Nah, guess... come on...

Hey!

Guess where I am?

The hills are killing me! What idiot thought of putting a city in a bunch of hills where there isn´t any oxygen??!

It´s pretty though, cobbled streets, lots of cholitas with their magnificently life-giving 7am juice and bread, and I stumbled into the witches market, and yes, I´ve seen llama foetus' before but not one´s that are fully furred up. It´s a little disturbling, but you never know - I might stay here and start up a business that I need a llama to offer to the good-luck-in-your-endeavours God.

I got a call from Krista yesterday in the 3 minutes of space that I was home between two English classes. What luck! She and Sam will be here in hilly La Paz tomorrow lunchish. Very excited!!

La Paz then, yes: that´s where I found myself this morning at 5.30am after being flogged off onto a bus that they guaranteed would be spacious enough for me (my stupid: I asked for a bus cama (bed bus) and they and their lower price talked their way into my acceptance. It was fine, just sore from the crampedness. Luckily when most everyone got off at the station, I stayed on (thinking ... well, I don´t know really) and the bus drove around the corner and let the rest of us (about 6) sleep till about 7am! That was cool. I was the only gringo (as far as I could tell) at the 2am stop of six buses for pee pee and a huevo con queso sandwich... mmm... and you know, I felt so comfortable. I think I must have looked comfortable too, because I was far less noticed (in my mind). I´m still a full on whitey though and my constant conditioning won´t let me forget it for now.

My camera didn´t work this morning when I was trying to take a photograph of a group of VERY excited and obliging Ayacucho performers outside the police station. It worked after I took the battery out and back in again. Might be the altitude or the friiiiiii.... eezing morning. That´s all about that.

The glorious sun however, at first neglecting the city and kissing the cuboid entanglement of abodes on the lip of this big ice-cream scoop, was nothing short of inspiring.

My own abode is a backpackers about which the LP warns to keep an eye on your stuff... Am I an idiot? I wangled a single room for the same price of a dorm though, so at least there´s that more security... Wangled? Me? I don´t think that´s going to be the regular direction of wanglation.

I´m here till Friday morning when I hope to fly over what is supposed to be the most incredible view from a plane in the world. I´m supposed to sit on the left side... (yes, yes... Lonely Planet ... goes and self flaggelates... again!)

More soon, after Lake Titicaca. And a picci or two.

Your friendly neighbourhood CB.