Potosí - mine trip

So today we went to the mines in Potosí...what a trip! First of all we were taken to get kitted out - think fireman Sam gone wrong. Then off we plodded to the Miner´s Market to buy gifts for the miners. Here we casually spent 30 bolivianos on soda, coca leaves and...dynamite. Like you do.
After that we headed up to see the various mineral plantations and from there on to the real adventure. I was feeling quite apprehensive about the trip because I had heard various stories about if you get claustrophobic then it´s not the kind of trip you should do. Now I´m not someone who feels like that but it made me panic a bit knowing that getting out of the mine would be such a problem if I did feel uncomfrotable. Obviously adding to this was the whole Chiliean miners story -just to make me feel that bit more at ease.
We started walking into the mines and it was so far so good . We saw miners at work - some work for 24 hours when they do a double shift. Just incredible how they can work in such conditions. Most of them don´t wear masks so after years of working there (some boys start at the age of 15) they often have problems with their lungs. Also the constant bending to get around and pulling the carts with all the rocks in must really take it´s toll on their backs as well.
There were various points during the trip that we had to literally scramble on our hands and knees to get through holes. I was so out of breath afterwards (not from being unfit! - altitude I´ll have you all know - this is the highest city in the world after all). I had got a bandana to put around my mouth and nose to not breath in all the dust (and potential asbestos) but this did not help the breathing situation at all, in fact it just made it worse. There was a moment where I had to calm myself down because I thought I was going to go into panic mode. It all worked out ok though.
We got to one point where there was a "Tio" God/Devil. They worship the "Tio" in the mines, like the devil, because they are underground, and God is for over ground. There were offerings to him which mainly included cigarettes and alcohol. We then all had a swig of the alcohol that the miners drink - just a standard 95%. Obviously in England this would be used to clean wounds but here it´s to have a good time - a bottle costs just 10 bolivians (1 pound).
After two or so hours walking / ducking / climbing / crawling around the mines the "light at the end of the tunnel" so to speak, was in sight. Then came another health and safety carefree activity - dynamite explosions! The guide showed us how to make a bomb (in under a minute) with the dynamite. He then proceeded to light the dynamite and pass it round all of us and take photos. Obviously this had to be done rather quickly as we had previously been told there was only a mintue per metre of fuse. It bought a whole new meaning to the word hot potato the way people were passing it along. haha. The guide then ran very quickly down the hill and back up again and then... BOOM.

I love Sucre

So after a few days in La Paz and then a grueling 10 hour bus journey from Cochabamba I arrived at the lovely Sucre. Whitewashed buildings, lovely plazas and a great climate - perfecto. On the first day here I bumped into a German girl that I had met previously so we then spent all day walking around and exploring Sucre and have spent pretty much all our time together.

The next day we went to an artesania shop where I bought a magazine for children who work in the street - think Big Issue for kids. We were in the Plaza having a juice and a read of the magazine when I read that they needed volunteers. I asked one (of the many) kids selling the magazine to take me to the person in charge so I could find out a bit more about the magazine etc.
So off I went to talk with Cesar, a volunteer that brings the magazine to the children. The way it works is that half the money goes to the kid who sells the magazine and half goes towards making more magazines. After a quick chat he asked if I would like to help...so I did. I basically had to go round with a kid and talk the tourists into buying a magazine. I mean it costs nothing but obviously most people sitting in the plaza had been plagued by the many kids selling the magazine so some were really not happy. Soon enough we sold what we needed to though.
After selling the magazines the kids were going to a comedor - a soup kitchen for poor children aged 2 - 14. Cesar invited me to go and help out there as well so again, off I trotted... and I´m so glad I did.
Most of the people helping out were Bolivian university students who go 5 times a week and help out there. Around 150 kids go during the week but this increases on a Saturday. There´s a doctor on hand and if they want they can get a shower there. After we finished and all the kids had gone I had lunch with the rest of the volunteers and they were all so friendly. In fact afterwards they were having a baby shower for one of the women so they invited me to go to their house and party. In the bus ride we were chatting with this random guy who made artesania who gave Cesar and I free rings, so all in all it was a lucky day.

On Sunday I had planned to go and visit a market but said I would help sell the magazine again. I turned up (after 3 hours sleep after getting in at 6 from a club!) to find that no magazine had been published and they wern´t going to be selling that day. The kids, however, had turned up so I spent an hour or so with them just chatting. I let them take pictures on my camera and they absolutely loved it, running around the plaza snapping away.

My plan was to leave on Monday but after meeting such lovely people at the soup kitchen (and other travellers) I said I would go again and help out on Monday. The plan is to do the last day tomorrow - Wednesday, but who knows if I will stay longer....Sucre is one of those places you could stay for a very long time.

