Leaving La Paz

My bike sorted (or so I thought), I left the hotel, once again, to a warm embrace from the same hotel manager, this time telling me I shouldn’t break my bike again. 50 meters out of the hotel, I dropped my chain and realized my derailleur hanger was bent towards the wheel, meaning even if I was in 8th gear per the cable, I was in 10th gear in reality. Not good. I managed to get the chain back on and get into the gondola (again, coolest public transport system in the world) where I could try to brute force it back vertical. Miraculously, it worked!

Then all I had to do was get out of the city, which was easier said than done. Naturally, it was a market day at one of South America’s largest markets (5km square) and my route took me through the heart of it. Got lots of confused and friendly looks before finding the main road out of town, where I had the most fun city exit I think I’ve ever experienced. The diesel fumes probably took six months off my life, but man was it fun.

Copacabana, the Bolivian one

The next 90km were pretty boring, but my destination of Copacabana on the Bolivian side of Lake Titicaca, the highest (3800m) navigable (whatever that means) lake in the world, was sure to please. And it did, even if the 6th and 7th hours of riding had me on my knees.

Sun and Moon Islands

Having knocked out two days of riding in one, I had time for a day trip to Isla del Sol and Isla de la Luna, home to sacred sites to both the Incas and their predecessors. On Isla de la Luna there was a temple dating to about 1500BC where 200 virgin girls lived and were taught to cook, sew, weave, plant, harvest, etc., with an unlucky few getting fattened up for human sacrifice over on Isla del Sol. Okay, maybe not fattened up, but definitely sacrificed. Pachamama loves virgin blood!

The islands and the archeological sites were quite cool, and my first taste of Inca stone masonry has only whet my appetite to see more in Peru and Machu Picchu specifically.

I will miss Bolivia

I think I’ve enjoyed Bolivia the most of all the countries I’ve visited thus far. The combination of unique, otherworldly nature, history, culture, and friendly people did it for me. I hope I get the chance to come back. And I hope that by then, they will have fixed the death traps that are their showers, exposed electrical wiring and all. If the Death Road doesn’t get you, the shower just might!

Now off to Peru for my last two weeks in South America and my last two weeks schlepping a bike around. Hard to believe this phase is coming to an end already!