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So it turns out we both wrote a blog about La Paz - so here is the alternative version of events ;-)
So after leaving Isla Del Sol (island of the sun) we caught our way back by boat, again no life jackets as it was on the way over, however we are in typical fashion travelling about 200m from shore so those that can swim might have a chance of surviving. Once back Karl still not feeling well decided that he needed medical attention, so Jane organised a doctor to see Karl as soon as we found a hostel in La Paz. The bus trip from Copacabana was a little more crammed that we had grown accustomed to but it was cheap. It took us a little over 3 hours to get there, the outskirts (I guess you could call them slums, just built better) of La Paz is filthy and I mean filthy the local stream looks like the locals use it as the local dump, so any wonder why the water supply is dangerous for westerners. We followed the roads down a canyon to the center and CBD of La Paz, the canyon itself is very pretty with spires of clay/rock that have been eroded over many thousands of years into very beautiful shapes. The bus terminal is situated just out of the CBD so it only took us about 15mins to walk to the main tourist area where most of the hostels are situated. We picked a more expensive hostel as the facilities that it had was a bit better than most with our own private bathroom all the luxury even tempered water. So Karl saw his first doctor at about 8:30pm, Karls medication that he had been taking for altitude sickness also causes excessive toilet visits it turns out so Karl was ordered to stop it immediately, as well as take some other medications to settle his tummy down a little. Our next day was spent going back and forward between a medical clinic near a country club lower down in the canyon and back at the tourist area so we actually got to see a fair bit of the city going back and forward. Karls test came back with glowing results meaning that whatever infections had caused it was gone so the doctors prescribed a lot of pro-Biotics to build back up his system. Karl and Jane both decided to then spend the night at a movie theatre, which was much like the malls back home shops, food court, movie theatre, etc. We both had decided that the food should be pretty safe to eat at the food court especially with so many patrons. Quick Hint don't eat the sausage burgers in La Paz from any food court.... while Karl had a prescribed diet Jane was open to trying anything and after watching the latest Batman movie in English (YES!!!) with Spanish subtitles we got home went to bed only to have Jane up 2 hours later praying to the porcelain gods. Karl shared his anti-nausea medications which seemed to work a treat, as Jane didn't have a temperature, she then slept for 15hours and got up followed Karl to a restaurant and ate some mashed potato (always a relatively safe choice) while Karl ate Chicken skewers which were delicious.
Our last day in La Paz we spent it wandering the streets which were pretty empty due to it being a public holiday so the day we are both fine almost everything was closed DOH!! We did manage to go to the Witches Market which was partially open. We got to see dried llama fetuses which are used as an offering to Pachamama (mother earth) when a building is built, it is buried underneath the porch which is meant to bring good luck to that household. They also give them up as offerings to the gods at harvest time (indigenous Bolivians are not as converted to Catholicism as Peruvians) we then went to Plaza Murillo which is where the government is situated around, there are still bullet holes in the presidential palace many decades after they first appeared, it was a very tidy square where Jane got pictures with the Presidential Guards and we just hung out and enjoyed our time.
We caught the Night bus at 7 to Uyuni, Bolivia it was meant to be a 11-12 hour journey after the first hour the driver was feeling tired so decided to pull over sleep for 5 minutes have a coffee and then after about 1/2 an hour keep driving for the remaining time. So is Bolivia safe to travel round in a bus in.... Sure... the bus trip was a bit of a disaster for us seeing as we booked late we got really s*** seats that wouldn't recline at all, and then the driver also picked up some indigenous Bolivians that smelt like the had never used a shower in a month along with all their worldly belongings (a lot of big bags). after 5 hours of sealed road and a bus with no shock absorbers we then hit gravel and Karl and Jane both left their seats several times in the night, which was a back breaking experience. The bus arrived at 5 in the morning so the driver was obviously speeding but we made it to Uyuni Safe which was all that mattered.
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uellan oh, what a story... you will be able to laugh one day but probably not at the moment! i can just seeyou both being jolted in one of those buses...