Bolivia is too high

We have been moving like crazy and I haven't had many chances to get on-line. I counted the other day, and we had taken 12 trips of one sort or another in 6 days! Three flights, two boat rides, two train rides, and five bus rides. I prefer the flights.

We are now in our third stop in Bolivia. I can't breathe anywhere here. First was Copacabana/ LakeTiticaca/Isla Del Sol which was beautiful. But the altitude here is so high - it is the highest lake in the world - that walking up ten steps leaves everyone gasping a bit. And walking 30+ minutes up to your hostel with a full pack on your back on rough rocks and stones is like toture! In addition, I have been introduced to altitude sickness. Beyond the heavy breathing, this includes irritability (though with me it is hard to tell whether this is from the altitude or just natural) and probably the most intense headaches I've had ever.

Despite this Isla Del Sol was definitely one of my favorite stops on the trip so far. If it weren't for the donkeys making their donkey noises and the children running around yapping, it would be nealy silent. All around is this huge beautiful lake, with little towns nestled in the hills and mountians rising up. It is a little bit like Lake Como or Cinque Terre, though poorer. But still beautiful. We all woke up at 6:30 the next morning to watch the sun come up over the largest of the mountains - very nice.

Next was La Paz where we were only for about 20 hours total. But we met up with a guy who is friends with another MBA grad and originally from just outside Ann Arbor and he showed us around. Very congested and polluted city, but not too bad. It seems like there is a more upscale and artsy area which we only spent a couple of hours in at night for dinner that might be pretty nice. But again, the altitude here was even higher than anywhere else we'd been and a challenge. Our hostel was pretty ridiculous - I took video of how we had to walk to get to our room, and if I could ever get to an internet cafe with USB ports, I could post it. Actually, this hostal we stayed at hadincredbily fast internet and all the hook-ups we needed, but some punk red-headed kid was hogging it from 8 AM till we checked-out at noon, no joke.

From La Paz we took a quick 45 minute flight and went from the highest airport in the world I believe, to only like 150 meters above sea level, and from reasonably cool temperature to like 98 percent humidity. Our current town of Rurrenabeque is the launch point for our Amazon tour. They have an airport with one landing strip that is grass and only 4 flights come in and out in a day. Needless to say, it is a pretty small and remote village. We'll be out sleeping in tents the next three nights, so while I am not looking forward to that, I am looking forward to the chance of seeing sloths and monkeys and jaguars and gators and exotic birds.

I guess that is all for now. I won't have internet access till the 20th or 21st, but hopefully I can provide a report on my jungle tour then!