Saturday, May 03, 2008

A beautiful Morning

Its a beautiful morning on this shore of Lake Titikaka. Im in the Hotel Rosario which is probably the best hotel in Copacabana. I have been lucky enough to get the best suit in the hotel. It has been quiet enough for me to sleep well.

Im here on a tour and have found my guide and taveling companions a delight.

I am disquited to dis cover that I have not been able to keep up with 60 year olds on walks. My oxigen intake seems to be my problem. Ever since that dose of something from the air conditioning on the flight from Motetevieo to Santiago and my subsequet lung problems I havre been left short of breath evn in my home on the desert. Here in the high Andes ther is no hiding from the reality of my diminished powers of oxegen intake.

Took a boat trip to the Island of the Sun yester day and walked to some ruins at which regular cerimonies take place to this day.

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Being Here

I´ve begun shopping around for a flight home, probably LAX. Flights are expensive.

Thought it would be a good idea to by a ticket before I lost my last atm card. Total flight will be well over $800. I remember taking a cruize ship for a very similar trip for about $150. Less than 2 years ago I made a bit longer S Am trip for just over $400.

My fixed income is looking small.



I still expect to have time to make the pilgimage to Copacabana and look around a bit better.



Good air quality here for such a large city. Winnapeg, Canada also has good air but is a lot smaller.

Paz in La Paz

I´m in La Paz. Tried three hotels last night trying to get a tranquill night´s sleep. Didn´t quit make it. Paid for two hotels. Will try another room in the last one tonight.
El Alto La Paz is enormous. It´s like 3/4 of every village in the Andes has moved there and is well into becoming part of the modern world. Painful process, but we humans are pretty tough.
The airport is in El Alto and I had an ablogging cab driver show me around a bit of that high platau. (I´m getting spellcheck in Spanish again). As the drive down to La Paz proper is a bit expensive I thought a bit of a tour was in the offing.

The rid down was amazing and dramatic. The views of the city are astounding. The road down is good, but very steep and long. La Paz is in a big, hilly valley. The a variety of elevations ads even greater interest to the long, wide, amazing sight.

Its getting a bit harder for me to go into a strange new place and accomodate myself. I would like to get used to the reality of being a 70 year old before I am 75.

Anyway I am more or less accomodated here. Found this little combined coffee house and internet cafe after arranging for a new room, laundry and ironing, having breakfast, buying medication, and a pen this morning after a bad nights sleep which began well after midnight. Not too bad for a 70 year old.

Wonder what Evo will do about persons of capital reach for greatter autonomy a top of the other problems of the country. Some of his moves seem a bit ill advised. He is getting some help from the powers in Cuba and Venezuela, but it doesn´t seem to be quit enough. He still has the overwhelming support of the "working class."

Sunday, April 27, 2008

Observations

Just watched an amazing parade of new kindergartners! Great bands! Great marching music! Great ballons! And ......... a mile of these amazing little people �marching� the distance like they did it every day. Marvelous. Great to see.


I�m presently in the pretty and handsome city of Cochabamba, Bolivia. It is at present only slightly marred by air pollution, but well before the kindergarteners I just watched are anywhere near my age I expect the present air polution will have much lessened.

Today is a Sunday and most businesses are closed. I believe that if I go to the airport I will be able to reserve a seat on a flight to La Paz. The long bus trips are not as much fun as they once were. Still I did enjoy the 12 hour ride here from Santa Cruz. Lots of good sights. Lots of good conversation. Conversation example: A young man who had begun working underground in the mines at the age of eight and continued in that work until the age of 13 when mine work killed his father. At a later date he was able to find work in Argentina building new subways in Buenos Aires for about three years. With the money he saved he was able to buy a decent coca plantation which with his work as a driver is enoung to take care of his family. The older man I sat next to for much of the time work 25 years on a large minning dredge and became one of the very few Bolivian dredge captains. I have been aboad these dredges. Amazing. They are very large and are capable of making their own lake and moving it with them as they process ore.
I was tired after the 12 hours, but handled it well. Even the 1/2 hour in the road as a flat was fixed. Missed the first class bus.

More later.

About Me

My photo
Colombia
I discover, get understanding, enjoy myself, and take care of business.

My Blog List

Blog Archive