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The last you heard of us we were on the outskirts of La Paz flying down the world´s most dangerous road on mountain bikes. After surviving this exilherating descent we decided we should have a go at testing our bodies in the other direction and attempt an ascent of nearby mountain Hyuani Potosi. At 6088m this peak is as high as everest base camp and supposedly the easiest 6000m climb in South America. However after talking to a local guide in a travel agency we were told that our chances of summiting (check out the mountaineer speak!) were slim as the weather was very poor. As if to underline this fact when another agent was trying to persuade us that it would be fine and the weather glorious for the coming days, she was interrupted by a huge clap of thunder and an almost instantaneous downpour. With our minds made up we retreated to the safety of the Adventure Brew Hostel (where they give you free beer) and resolved to stay in La Paz for New Years Eve.
Permit me to digress for a minute. I am as I write this being subjected to my fourth genuinely awful film on the bus journey from Haucachina to Cuzco. I will never forgive Hillary Duff for the awful 2 hours she has put me through. Anyhow I will soldier on against the next showing which appears to be…wait…wait for it…oh great ´daddys little girl´. Excellent.
So as if to reassure us that we had made the right decision we met a fantastic group of people to spend new year with. A special mention goes to Jules and Nat, an aussie couple who had been travelling on and off for about 9 years, were now heading back to Oz after two years of living it up in London town. However the next day my new year took a turn for the worse when I awoke feeling awful again and spent a good while sussing things out on the toilet. A doctor was summoned and I was prescribed a celebratory course of antibiotics with which to usher in 2010 and vanquish the evil trout salmonella from my body. At 11:45 I managed to raise myself and lumber like a newly risen zombie to see in the new year from the hostel bar on a hill above La Paz. Despite feeling around 5% out of a 100 it was hard not to be amazed by the city spread out below and climbing up above us. As midnight arrived thousands of fireworks erupted from all over the place in the largest uncoordinated display I have ever seen. Twenty minutes later I was back on my throne.
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