COOKING AND BRAAAAPING AROUND THE WORLD: May 2012

Sunday, May 27, 2012

COPACABANA, ISLE DEL SOL, MIKEY LEAVES!

DAY-201-203
5/20-22/2012

        We arrived at the bus station in La Paz at 7am and then caught another 3.5hr bus to Copacabana. Mikey was pumped to see Lake Titicaca as we drove in. We grabbed a cheap place to stay and headed into town for lunch. We ate lunch and walked around for awhile but were still exhausted from the 16hrs of buses so we passed out for a few hrs and then went out for dinner. Woke up early ran around to the pharmacy we are both sick now and bought tickets for the boat ride to Del Sol. We jumped on the boat and headed out to the island which takes one and a half hours. We got to the South part of the island and hiked up to the top of the hill and found a hostel for super cheap like 4 bucks each. Amazing views of the lake and the Andes right from out window. We hiked about 14 miles there and back to the north end of the island. We had a good day just hiking and enjoying the last few days of traveling together taking in the incredible views. We got back to the south right before sunset had a few beers but I must of ate something because I did the mad dash through the small town back to our hostel just in time. We woke up- early like 5:30am to catch the sunrise I couldn’t sleep afterwards and walked around got breakfast and coffee met up with mike and headed down to catch the boat. As we were waiting for the boat before we could leave we all helped the locals tug a boat up onto shore using ropes and logs. We landed in Copacabana and jumped onto a bus back to La Paz; we arrived back at the Wild Rover Hostel and checked in. Mike took me out to a nice Argentina Steak house for our last night. We decided we would have one more good night out. We ran into my friend Patrick from BC who is riding a DR 650. Mikey had to catch a taxi at 4am for the airport to catch a 6am flight home, weak sauce.
        So we decided to not go to bed instead we went to the hostel bar then to a local college bar. We got back to the hostel at 3:30am he grabbed his gear and jumped in the taxi it was def sad to see Mikey leave but was so so happy that he came and it was very well needed. Although I won’t lie I am so happy and stoked that Mikey was the one going back to the states not me.

DAY-204-205
5/23-24/2012

        I felt horrible all day from being sick still so I took it very easy and slept most of the day. I woke up determined to find parts and oil , took a thirty minute taxi just in time to get to the shop as they closed I begged and they let me in but to my dismay not the oil I needed, so I sat in a coffee shop for hours working on my writing and uploading all my photos. I will head out of La Paz on Sunday just have to figure out what I want to do and go next, having hard time figuring it out.

MY FAVORITE SUNSET PICTURE I HAVE TAKEN THUS FAR

SUNRISE BEFORE WE LOAD THE BOAT

PLAYING WITH MY CAMERA

GET'N A LITTLE ARTISTIC HAHA

ON THE BOAT HEADED FOR ISLE DEL SOL, COOL CLOUDS

MIKEY AND ME ON OUR PATIO

GETTING ARTISTIC

SO NICE TO HAVE MY BEST FRIEND IN TOWN FOR AWHILE

HAHAHA

THERE WERE SHEEP ALL OVER THE ISLAND

NO!!! MIKE LEAVE THE SHEEP ALONE!!! HAHA

RAD SHOT IN A RUNDOWN SACK

THEY ARE REAL!!!!!

AWESOME SHOT ON THE NORTH END OF ISLE DEL SOL

MADE IT TO THE NORTHEND

WALKING THE SHEEP IN FOR THE NIGHT

ALL DAY EVERYDAY THEY WORK

They asked Mikey to take a picture of them, then they demanded he pay them... haha

WELL DESERVED AFTER 6+HRS OF WALKING

THE ORIGINAL COC-COLA!!! GUESS WHAT IT HAS IN IT.. HAHA

SUNSETTING ON ONE HECK OF A DAY AND AN AWESOME TWO WEEKS WITH MIKEY!

5:30AM SUNRISE

AWESOME VIEW RIGHT FROM OUR WINDOW

MIKEY'S READY FOR THE 5:30AM SUNRISE.. HAHAHA

WE ENDED UP HELPING THEM PULL THE BOAT ONTO THE SHORE

I THINK HE HAS DIVEN THIS FERRY ONCE OR TWICE... HAHA

Thanks for following along with me, will be in La Paz for a few extra days working on the bike then I will head to ...... I don't know but it will be awesome!!!

www.wheresfletch.com

DAY-197-198

5/16-17/2012

This entry is called sorry Mike welcome to traveling hahaha..

