Copacabana - I decided to stop here for a night before heading to Uyuni, and celebrate my Birthday, me myself and I.
I took a bus from Cusco directly to Copcabana. Crossing the border was quite an experience... they tell you the bus goes straight and you don't have to get out - well, you soon find out that not only you have to change bus and get into a minivan, share it with locals (so basically you have to wait until the minivan is full), but they also drop you in Peru, and you need to walk to the other side of the border to jump on yet another bus. All good and safe though, just took a lot longer to arrive than expected.
When I arrived in Copacabana city centre, I decided to stay in a nicer hotel rather than the usual hostals, as it was my B'day. I stayed at the Hotel Utama, http://www.utamahotel.com/. It's just a couple of blocks from the main plaza, but there's a steep walk up the mountain to get there (I remind you going up a street at these altitudes is not easy!), so they make available a free pick-up and drop-off service, which was very nice! They also have lots of free treats available in the lobby so you can drink and eat comfortably.
I told them it was my B'day, and they kindly gave me their best suite:
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| Huge bed for a change! |
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| And best views too! |
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| Lake Titicaca |
I spent 1.5 days here before heading to La Paz. Didn't do much, just sleeping loads, watch TV (OMG Fox Channels!!!), sightseeing, and cannoning.
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| No need for a fridge at these altitudes..... |
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| Dinner at sunset by the lake.... |
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| Mate de coca... |
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| Bolivian popcorn + movie = happy days! |
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| Delicious continental breakfast, served! |
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| Here I go!! |
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| The views from the "other side" are amazing! |
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| People having fun! |
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| On my way to La Paz! |
Took a bus (5hr or so) from Copacabana to La Paz during the afternoon, and then from La Paz I got another bus to Uyuni over night. Bolivia is a very poor country, so the buses are all kind of rough and the roads are not all paved. Nonetheless, the company everyone recommends is TodoTurismo for the trips from La Paz to Uyuni. The buses are very basic, but they're extremely reliable and have excellent client service.
Alternatively, you can also take the train, and quite frankly, if I'd known, I think I would have taken the train...didn't get any sleep on the bus from the noise and the bumpy road :-\
Next Destination: Uyuni!!
