(...Continued)
After four hours sleep Emma, Nick, Dave, Mel and I got up with horrible hangovers to go walking in the Amazonian rainforest. We actually went walking in the Amazonian rainforest. HA! Yes! And saw, among other things, absolutely massive fuck-off trees, crazy roots, a tree that smelt of garlic, vines that you could chop open and drink from, two big spiders, one spiky luminous green caterpillar, a little wild pig, monkeys jumping through the trees (who we ran after through the rainforest), and trails of little leaf-cutter ants. Perhaps coolest of all though we got to go swinging on a vine swing (indescribly exciting - how many people can say they've swung on vines in the Amazonian rainforest?), and even saw a wild jaguar on the way back in the boat. Hurrah!
From Rurrenabaque we flew back to La Paz, and had a day there to chill out and get clean again (a difficult feat, after three days trekking and four days in the jungle with one change of clothes and no shampoo). We went and looked round the little coca museum and learnt a few interesting things - coca has been chewed in the Andes for 4500 years - when the Spanish arrived it was first accused of being satanic and against Catholicism, until they realised it helped the slaves work harder and so they lifted their prohibitive measures and imposed a 10% tax instead (ha) - Coca-cola was invented during the prohibition in America to replace banned drinks that had a similar effect - and there was one year when Bolivia exported 240 tonnes of coca to America for use in Coca-cola.
From La Paz we went onto Copacabana, a really nice little town on the edge of Lake Titicaca (hurrah!), highest navigable lake in the world at 3800m, and bloody massive too. We climbed up a big hill on the side of the town to watch the sunset over the lake (ooh), and the following day took a boat trip to the Isla del Sol, where legend has it the first Inca Mano Kapac was born.
After Copacabana we went along the lake to Puno (current destination - and back into Peru). Last night was another good night out, dpesite the fact that Karen, Aussie Sarah, Paul and I found a bar which to begin with had no-one in it, a barman who had to go out to buy more coke and then rum for our Cuba Libres and who then fell asleep on a chair, and a group of partying 60 year olds wearing terrible sweaters (Becky tried to teach one of them how to salsa). But it got better once the rest of the group turned up. Paul and I had some more great conversations about complete shite - he spent quite a lot of time telling me how I should find the four noble truths and follow the eight-fold path by eliminating any goals and desire if I wanted to get anywhere in my life. He also told me I should be complimented that he insults me so much because he only takes the piss out of the people who he thinks can handle it. Hmm, thanks Paul. Nick conversely in compensation for his piss-taking just hugged me a lot, and also sang in my ear really badly. Thanks Nick.
This morning we went and visited the floating reed islands in the lake, which are damn cool. A little Aymara speaking community have worked out how to build floating islands made out of reeds (which they also use for their houses, their boats, and even to eat), which they can actually move around on the lake if they need to (houses and possesions and everything) as the water level rises and falls. Fantastic!
It's less than two weeks now before the end of the venture - only Cuzco and the Inca trail left. Thoughts on that to come - at the moment, I don't really think I want to go home, although I don't have the energy to keep travelling. I'd happily spend another month or so seeing South Amaerica with this group of people though, and that's got to be a good thing.