We got back to Uyuni after being in the back of a trooper for 3 days and were ready to get on the road to our next destination around 6:30pm. I got Mike to decide where he wanted to go because he is the one with a time restraint. So it was set we would head for the city of Sucre on an overnight bus. We did not do too much research just met up with two Germans that were also on our last trip and were also headed for Sucre. We booked our ticket and knew we had to switch buses at 1am in Potosi (The claimed highest city in the world, at 4,300 meters). We ran around getting dinner and a few other things. Traveling is all new to Mike so after a week I think he was a little worn down and it didn’t help that we hadn’t really slept much in the past three nights.

         We get on the bus around 8:30pm and head off; it is freezing no heat just one blanket each. I also have an awesome cold so being sick and freezing was pretty funny. We arrive in Potosi at 12:55am after a little confusion we are told the bus will be here at 2am so we get back onto the parked bus no heat and they also have taken all of the Blankets back. So we sit the four of us trying to sleep but also not wanting to miss our other bus. Well 2am came and went they just kept telling us 30 more minutes, and then 3am came and went. By 3:45am a local and I went to find out what the heck was going on. We have now sat for 3hrs in a bus with no heat trying to sleep and not freeze and temps hitting -10f, it was hilarious one that none of us will ever forget. Then we find out that there is a road block and there will not be a bus until 6:30am!!! Okay let’s go, we can just grab a bus. Luckily for us the Local guy was pissed and talked to the bus driver into giving us back half of our bus fare. We followed him over a couple of blocks and after a little run around we grab taxis for a little bit more then what we got back from the bus driver. We all pass out in the taxi for 2.5hrs as we get stopped 3 different times bike police check points. We finally arrive at 6am everyone exhausted and drained from a hell of a night and not much sleep the past 3 nights. We find a hostel but they want way too much, then after trying a few others with no luck go back and I am able to talk him down to a reasonable Price. Three of us take hot showers and Mike goes right to bed, after shower I went straight to bed exhausted woke around 11am to start the day.
        We hiked all around Sucre checked out a few museums and went out to dinner. I ate Llama jerky was good but weird at the same time. We all were pretty knackered so we all passed out early.

DAY-199-200
5/18-19/2012

I was still sick and feeling really cruddy so at breakfast Mike found a cool Mtn Biking tour that he wanted to do. I told him to go for it and I would take an easy day work on some blog/RR and catch up with him when he got back. At first he was surprised and did not know if it was cool to go without me. I told him it was awesome he wanted to go biking I wasn’t feeling great and that’s what's the best about traveling just go do your own thing no guilt and not a big deal if we split up for a bit were not married! Haha
        So he left and went shredding and it ended up being one of his highlights of his 2 week trip to Bolivia. He got back from his trip with a little blood on his arm and a huge smile laughing telling me some great stories of meeting locals and wrecking out on single track. We headed out for a few drinks and a nice evening just hanging out.
        We woke up and headed for the bus station to get tickets back to La Paz then onward to Copacabana. We got our tickets for a night bus and headed back into town. We came upon the start of a two day rally race in Sucre, There were the funniest crappiest rally cars you have ever seen, but then there was also a few brand new ktm’s, Yamahas, and Kawasaki. We hang out walking around taking pictures watching the dirt bikes take off through town a lot of two strokes and I love the smell of two strokes in the morning!!! We drank coffee and watched them rip by. We walked around sightseeing one last time, then caught a night bus to La Paz.

SUCRE, BOLIVIA

MARKET SHOTS!!!!

AWESOME SURPRISE WHEN I WALKED AROUND THE CORNER TO THIS!

THESE ARE THEIR RALLY CARS!!

COFFE AND THE SMELL OF TWO STROKE IN THE MORNING MAKES ME HAPPY!!

COMING THROUGH TOWN FOR LAP TWO

Saturday, May 26, 2012

UYUNI SALT FLATS DAY 2 AND 3

195-196

5/15-16/2012

We woke up early around 6:30 and headed out after a quick small breakfast. Today we changed half way through the day of salt flats to desert with a little bit of mountains. We saw a few lagoons and tons of Flamingos, a few rock fields and volcanoes. We had a lot of fun running around the area just enjoying the day, we came to the last lagoon which was crazy because half of it was glowing neon red from the algae in it. We then headed into the national park to our shack which was very very cold. I slept horrible due to elevation 4800 meters and being sick. (Yeah I got sick in La Paz surprise haven’t partied in months) We woke up early to catch the sunset unfortunately had to back track due to one of the girls forgetting her camera battery and we missed the sunset from the dessert but still saw it as we drove in which was awesome. We got to a hot spring and sat in it which was fun, then headed to the last lagoon and the Chile Border. We headed back with a few stops some of the places reminded me of home Hartman rocks others reminded me of rock formations of Moab on a tiny scale.