Bolivia started off a little rough.. Although I had read on the US Embassy website that Bolivia made it quite difficult for only Americans to enter requiring 150$, yellow fever vaccine, a letter of invitation, and hotel reservations, plus passport photos and an application. I had also read online you could easily show up at the border without any of these things and just go.... hahah last time I trust a travel blogger about the border. Once I arrived the attendant on the bus told me once we got to the border to skip the line and ask for the application. They wouldnt give it to me and said I needed an original copy from the bus company and the passport photos. So we had to make copies of the buses only form, then I had to run back into town in a mototaxi with all of my stuff, and if the bus was still there when I returned.. I could continue with the bus to copacabana. I rushed into town had to negociate with a taxi driver get the pics printed as quickly as possible and then hurry back to the border. Someone must have been watching over me because the bus was just about to leave. I ran into the immigration office and then he didn´t even look at anything, just took my money, stamped my passport, (photos, passport copy, and application) and then I ran back into the bus where everyone was waiting! Lucky ducks, just have to get a stamp in their passport.. I just learned this morning that the new Bolivian president isn´t a fan of the USA sooo possibly one of the side effects from this! He also banned all american chains, so no mcd´s, starbucks, etc. Which I think is awesome.. as well as no chain stores in general.
After finally catching my breath I finally arrived in Copacabana... the original according to Wiki. The Copa in Brasil took its name from here. I found a nice hostel, organized my bag, and got some food and then tried to plan a little more of my trip. Then on the street I bumped into Iris from the Machu Pichu trek so we hung out at a cafe for a bit. Then the following day I did a day trip to Isla Del Sol, or the Bolivian side of Lake Titicaca. Had a very long but enjoyable boat ride with an older guy from Holland, couple from Germany, and then a girl I met in Cusco from Lousiana! We didn´t really want to visit the ruins so just enjoyed the hike across the island and a relaxed lunch. It was so peaceful but beautiful. We returned and I got on a bus to La Paz. I really was starting to feel sick in La Paz so just wanted to get somewhere and take some medicine and sleep. The next day I spent trying to get my yellow fever vaccine... went all over the city just with my handy dandy map and was told so many different things by four different clinics. In the end, no one had it and besides that I needed 10 days for it to set in and become effective... so the jungle was the next part on my trip but I´m going to have to come back one day and do it. The next day I also took it easy and only visited the Coca Museum which was really interesting sharing the background of how the Quechas used Coca leaves as a stimulant and were used for slavery to allow them to work longer, harder, without being fed. It was made illegal by the church but still permitted for use my slaves. Then it talked about the history of how it started being used in tons of medicines and in cocaine, and the drug trade.
Yesterday I bicycled ¨The Death Road¨ which was once a road connecting La Paz to a little village called Coirico. Now they have paved the road and its´mostly just used for tourists on the bikes and a few locals who have to go in between. The start of the journey wasn´t great. We were 90 minutes late for being picked up and then still had to get gas, and pick up the other passengers. We had a lovely group of two other solo french travelers and then a couple from Argentina. Once we arrived we got on the bikes and it was raining and very very cold. We went down probably about 15 minutes and then decided to take the car further because everyones feet were soaked and fingers freezing. Then we had our first snack which was an egg sandwich from a little lady on the side of the street. After we got back on the bikes it warmed up a little bit because we had come down from the cloud and the rain had stopped. The further we went down the more we unthawed. The road was a little scary because there would be absolutely no curb, but then it was wide enough and since there were no cars it wasn´t nearly as scary as I imagined. The scenery was incredible. After we got down to the little village we had a buffet lunch and then started the long three hour journey back to La Paz.
After finally catching my breath I finally arrived in Copacabana... the original according to Wiki. The Copa in Brasil took its name from here. I found a nice hostel, organized my bag, and got some food and then tried to plan a little more of my trip. Then on the street I bumped into Iris from the Machu Pichu trek so we hung out at a cafe for a bit. Then the following day I did a day trip to Isla Del Sol, or the Bolivian side of Lake Titicaca. Had a very long but enjoyable boat ride with an older guy from Holland, couple from Germany, and then a girl I met in Cusco from Lousiana! We didn´t really want to visit the ruins so just enjoyed the hike across the island and a relaxed lunch. It was so peaceful but beautiful. We returned and I got on a bus to La Paz. I really was starting to feel sick in La Paz so just wanted to get somewhere and take some medicine and sleep. The next day I spent trying to get my yellow fever vaccine... went all over the city just with my handy dandy map and was told so many different things by four different clinics. In the end, no one had it and besides that I needed 10 days for it to set in and become effective... so the jungle was the next part on my trip but I´m going to have to come back one day and do it. The next day I also took it easy and only visited the Coca Museum which was really interesting sharing the background of how the Quechas used Coca leaves as a stimulant and were used for slavery to allow them to work longer, harder, without being fed. It was made illegal by the church but still permitted for use my slaves. Then it talked about the history of how it started being used in tons of medicines and in cocaine, and the drug trade. 
Yesterday I bicycled ¨The Death Road¨ which was once a road connecting La Paz to a little village called Coirico. Now they have paved the road and its´mostly just used for tourists on the bikes and a few locals who have to go in between. The start of the journey wasn´t great. We were 90 minutes late for being picked up and then still had to get gas, and pick up the other passengers. We had a lovely group of two other solo french travelers and then a couple from Argentina. Once we arrived we got on the bikes and it was raining and very very cold. We went down probably about 15 minutes and then decided to take the car further because everyones feet were soaked and fingers freezing. Then we had our first snack which was an egg sandwich from a little lady on the side of the street. After we got back on the bikes it warmed up a little bit because we had come down from the cloud and the rain had stopped. The further we went down the more we unthawed. The road was a little scary because there would be absolutely no curb, but then it was wide enough and since there were no cars it wasn´t nearly as scary as I imagined. The scenery was incredible. After we got down to the little village we had a buffet lunch and then started the long three hour journey back to La Paz. 
This morning I got to meet with Dan Boyle and lovely girlfriend Lillie who have been traveling around a few months as well. We last saw eachother in Jan 2014 when Lillie was running in PF changs half marathon in Phoenix and watched a football game on mill together after. Dan and I lived both lived in Pohang and started the Ultimate Frisbee teams there. It is always so nice to see a familiar face on the road. I´m finally feeling a lot better and planning to head to Sucre tonight!
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