Where Have We Been Lately pt 2: What I Don't Remember About Puno to La Paz

The trip to visit 3 of the islands on Lake Titicaca, and the homestay in Luquina Chico was amazing...

Not just because of our awesome new wardrobes and sweet sweet new dance moves. (The video sucks...best to ask Nick for a live demonstration sometime) Getting to see a tiny slice of how they live and experience their unique culture is the whole reason I travel. 

Though I could have done without the violent stomach bug I picked up from our lunch of boiled potatoes and fried cheese. (fun fact: Peruvians subsist entirely on carbs and Alpaca!) 

Shortly after returning to Puno I was down for the count. Nick was my hero, fetching water and electrolytes, Tylenol for my fever and gravel for my protesting stomach. He even helped repack my bag when I had no strength, and carried both packs through 10 of the most hellish hours of travel I've ever had. Whatever God I pissed off really paid me back by stacking the day with 10 hours of bus-walk-border crossing-bus-different bus - boat- bus, all while I tried desperately to hold down water, turning green at any mention of food of any kind. 

Apparently the scenery between Puno and La Paz is mountainous and beautiful? It certainly was hilly and windy, which really didn't help my condition. We were on a lot of busses I remember. And for some reason we all got off the bus and onto a small ferry that smelled harshly of marine gas? (Again, not helping my stomach) then a succession of more busses and windy roads, getting progressively more bumpy and erratic. I nearly cried with relief when we finally pulled up down the block from our hotel, losing my sweater on the bus but keeping my lunch. I immediately crawled into bed and didn't move. To add extra insult to the journey, Nick ended up coming down with a stomach bug of his own once we arrived, so we barely moved for 24 hours. Until this morning, the only photo I had of La Paz was this...

...the...less than stunning view from our room. The rest of today was a bit more exciting (seeing as we can both finally keep lunch down) as we explored the city before we board the 12 hour night bus tonight to Uyuni. Wish us luck!