Cindie's Peru #2 Daily Journal
Travel Writing, Blog, Travelogue
Huallanca, Peru to Copacabana, Bolivia
(Sept. 15 - Oct., 31 2003)

Huallanca is a nice little town, the people are friendly and the architecture is interesting.  It has been a good town to take a break in.  I was feeling better and was ready to ride.

We climbed up to Pachas and took a break.  The local drunk found us and told us he was king of the town and he was also god.  Quite a crowd had gathered around us so we decided to move on.

We arrived in Tingo Chico about an hour later.  Fritz lead the way down the hill, he just zipped down the road, I on the other had was pretty tired.  We stayed in a local Hospedaje with no name.  We paid 5 soles ($1.50) per bed.  Tim and I shared a bed so I would have to say this was the cheapest room ever.  The room did not have electricity.  I made soup for dinner and we all went to sleep early.

The people began to change after Tingo Chico.  We saw and old man sitting on a log, as we passed by he asked for a tip.  That was a strange thing to ask for.  Then the kids started yelling Gringo Gringo, this was nothing new, however they added, Plata, Plata, after it, meaning money money.  Give me money.  I never feel comfortable in an area where people just ask for money.  The adults also called us Gringos, a man looked me straight in the eye and said Gringa, this made me shiver.  I did not like the tone of his voice.

I arrived in town long before Tim and Fritz.  The ride here in the taxi was hard, my bike would have killed me.  I found us a room at Hostel Yarowich.  Decent enough, it had a clean bathroom and yes a hot shower.  We paid 7 soles per bed.  Ok later we heard mice running around the ceiling.  Not so good for a good nights sleep.

Ascended 740 m (2427 ft) descended 245 m (804 ft)

We pretty much stayed in the room most of the time.  Tim worked on his letter and I took a nap or two.  I do not even like going out for lunch or dinner.  The food is terrible, rice with a piece of tough chicken or beef.  The sanitary conditions are quite rough in a few of these resturants.  Also, the people just stare at us and this makes me feel uncomfortable.  Tonight there was a big gathering at the plaza.  I thought I recognized the sound of the chant they were saying and then I remembered that I had heard it in Huarez when the protestors went by.  We stayed in our room the rest of the night.

Finally we were descending down we would drop from 3950 m (13,000 feet) to 1850 m (6,660 ft) in 54 km.  The road was not as smooth as we liked but we pushed on.  We needed to get to town before dark.  Then it happened, while we were barreling down the mountain.  I heard a thud and then a groan, I stopped and turned around to see Tim laid out on the ground.  Some how he had wrecked.  He was up quick and walking around, with a limp.  He had put a hole in his tights and had a large cut with dirt and rocks on his knee.  I wanted to clean up his knee, he wanted to push on.  Push on we did.  The road was rough and we still pushed on.  Four hours later we were near town and near exhaustion.  The only time we stopped was when our hands hurt from using the brakes.  The road was so rough that I was starting to get a headache from all the bouncing around.  Tim was starting to tire too.  We passed some police officers, they usually just wave us on but this time they stopped us to chat.  We chatted for 15 minutes and then pushed on.  The last 10 kilometers lasted forever. 

We finally arrived and rode to the Plaza de Armas.  We paid 27 soles per night for a small room with hot water and cable TV.   Tim's knee is cut pretty deep, there is no way to stitch it, the cut is wide.  Tim cleaned up his knee, I put Neosporin on the cut and covered it with a sterile pad.

ascended 555 m (1820 ft) descended 2040 m (6691 ft.)

We were heading out to lunch when we came across the large crowd in front of the municipal building.  People were gathered in front of the door and Police with riot gear were blocking the entrance.  Suddenly the crowd surged, people began to run, someone pushed a vender cart over that had apples and other fruit on it.  Some people picked up apples and began to throw them at the police.  Again, another surge and people began to run again.  We watched in horror as a women beat on the Plexiglas shield of a police officer with a stick, then he beat on her with his baton.  We saw one man running and three police officers in pursuit.  A police officer held one man down while three other officers beat on him.  Tim did captures some of this on video.  We will probably wait until we are out of the country or at least far from here before we post them.  I have never been so close to a violent protest, all I wanted to do was run away, I imagined shots ringing out and someone lying on the ground dead, thank god this never happen.  We left to find a place to eat lunch.  No one else seemed to be too disturbed by the whole thing.  When we returned back to the hotel I asked the desk clerk what was going on.  He said that the street venders with carts want to be able to push their carts of wares around the Plaza de Armas and sell to the public.  The city forbids it because there is so much traffic around the plaza. So for now the plaza stays closed to street venders.

