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So lying out in the sun yesterday was a bad idea as lastnight I had stinging sunburn all over my body and found it impossible to sleep - on the plus side though my body temp was high. Yesterday I had brought a typical sweet the kids of Yumani like to enjoy by the name of Galleta Dulce: translation; Sweet Biscuit. Basically 6 biscuits stacked on top of each other, in-between each a sweet jam like layer and the whole thing covered in coconut pieces - the result not that great rather soggy and uninteresting. It may be that the one I tried was old and hence soggy but I don't think I will bother trying another as there are another million other things to try here. I have also been eating this thing called puffed trigo (wheat) - similar texture and appearance as popcorn and coated in a very light sweet coating - the locals eat it as a snack but I like it as a dry breakfast cereal. A few hours later and I had a bit of a belly ache - beginning to think the Galleta Dulce may not of been so fresh. At about 9am I said goodbye to the old man who owned the place I stayed at and made my way down to the dock ready to catch my boat back to Copacabana. I ran into 4 lovely Malaysian ladies I had briefly met the day before and we spent the next hour talking about our travels and reminiscing over the magnificent food of Malaysia. They were a real inspiration these ladies - all around 60 years of age and doing a big trip of South America and not in luxury but roughing it like a backpacker. The boat came to pick us up but as my Grandma would say we were too busy gas-bagging and were last to board boat. Unfortunately they had sold too many tickets and they had to put us on another boat and you guessed it no seat for us just the cold hard floor, how could I complain my new Malaysian friends surely weren't. The boat journey was very very slow and incredibly boring as I could not see anything from down on the floor - I channeled my thoughts on some delicious Trucha (fried trout) at the street market for lunch. I exchanged emails with my new Malaysian friends and promised a visit when I am next in Kuala Lumpur. I went and dumped my bags at my hostel then went straight to the market - my mind was set on Trucha but when I arrived a few other dishes took my fancy. After wondering around and being indecisive for an hour I settled on a place busy with locals and had these burger patty things with a little salad, freeze dried black potatoes, spicy salsa and an avocado I had purchased earlier. The avocado just so happened to be the worst I have ever had and maybe this will nip my avocado addiction. The meal on the other hand was not bad, nothing amazing but in the end I got it really cheap at 90c as I didn't want the plate full of rice and potatoes. I spent the next few hours wondering around the markets trying to find new things to try. I brought some boiled/puffed maize, and freeze dried potatoes for breakfast. I then came across one of many stalls selling puffed wheat, quinoa, corn, nuts, soy beans, Fava beans, figs and every other snack imaginable. I asked the lady if I could mix and match and got a mix of everything from 4 types of dried soy beans, to sweet candy pieces and a traditional snack called meloncocha. I only tried the dried soy/fava beans and the dried corn and it was all surprisingly tasty - the locals here munch these snacks all day like they are going out of fashion. I also went and checked out the most famous Catholic Church in Bolivia where thousands upon thousands of Pilgrims visit each year - surprisingly it was open and free so I had a good look around. I decided to hike back up Cerro Mountain (the best view point in Copacabana), Luisa and I had hiked it the other day but had some how missed the pilgrim trail. The hike up was actually quite challenging and within 5 minutes I found myself out of breath again. As it was Sunday the hill and observatory was packed with people waiting for the sunset - being a bit selfish I wished there were not so many people but such is life. Another thing I really like about Bolivia is in all the hostals I manage to get my own room, not that I overly mind sharing but having a good nights sleep, somewhere to practice yoga and the ability to lock my things up is a godsend. After watching the sunset I made my way down the hill, unfortunately I left it a bit late and going down the stairs in the pitch dark I felt like Froddo Baggins from The Lord of The Rings - on an Epic Quest to Middle Earth! I finally made it back to my accomodation grabbed a few warmer clothes and headed out for dinner. I wondered for an hour before deciding to go to this locally run restaurant - when I had walked passed earlier the place was full and had 10 people in takeaway lane. I went for the dish everyone was ordering Silpanthru - same as I had the othernight with Luisa. There was a little old man running the place and his 5 yr old daughter was waiting the tables and I am guessing it was his wife in the kitchen. I asked him for no rice and when the dish came out it not only had no rice but a plate full of salad - just what I wanted. This time the meat paddy was huge, the egg perfect, 5 different bits n pieces in the salad, fresh cut hot chips and a salsa sause to die for. Next came the soup (soups come after the mains here) and wow what a treat - the local product: quinoa soup with various vegetables, herbs and spices. And to finish it all off this delicious warm spicy and slightly sweet drink - all of that for $1.20; one of the best value meals on the planet I am sure. There were some local tour guides sitting next to me and we struck up a bit of conversation as one of them had very good English. He told me the place was always packed and its very hard to get a seat, the burgers always thicker, the salads always fresher, the salsa with the perfect spice, the chips perfectly cooked, even the rice tastes better here he said and the soup out of this world. He was not wrong and I really can't believe my luck finding this place and meeting the only English speaking Bolivian in Copacabana. I am actually as I am writing this considering staying one more night so I can return to the restaurant? I have been thinking a lot about my travels and how such a huge part of them has become about food and all the different styles, tastes, textures and ingredients and how interesting it would be to make a career out of those two things. I actually have a few fresh unseen before business ideas that I am sure would appeal to a good percentage of the market. After the amazing meal I headed back to my accomodation refueled and recharged and with a smile ear to ear from having my best Bolivian meal so far. Lesson learned be indecisive, hunt out the dark alleys, follow the locals and get in and look - how busy is it, family run, no seats and most importantly no one noticing the out of place gringo because they are all too busy with their heads down divulging their food.
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