Final Days in Peru and on to Bolivia

Incredible.  We’re past the middle point of our South America trip, having been in the southern continent for close to two weeks now.  With internet access being spotty in a few places and the full days of travel, I’ve gotten a little behind here.  Thank goodness for a built in planning and rest day here in La Paz.

A blur of moving from place to place over the last four days or so.  From Huaran back to Cuzco.  Then a full day Perurail train ride from Cuzco to Puno, a city on the Peruvian side of the border.  Then from Puno to the Bolivian city of Copacabana.  And finally, following a full day and evening on Lake Titicaca’s Isla Del Sol, we traveled to La Paz, Bolivia via a combination of boat, bus, another boat, walking through crowded streets with our luggage, and taxi.  Whew.

Maybe because (or despite of?) the pace of moving from place to place, we’ve both been a little hard pressed to keep up the pace with all those transitions.  I’m thankfully about through with a few days of some kind of flu and S. has been sleeping off a bit of a stomach bug.  Goes with the territory of travel I guess.

Still, it’s worth pausing to remember some pretty great moments and experiences from the recent blur of days.  To bring out some still images and moments.  It’s always good to unblurrify, friends.  Or as the dancer Nijinsky once explained, to do the seemingly impossible by pausing during that leap.

From enjoying that last, slow morning in Huaran at the Green House and spending a few hours hiking accompanied (or rather led) by one of the owners’ dogs, Leika, to a waterfall overlooking the low valley.  Meeting a friendly and talkative campesino family along the way.  And after a quick visit to the famed market (or at least the end of it) in Pisac, making our way to the Casona Pleiades in Cuzco.

To enjoying our big splurge for the trip, a pricey and picturesque luxury train ride from Cuzco to Puno, with linen table service and meals, live music and fashion shows, and the chance to stand in the open caboose watching the Peruvian landscape go by.

And on to doing some brief (and sickly) exploration of Puno with its mostly buzzing streets, spontaneous parade action with a special emphasis on the pan-flute playing.

To our afternoon bus ride from Puno to Copacabana in Bolivia where we went through the border process with the other lone American traveling in our coach.  That evening and the next morning looking around Copacabana in preparation for a busy saints day with the expected thousands of Peruvians coming for particular vehicular blessings.

And a full day and evening spent on the Bolivian Isla Del Sol (Island of the Sun), sacred to the Incas as the birthplace of the sun and the moon.  A 20+ kilometer hike from the north side of the island to the south side, with us enjoying the landscape of Lake Titicaca and the Andes mountains behind but also working mighty hard for it.

And here we are now in La Paz, a city with its own frenetic busyness and the street markets and Pacenos  going full force.  Bolivian independence day coming right around the corner with the colors of the Bolivian flag everywhere.  Very, very thankful for the day of rest and planning.

And tomorrow morning?  We’re off to Rurrenabaque and the rain forest over the next five days for our last major trip experience.  Pretty awesome.