I am beginning to think that every touring cyclist is a bit of an odd duck.  We must be too.  Anyway, Edwin certainly did not fit the stereotype of a Peruvian.  He is 30, single and has no kids.  He went to university, is an administrator and speaks English.  We went out to dinner and then to a disco to listen to some music.  Edwin has met and ridden with many Europeans he even speaks some German, however, we are the first Americans he has met.  We really need to get out more, people think we are all like in the movies.

We went to the internet cafe and ordered some things for our friend Karen from Arizona to bring us when she gets here.  Karen is flying into Cusco on October 5th.  It will be nice to see a familiar face.  Karen is coming to Peru on a project and we are lucky to be able to meet up with her while she is here.  We now need to get to Cusco, which means we need to take a bus somewhere.  We were planning to take a bus through the bad parts of the mountains anyway.

So out the door we went at 11:00 am, a little later than usual.  Not ten minutes down the road it started to rain.  The weather was frighteningly black and gloomy.  Tim wanted to stay in the hotel and I urged him to get out the door.  It was obvious that we were not going to get to far today, the rain was coming.  We started looking for a hotel in this very populated valley.  We found a hostel in Ambo.  Just as we arrived at the door it began to rain hard.  Well at least we got to ride today.  They wanted 10 soles per bed for a room without a bath and a shower with cold water.  We negotiated on 15 soles for the room.

ascended 270 m (885 ft) descended 100 m (328 ft)

We arrived in Huariaca ready to settle in for a hot shower.  We stayed at Hostel Rosa, a pleasant place.  We had a room with two beds, a hot shower, and TV.  Tim got his hot shower in and then the electricity went out.  We went out to dinner and found an internet cafe, we could not believe it.  This is a small town but it has a brand new internet cafe.  After interneting we went back to the room and I finally got my hot shower.  Hot showers are such a luxury, so the next time you take a hot shower, think how lucky you are.

ascended 950 m (3116 ft) descended 380 m (1246 ft)

We steadily climbed up towards Cerro de Pasco.  I wanted to stop every now and then but Tim kept us moving, we did not want to get caught in any afternoon rain.  We finally stopped for a lunch break.   There was not restaurant, just a small store.  We bought some snacks and sat down for a much needed break.  We did not get any peace, the store owner was drunk, when the shop owner found out we were from the United States, he asked us for an address.  Tim told him his name was Mick Jagger, he lived at 714-69 Stoner Way, Rocky Mountain, Arizona.  He got an address alright.  He still would not leave us alone.  He wanted us to buy him whiskey, no way.  We ended up leaving sooner than we wanted.

We were in sheep herding country again.  We saw our first llamas, I was beginning to think that they were a myth or just around for the tourists.

The air was getting thinner and the sky was growing darker.  It started to rain on us.  Then the sun came out, then it rained again.  We passed sheep herders along the way and the boys would run with us until they got tired.  It was all in fun.  Just a week ago I would have thought that they wanted to take something off our bikes, but not this time.  It is hard to change the assumptions we make about people.  Experience is the only thing that teaches us to think differently.  Not propaganda from the government, media, or other people.

Which leads me into the assumptions that people make about Americans.  Lately we have been experiencing the assumptions that people make about Americans.  First they think that we are arrogant, I guess when you have everything you want it could appear that we are arrogant, people also assume that we are our government and when you go and start a war in another country, I guess that can be considered arrogant.  But to think that some nationality is one way or the other without ever meeting them.  Well that is just plain ignorant.  I have certainly met my share of ignorant people on this trip.  May be we have changed their opinion of Americans may be we haven't.

We arrived in Cerro de Pasco, tired and hungry.  It took us 6.5 hours riding time to get here.  We stopped in front of Hostel Santa Rosa.  I went in and looked at the room.  A room cost 17 soles per night for a matrimonial.  When I returned to Tim there was a huge crowd gathered around him and he was talking to a couple from Hong Kong.  We made plans to meet them for dinner.  We carried our belongs to the second floor and I took the a shower.  The shower was hot but it was so dam cold in the shower that I was frozen when I finished.  It is very very cold here.

