of the valley where the town is situated catch. Bare brick houses huddled between the slopes and cars and Schmitz shaped the image of the streets. Also was / is the hostel, in the staggered it Annie, me and Dani, a backpacker from Barcelona, anything but recommended: Because there were, however, was already dark and we are not particularly eager to take all our luggage with a night walk through La Paz, we followed Dani's recommendation.

The Point is considered the so-called witches' market, the tourist shopping district of, beyond the main thoroughfare of La Paz where there are backpackers from all over the world - and form a strange conglomeration of Alcohol, excess, noise, insipid music and interesting manners . Had the three of us guessed at in advance what would come to us, we would have certainly wanted another place to stay! When I come to La Paz, I do not feel me from the city To encapsulate to decline into my rather Western Party cage ... But, at check-in we gave up our clothes to wash, what a tape change after the first night was absolutely impossible!

But no one is forced to spend the whole day in the hostel. A stroll through the streets of the old town, numerous small stalls over, to the black market, whose name she will not reveal to me through the flooded streets of tourists and a few Cuadras south I did not take me. For the third was in part a demanding task, which consisted mainly of waiting. Therefore, I will take again the same time, to own and to wander aimlessly through La Paz!

Later Annika and I will separate us from Dani and make its way to the south, where we will make tomorrow a three-day tour to the Salar de Uyuni before it goes back to the north, to Potosí, Sucre and Cochabamba.

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