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.
Enjoying the hammock one last time at the Green House
Beginning hike through farmland towards the waterfall
Seeing the Huaran waterfall at distance
S with our guide dog Laika
Amazing to get right under the waterfall in Huaran
Peruvian campesino family we met
Pisac market emptying out in afternoon
Making it to the Casona Pleides 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.
Looking happy on the Andean Explorer from Cuzco to Puno
Fancy interior of the Andean Explorer
Enjoying the fresh air in the open caboose car
Our train following the river, rounding a bend
Moving through the landscape with grazing animals
Posing with animals part three at quick train stop
Perurail train against mountainous backdrop
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.
Walking a shopping street in Puno
Spontaneous parade in Puno
Pan flute player
A quieter conversation in Puno, Peru
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.
Successful crossing into Bolivia!
Main cathedral in Copacabana
Copacabana banners for sale for blessing vehicles
Early morning market sellers in Copacabana
We could all use a zapateria universal
Peruvian with decked out car for blessings
The large crowds gearing up for the religious festival in Copacabana
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.
Lake Titicaca tickets sellers in early morning light
Boarding our boat to the Isla Del Sol
Arriving at the Isla Del Sol after two hours on the boat
Shoreline on the Isla Del Sol in the north
Approximating the front cover of our Rough Guide Bolivia book
Sharing the path with a girl and a calf
Gaining alttitude at Challapampa, northern part of the Isla Del Sol
Really feeling that altitude and under-the-weatheredness in steep spots
Line of German hikers heading south to north on the island
Mountains in far distance at the Isla del Sol
Late afternoon sun behind us on the path
Spontaneous stay at nice little hostel overlooking Lake Titicaca
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.
Hurricane Earl = Weather Worth Talking About
Man. Hurricane (or what’s left of it) brushing up along the New England coast late this evening. Happily holed up at home. Raincoat wearing weather reporters doing sappy reports on coastlines. Plenty of bad movies on tv to watch. All’s right with the world.
Hurricane Earl's path this evening