We met Fung Man Keung and Choi So Chun for dinner and learned all about China and Hong Kong.  Fung and Choi have been traveling for the last 2 years and are getting ready to return back to Hong Kong.  We talked for hours, they were an extremely fascinating couple.

ascended 1440 m (4723 ft) descended 115 m (377 ft)

Soon the sky clouded up and before we knew it was hailing on us.  We found a restaurant to take refuge in.  We were wet and getting pretty cold.  We had sweet potatoes, rice and chicken with a mint green sauce for lunch.  The food is changing and for the better.  Still it cost 4 soles ($1.10).  We waited for the rain to clear and we jumped on our bikes and head on down the road.  The wind was cold and my hands were freezing because my gloves were wet.  Another rain cloud followed us into Carhuamayo.  Once we were in town the sky cleared and we were ever so tempted to ride on.  We chose not to and looked at a couple of hostels.  We stayed at Hostel la Union along the highway for 20 soles for two beds.  It does not have a hot shower, I am glad we brought our own.  Let me explain.  We have a 10 liter bag that we use to carry water.  If we boil water in our 4 liter pot and add 6 liters of cold water the water is almost perfect.  Wa la We have a hot shower.  It is amazing how clean you can get with 10 liters of water.  We have used this portable shower in many hotel rooms with cold water.

ascended 260 m descended 455 m

We were dressed and ready to go by 9:00 am.  We started out at a good pace.  We were worried that it was going to rain on us.  We pushed on for nearly 3 hours and covered at least 40 kilometers.  Then we started down the hill towards La Oroya, a mining town.  Again, we were racing time, it could rain at any minute.  About 10 kilometers ( 6 miles) from town the sky opened up and we took cover in an auto mechanics garage.  He let us hang out in his garage until the rain stopped.  We pushed on into La Oroya, again it was raining on us.  This town is notorious for polluted air because a smelter is located in town.  The pollution must have been knocked out of the air from the rain, the air was much cleaner then we expected.  We rode to the far side of town towards Lima to find a hostel.  We stayed in a hostel next to one of the bus stations, it was 20 soles with a very nice hot shower and comfortable room.

As I was looking to by a bus ticket to Lima a taxi driver approached me about riding down in a car.  We negotiated on 50 soles for two people and our bikes, we planned to meet at 8:00 am to go to Lima.

In the evening we went to the Market to pick up some fruit and bread for the ride in the bus to Cusco.  While we were down there a protest blocked the road and no cars could get through.  Neither could taxis, so we had to walk all the way back to our hostel on foot, we already had plenty of exercise for the day.  Ah well what can you do.

ascended 390 m descended 705 m

In the car were three other women.  Julie, her mom, and another passenger.  Julie was attending high school and spoke fluent English.  It was fun talking to her and her mother all the way down to Lima.  I know she wants to go to school at UCLA in Los Angeles and I hope she makes it there after high school.  It was great to talk to a young women who had ambition, so many women here do not have any choice but to have children.  I have seen young girls of 14 or 15 who already have children.  This only keeps them in poverty.

We arrived at the Cruz del Sur bus station around 12:00 pm.  I went to buy tickets and found out that the buses to Cusco were all full.  I went down the street 2 blocks to check on Omen, the more expensive bus, and they did not have any seat either.  I went back to Cruz del Sur and we bought a ticked to Arequipa for the evening.  We would arrive in the morning and then take a bus to Cusco from there.  OK it was a little out of our way but hey it was better than staying in Lima.

The guard at the gate told us we would be fed dinner and breakfast on the bus and that they play movies as well.  Well we watched three movies, played BINGO in Spanish, and had dinner.  I was impressed with the service.  The cost of out ticket to Arequipa was 69 soles ($20), they charged 25 soles ($7.25) per bicycle all the way to Cusco.

We were glad to get off the bus and into the bus station.  We ate and cleaned up a bit.  Tim's knee is still open after all this time, it is healing but very slowly.  He is real good about keeping it clean and he never complains.  I am sure if I had a cut that deep we would be on a plane back to the States. It must still hurt.

We went to the Plaza de Armas and visited a few churches.  I wanted to visit a convent that has been completely restored but it was way to expensive 25 soles (7.25).  Our budget does not allow for such an expensive place.  Still it is fascinating to think what life was like as a nun.  I have seen more nuns in Peru than any other country. 

