So I have been moching round Santiago for a day or so and checking the place out. It really reminds me of home in a way. I'm thinking of shutting down my blog now that I'm going back home and entering into uni life again. It always seemed more of an overseas thing if you know what I mean. So in honor of my past travelling, which no doubt will be serverely curtailed now that I am going to be a poverty stricken student, here is the updated list of my visited countries:





God there are still so many gaps .......... so much to see.

ros from URL @ 10:25 pm

Today I am in San Pedro and have just come off a few days in a jeep traveling through the salar and the lakes round the border of Bolivia and Chile. It is amazing how much difference crossing the border makes. It is sooooooooo different in Chile. There is tarmac on the roads for one.

So La Paz was pretty good. Did a tour of the town and all that but was sadly very hung over from going out the night before so missed a little and did some wandering around before shooting out of town on Sunday to avoid the transport strikes. From there I went to Potosi. I did a mine town there and got to spark up some dyamite while chewing on coca leaves. Dyamite really does have that booming sound just like you hear in the movies. It is really cool. Went through the mine and as per usual when I'm traveling went up really high. Maybe I'm not scared of heights anymore. So I was climbing up 2 stories just on a bit of rope with knots in in (ok so the guy helped me up a bit cause well my arms are just a lil weak) and crawling through the smaller shafts and then down the scary ladders. It was a lot of fun.

I got food poisoning that night so ended up staying in town an extra day and then took off for Uyuni. The buses have been dicey in Bolivia as there are loads of transport strikes at the moment and actually checked out a demo while I was in Potosi (mainly cause I thought that they were blowing up dyamite but it turned out to be really loud fire crackers).

So did the jeep tour through the salt pains and round all these lakes with loads of flamingos. Also like geysers and hot springs round the Andes. It was just amazing. The world really is a beautiful place. Bloody cold up on the snow line tho´.

So now I'm off to La Serena for a few days to sit on the beach for a day or so and then onto Santiago for my flight.

ros from URL @ 7:17 pm

Whys

Why were all the underwear in Cusco yellow, was it a New Years thing

What is with the small town must have loads of bus stations deal (yes I know I whinged about this in Africa)

And if you are going to have only two why put them right next to each other

ros from URL @ 3:54 pm

So Just call me Lola as I'm now in Copacabana in Bolivia. But not for long as I'm off to La Paz tomorrow.

I left Cusco in my dust and actually did some stuff before I left as well. Machu Picu just absolutely rocks. It is just amazing and has a really excellent vibe to the place. Naturally it just pissed down on the day I decided to go (and hasn't rained since god damn) but after touching some sacred rock and pouring my hopes for a clearer day it amazingly cleared up almost straight away - result. Also checked out some churches and museums in town as well. They really go for all the gilt and dolls on the alters here, it really is crazy and Jesus always has blood pouring off him.

So from Cusco it was the long bus ride to Copacabana via a 2 hour stop in Puno. Lake Titicaca is huge and almost seems like the sea except for the absence of seagulls and that salt smell. I went to Isle de la Sol today which is where the Inca myths all started and did a 3 hour hike across the island, I must be mad. It almost killed me. I am just so unfit. The combination of high altitude, huge hills, millions of steps (although typically the Inca steps were the best on the island) and complications from those injections at Christmas - my arse has gone all hard on that side, can no longer lie down on that side and it is starting to affect my walking and sitting ability made the walk harder than I thought but am hoping the whole thing will clear up soon enough.

The ruins were not that amazing after Machu Picu which is a hard act to follow but the island is lovely if a bit barren. Copacabana has a big church too and a couple of times a day the cars and trucks pull up outside to be blessed which I find a bit freaky considering I'll be on the road with these people tomorrow.

So it is off to La Paz for me.

ros from URL @ 9:57 pm

So I passed the New Year's here in Cusco. It's a pretty cool little town, loads of tourists though for the whole Machu Picu thing. I'm heading out there tomorrow on the train, as I'm just not into the whole hiking thing. Should be good.

I haven't done so much since I've been in town. I got a bus from Lima to Arequipa. I ended up missing the connecting bus to Cusco so hung out in Arequipa for the day and checked out the convent and some of the colonial buildings. It ended up being quite a lucky break really. Then got the night bus to Cusco. I haven't seen too much of the sites just really have wandered round. Oh and yesterday was a bit of a write off as I didn't wake up til 5pm.

New Years was cool I went down into the square to see it in with some of the people from my hostel. Drinking beer and running round the square with fireworks going off left right and centre. I got some coke but it was god only knows what which was a bummer. Also my wallet got stolen in the crowds but I only had a little cash in there as well I figured I might have a problem holding onto it. We wandered round for ages looking for a nightclub that didn't have a cover charge. Went to the Sofa Bar pretty much after midnight but cruised off with these French guys to look around. Ended the night playing pool in the pub which was really fun and then back to the hostel to drink on the balcony watching the sunrise.

Today I'm looking for my bus ride on the 4th to Bolivia.

ros from URL @ 3:50 pm

So am feeling a lot better now and had a fairly fab little Christmas. Spent most of it shovelling coke up my nose and generally talking shit with the guy in my dorm. I have discovered that there is some risky activities that I will say no to however. Paul is HIV positive and that is one risk that is a little too much for me but I don´t know maybe I was taking it the wrong way and am thinking myself some kind of I don´t know .... man magnet or some such. But hey I´ve had a surprising amount of offers lately, it is very strange.

So have had a real lazy morning today trying to get it back together again and also went to this butterfly farm which was really lovely.

ros from URL @ 1:45 am

Merry Christmas

So I´m back from the jungle. It was a good trip, didn´t see a whole lot but was fun to bush bash at least. I got a fever in the jungle so my last day was more sleeping rather than action central. But saw loads of birds and caught pirana for lunch all that sort of stuff. Saw some little crocodiles and had this vision in my head of being a crocodile hunter ha ha. Went looking at night for anaconda´s but didn´t manage to find any just a lille baby boa. Israel my guide was very attentive, a little too attentive if you know what I mean but knew the meaning of the word no even if I did sometimes feel like a Palestinian. He really looked after me when I got sick though which was lovely especially as I am just a big baby about that sort of stuff.

So not a lot else to report. Got an absolutely massive needle full of god only knows what (damn my Spanish) last night and this morning my fever seems to have largely gone which is a relief. I have to go back tonight for another I think. There is some virus sweeping town so a lot of people have gotten it. Am still making my mind up on whether to have a big night tonight or to play it safe a give my body a break.

Maybe I will go to the zoo this afternoon if I can be arsed. Tomorrow it is pricing round for my flight to Lima and maybe the zoo if I don´t get there today. I also want to go to a few other places if I have time and of course the energy.

ros from URL @ 4:06 pm