Blog of the Gaps 2

Now, where were we...

29/10 Arrived in Arequipa surprisingly refreshed considering I'd slept the last two nights on buses. I'd just had a good 7 hours kip - unfortunately not so Monic - her reclining seat had been fighting back and gradually returning to an upright position whilst she slept.

Got to the Flying Dog hostel about 9am - they let us have the room straightaway and gave us free breakfast - nice one.

Spent a lazy couple of days exploring Arequipa.

More Arequipa and Colca Canyon photos here.

30/10 Distressingly early start for Colca Canyon trip (4.45 alarm - yuck) but some nice scenery...

31/10 Now find that the luxury tourist bus to Puno that I'd paid over the odds for in Arequipa was in fact a minibus (Monic points out that it turned out quite well - the minibus dropped us at our hostel in Puno (rather than the bus station) - getting a taxi on Halloween might have been difficult).

I thought I'd booked this...

...but I got this

The drive to Puno was pretty in parts - including a lake with flamingos.

there's flamingos there - honest

More Puno photos (including a dreadlocked dog - Monic insisted) here.

Our room in Puno is on fourth floor - carrying the bag up nearly does me in - just walking up is exhausting.

02/11 Another day, another country. Get a bus to Copacabana with amusing border crossing - multiple queues for multiple stamps in multiple offices on both sides.

view from room

03/11 Trip to Isla del Sol...

More Copacabana photos here.

04/11 Bus to La Paz with a Heath Robinson ferry crossing - everybody gets off the bus and queues for tickets on a pedestrian ferry while bus goes across on a rickety raft with an outboard motor.

Some stunning scenery on the way - La Paz looks amazing as you drive in from above - not so good from the inside.

More La Paz photos here.