We returned to the bus station and met two ladies from the area who were on their way to Lima.  They were just a blast to talk to.  They explained the different types of food in Arequipa.  We told them about Tim's knee and they had to have a look.  One lady insisted that Tim but some alcohol on it.  We had some so Tim scrubbed his knee with it.  I could see the pain on his face, he said, at least I will not be getting infections from the bus station.

We arrived in Cusco at 5:00 am, at least it was quiet.  We went to the Plaza de Armas first.  Wow what a city.  I will enjoy exploring this city with a mix of Inca architecture and Colonial buildings.  Tim waited in the Plaza with our bikes and I went in search of a room.  Many hostels were full and I had to keep looking.  I met Ismenia in the Plaza, she took me to a few hostels, I knew she would get a commission but I did not mind.  She was pleasant and showed me Hospedaje Iquique.  For 30 soles ($8.70) we have a large room, we need to spread out and fix gear, shared bath with hot shower, and yes a toilet seat, we have hit modernization and it includes breakfast. What a deal.

We met Karen at her hotel, it was good to see a familiar face.  We also met most of the group that Karen was traveling with, quite a few people were from Prescott, our home town, it made me a bit home sick.

Met Ted and Jeff as they were returning from doing the Inca Trail.  Oh man, it sounded tough.  Jeff was sick most of the time, possibly food because six other people in his group were sick too.  OK this convinced us not to do the Inca Trail.  Thanks guys.

We climbed to the Watchman's hut and viewed the ruins from there, this view is famous from all the post cards.  The mist came in and left.  One of the spectacular things about Machu Piccu is the scenery from the site as well, breath taking.  Machu Piccu is perched on a peak that is 400 meters, 1,200 feet above the river below.

The sad thing is that there is no museum or even a map handed out at the entrance.  So take a guide book with you or you will need to hire a guide.

The protests were about eradication of the coca plants which the farmers were upset about and then the president proposed to sell their natural gas to a private company and put a pipe line through Chile (to a coast that once belonged to Bolivia, no owned by Chile, taken in a war 120 years ago, I guess the Bolivians are still upset) so the gas could be sold to Mexico and the US.  That made the other half of the population mad so they people united and blocked the roads to La Paz.  It looked like things were pretty bad for quite awhile.

The road out of Cusco was down hill and void of traffic because it was Sunday.  At first we had a strong head wind and then later in the day we had a tail wind.  It was difficult to say whether this was the normal weather pattern or not. I forgot to put sun tan lotion on my arms today, by the time I realized it my arms were pretty burned.  It looks like I will need to wear a long sleeve for the next couple of days.  I expected it to be cool at this altitude but the sun is very strong so we burn easily.

When we arrived in Urcos the Sunday market was in full swing.  We saw lots of women in native dress.  As we pushed our bikes through the market to a hotel Tim decided to take a picture of me in the market.  The women around him tried to catch his attention and started pointing out their daughters to him, they were very young.  Tim explained that he already had a wife.  We could not figure out if they were serious or just trying to embarrass their daughters.

ascended 315 descended 535

28 mi

We stopped at Hostel Progreso and got a room for 10 soles ($3) for the night.  Actually hostel Progreso is located 6 km before Tinta.  They said they had hot water but they did not.  Yet another hotel without hot water, at least it was cheaper.  I woke up in the middle of the night with a racing heart, I could not get back to sleep.  It was a bit scary.  I think it is the altitude.  Funny I did not have these problems when we rode over Cerro de Pasco which was over 500 meters (1,500 feet) higher.  Consequently, I slept in and we got a late start in the morning.

38 mi

We arrived in Sincuni around 11:30.  We located the internet cafe and decided that we liked the town.  I wanted to stay the night, I am having trouble with the altitude so I did not want to ride higher.  As we started to look for a place to stay we met Gus.  An American from Los Angeles.  He is living here, his grandfather grew up in this town.  He invited us to his hostel to stay the night and have a buffet lunch.  He serves buffets to tour buses that pass through from Puno to Cusco.  The food was great, vegetables, soup, and 6 main Peruvian dishes to choose from.  The best food we have had in Peru.

We finally reached the pass and started to descend very quickly.  The valley was broad and being the dry season very brown compared to the valley we just climbed out of.  As we were flying down the hill we had to stop for a herd of alpaca crossing the road.  I was lucky enough to be able to ride behind the Gauchos (cowboys) and we talked while the herded the Alpaca down the street.  They were all white, fluffy, and full of energy.  When ever one veered from the pack a Gaucho would literally jump on its back and wrestle it back into the pack.  So that is how you do it.

