Hello

Hope all are well. Again the picture is not really reflecting where we are but at least where we are headed.

It´s now been 5 days in La Paz. We were supposed to leave this morning but I had rather a hectic night and was not in any fit state to crawl out of bed. I´ve been ill pretty much since we arrrived in La Paz. We went out for a meal at an authentic Bolivian Restaurant with Stephano and Ombretta on Thursday night and the authenticity of the food has nearly killed me. Am starting a course of antibiotics today so hopefully that should clear it up.

We have been treading a path through La Paz´s streets in largely pretty appalling weather. It rains everyday and I don´t think we recognised the fact that staying at altitude would mean it was so bloody cold. There has been a festival going on since Saturday culminating in a street carnival today and tomorrow. We had a chance to see some of it today but the rest of the time (and today) the festival largely consists of food, beer and water fights. Unfortunately we´ve not really been in a fit state to join in any so we have been trying to avoid (with varying sucess) being hammered by water bombs or sprayed in the face with foam. After 3 days of it I am finding it less and less amusing. Aside from the fact we don´t have any clean clothes to change into, it´s too bloody cold for throwing water around. However, the locals seem to love it and I´m sure had I been it better health we would have hit the streets armed to the teeth and shown them some English/Swedish steel. Ah well, maybe next time. We did have a chance to do lots of shopping in La Paz´s street markets so lots of stuff is winding it´s way (hopefully) to England and Sweden.

Tomorrow morning will be our second attempt at getting a bus to Copacobana (not the Brazilian beach) on the shores of Lake Titicaca and we will be hoping for better weather and better health.

Take care

love Paul and Betty.