The weather changed quickly and suddenly we had a very strong tailwind, for about 20 km and then it changed direction and suddenly we had a head wind.  It was getting cold and we arrived in Santa Rosa at a good time.  We found the only Hospedaje in town and got a room for 10 soles ($2.90).  The room was large enough for our bicycles and had a private bath.  We did not have hot water and in the middle of the night the water was off.  Again, I had trouble sleeping.

ascended 855 descended 420

In hind sight we stayed in Arivica a little too long. When we finished lunch we stepped outside to a dark overcast sky.  The clouds popped up in a matter of an hour.  We rode for about an hour and then the head wind hit us hard.  I think we will not be riding in the afternoon anymore, two days in a row of head winds have taught us a lesson.  Tim makes a great wind break.  At one point we got off our bikes and walked just to take a break.  This was a good thing to do because the wind shifted while we were walking.  One thing I have noticed over the past two days is that everyone has a bicycle.  They are everywhere and people ride long distances between towns.  The great thing is it is not only boys and men on bikes but women and young girls too.  I just loved seeing a women in traditional dress riding a bike with here child sitting on the back rack.  It would have been rude to take a picture but I will remember that sight for a long time.

We arrived in Pucara, just as the rain started coming down, just a sprinkle.  We were first sent to the plaza for a Hospedaje (hotel) and then we eventually found our way back to the highway.  The Hospedaje is a huge modern looking building, it did not have a sign either.  It is on the corner of the highway and the road to the train station.  We paid 20 soles ($5.80) for the night and they said they had a hot shower.  What they failed to tell me was that the water in the whole town was turned off.  Seems to be a reoccurring theme.  It is the end of the dry season and it appears that there are more people living here then there is water.

ascended 145 descended 295

The wind was favorable, there wasn't any wind for the first hour and a half.  Then it kicked up a little and we had a slight headwind.  The beauty of riding behind Tim is that he just ploughs right through, especially on the flats, at times I have a hard time keeping up with him.  Obviously this type of riding suits Tim.  The road has gotten progressively worse since Pucara, no shoulder and patchwork pavement that makes it hard to get into a rhythm.

We stopped for lunch and I had sardines and bread and Tim chose to pass on the sardines, fish is not his favorite meal.  It was a good choice for Tim too.  I did not feel to well after lunch, about a hour down the road I had to pull over because I was nausea and could not ride.  This area is flat as a pancake and there was not a tree in sight.  So as I am getting sick on the side of the road I hear cars beeping at me, great I had an audience.  I felt better after getting sick but definitely weak.  Juliaca was only 10 km (6 miles) away so I decided that I needed to stop for the day.  Too bad too, we are only 45 km (15 miles) from Puno.  We found a Hospedaje (hotel) Senor de Huanco, 15 soles for the night, not quite as good as last night but at least it had great hot water.

ascended 170 descended 200

I started scouting for a hotel and realized that they all quoted their prices in US dollars.  This is never a good deal.  We decided to wait a while before we chose a hotel so we sat in the Plaza.  As we were hanging out a parade of local bands with traditional costumes and pan flutes came by. We did not realize it as the buses passed us on the highway, but we say most of these groups coming in on the highway, I recognized the drums.  It was very interesting and I was in heaven for the rest of the day.  I love parades and could watch one every day, it is the kid in me coming out.

ascended 270 descended 265

In the evening I was having problems with my bladder again.  it was painful and kept me up all night.

We called the South American Explorers Club and found out that our package has not arrived in Cusco yet.  Ugh!! I guess it is now on to Copacabana and one very long bus ride for me back to Cusco. Such is the ways of Latin America.   Our visa runs out on Sat. and it costs $27 per person to renew for a month.  Just not worth it.  Besides we need to get ahead of the weather.  So we will leave on Thursday.

Anyway, two families from Lima joined us and we had a grand time visiting the floating islands.  We practiced our Spanish and the kids practiced their English.  Every thing was low key.  The locals had built a tower to go up in and view the surrounding islands.  All the boats, houses, and islands are made of reeds.  They are cut, dried and either bundled for walls or boats or just thrown on the floor.  The first island we went to was large and had a floating school house on it.  We just had to visit.  Nice set up and pleasant kids, the teacher was having a bit of a time controlling them but hey that is just how kids are.  We left a donation for the school in the box near the door.  We took a ride on a reed boat to another island, they charged us 2 soles each, I can not imagine what they charge for a group of foreign tourists.  The boat was more stable than it look.  The second island we visited was smaller and I could feel the waves move beneath my feet.  Our boat captain pointed out to us that the children know how to swim by the age of two.  Wow pretty young.  I thought that this trip may have been a bit too touristy but I really enjoyed it and the native people were very pleasant, it is obvious that they depend on tourism to maintain their life style.  I just hope that they have islands that are completely private so they can get away from the tourists.

We met Meke and Tobias our next door neighbors and went out to dinner with them.  We also had dinner with another German couple and a couple from France.  It was an entertaining evening.

We noticed a change again (similar to the people in Chavanillo, three weeks before) in the locals at about Llave when a little boy on the side of the road threw gravel at us.  We stopped jumped off, our bikes and chased the trouble maker back to his house. Tim was furious.  Lucky for him his parents were not home, only his older brother who found the entire scene entertaining.  His little brother was not too happy and just a bit scared.  We left and continued on our ride.  Over the next hill three little girls dressed in new clothes and carrying school supplies in new Barbie backpacks asked us for a gift.  Then the next man said Gringo, Plata.  Translated to English, white man, give me money.  Then we saw the signs, a hey we are saving the world organization.  As far as I can see they are just corrupting these people.  I wonder what they really doing to make people act this way.  Hey you are a foreigner give me a gift or give me money.  I am not against aid, what I am against is how it is done.  Something is not right when you take away peoples dignity, and at the same time inducing a lack of respect for others or foreigners.  Quite frankly I am getting tired of receiving the blunt end of some one else's feel good project.  This entire scenario has happen too many times.  I have a request to those in foreign aid and tourists, stop handing out pens, gifts, money, clothes to the people on the street.  Give these things to the local church, school, or hospital.  I know a hospital in Puno who could use some sterile cups and latex gloves as a gift.   Let their own community members hand out these things so they do not associate these gifts with race and tourism.  Yes, there are inequalities in this world but handing out things to people so you can go home to your first world country feeling good about yourself is doing more harm than good.  OK enough of my soap box.  I can only imagine what Bolivia is going to be like. 

The result of all this begging is a misinterpretation of people on my part.  It upsets me immensely when I think that someone is asking me for money when actually they are just saying hello.  It is not fair to think of someone like that.

Stayed in Hostel Municipal across from the market.  The owner quoted me a price of 10 soles for two people, private bathroom, no shower.  When I registered and told him that I was from the US he changed the price to 14 soles total.  I hate it when someone changes a price on me, we already negotiated on a price.  Once again judged by my where I am from, disappointing.

ascended 280 meters descended 230 meters

Tim came up with the solution.  Instead of breaking the window he scrapped away the putty around the glass and used a piece of wire supplied by the dumb founded owner to open the window.  A skill acquired will breaking into cars with the keys locked in it.  Wa la, Tim opened the window right before the owners eyes.  The owner was speechless, he did not even thank Tim, we grabbed our bags and flew out of there as quickly as we could.

Anticipation of crossing the border into Bolivia, finally, had us both excited.  We made good time to the border, Tim plowing ahead through a steady headwind, and I staying in his draft the best I could.  We were asked for money along the way, at least five more times, I just ignored them the best I could and decided the best thing to do was not talk to anyone unless I had too.  Sad but true.  I asked directions at one point and one of the kids asked me for money for the answer, give me a break.

We arrived at the border between Peru and Bolivia.  The border was quiet.  We easily exchanged our soles to Boliviano at a rate of 2.2 to 1 and our dollars at a rate of 7.7 to 1.  We crossed the quiet border to the Bolivian side, received our entrance stamp, and rode the 8 kilometers to Copacabana.  Our guide book and cycling information we had stated that the road from the border to Copacabana was a very bad dirt road.  Much to our surprise and delight, it was paved the entire way.  Sure made for a quick trip into town.  We arrived at around 4:00 pm and Tim sat in the plaza while I scanned the city for a hotel.  I went to 7 and the best I found was Hotel Colonial, it looked to expensive for us, it had a large room, large bed, even Tim fit on it, and a hot shower.  All for 40 bolivianos, ($5.20).  It appears that the recent road blocks in the area have affected the tourism and people were desperate to get any tourists in their hotel.

Ascended 475 meters descended 475 meters.

37 mi