Boliva begins - Isla del sol

After our night on Uros island we headed over to Taquile island which turned out to be very dissapointing. After literally a walk up to the plaza, lunch and a walk over the other side we headed back to Puno (yes that really is what that island trip consisted of!). I stayed the night there and Ceri headed back to the orphanage. I had a real dilemma as to whether I should just go back to the orphanage with her as I really missed the kids already. Obviously I decided to carry on with the Gringo trail and crossed over the Bolivian border to Copacabana. I met an Australian woman on the bus so we decided to share a hostal together and head to the islands the next day together as well.
After a night spent in a power cut we got the long boat to La Isla del Sol on Lake Titicaca the next day. Most tourists stop at the south part so we wanted to go to the north. We managed to share a boat with what turned out to be a lovely group of people - a really nice German guy and one of the nicest families I have ever met, from Arequipa, Peru.
We all went to the same eco accomodation - very rustic and then all did the walk up to the ruins together and it was just incredible. We got there just before sun set. It really was beautiful and possibly one of my favourite moments of the trip.

Night on a floating island in a straw hut!

So once again I have been a bit lazy on the old blogs and I have so much to write!!

After leaving the orphanage Ceri (another volunteer) and I headed south to Puno. We arrived at 5 in the morning and went straight to the hostal to get a few hours kip. We woke up bright and early and after grabing some food went down to the port of Lake Titicaca (Peru side) to sort out going to las islas flotantes - the floating islands. We had originally wanted to stay on the island of Taquille but we were told that this wouldn´t be possible so would have to stay on Uros. I have to say I didn´t really know what to expect and when we got to Uros and I saw all these straw huts I was thinking what have I let myself in for. Hahaha. We stopped there for a bit and we were told all about the islanders and how they have no help from the government. They live through tourism and are pretty cut off from the outside world apart from the tourists and the odd trip to the main island for certain foods.
After the talk we were then sung to which was very weird. I didn´t like this as it was clearly for the tourists and also...they were terrible at singing! They did a song in quechua, then a song in English which just so happened to be Row row row your boat. It was so funny. Me and Ceri were trying not to laugh but it was so hard not to.
We then took our straw mercedes benz over to the other part of Uros which would be our home for the night. Here there was a restaurant, a bar and our "hotel". I´d just like to point out that this was all made of straw on an island that´s only 11 metres deep. We were shown our accomodation which was a hut with two mattreses inside. Then we spent the rest of the afternoon just chatting and relaxing and watching the sun set over Puno in the distance. We asked if it was ok to go for a walk and the girl looked a bit puzzled but said yes. We started walking and soon realised that the island we were on was literally a few metres long! There was nowhere to walk to!
We had a lovely dinner but I was a bit dissapointed that it wasn´t with the family. After sunset it was a case of using the torch to get around as there was no light which was funny when trying to go to the outside, and very basic toilet! It was still quite early but we were shattered from all the travelling so did a bit of reading by candlelight from under the several blankets as it was so cold, and then bed.

the end of Cusco

So after many complaints that I have not written I decided I should write another post before I lose my audience! haha.
Where to begin since I last wrote.....

So last week a few others from the orphanage and I did white water rafting. It was wicked! We drove two hours away from Cusco to the mountains and the scenery was just incredible. We were given (rather tight) wetsuits, a lesson and then off along the river. It was so much fun but bloody cold. We got told we could have a swim after quite a while of rafting so I assumed that meant it was the end of the trip. The water was freezingggggg! Unfortunately it wasn´t the end of the trip and we still had another 40mins of rafting to do so my hands and feel were so cold. I was also having a go at the front of the raft so jsut kept getting all the water in my face. Not as much as Sadir though. Our guide thought he would have a joke on him and move him to the front where he got soaked!
There were a few hairy moments when, for example, we got stuck on a rock. I thought that was it - we´re all going in. The guide sorted the weight balance by moving a few of us and we managed to stay in the raft. My biggest fear of the trip was that I was going to be the moron that fell in and had to be rescued by the guides following in the kayaks. I wedged my feet firmly in the raft to avoid this!
After two hours rafting we got to use the saunas and hot showers which were well needed after the cold. Then lunch and back home. Top day out.

Another trip which obviously had to be done whilst in Peru was the Inca Trail and Machu Picchu. All I can say is thank God I only picked the two day trek because it was hard work. I would like to blame altitude for it being so difficult but I think I have had enough time to acclimatize now so it must be down to me being so unfit!
The trek was hard but obviously it was worth it. It´s incredible there. I don´t know whether I was more impressed by the views or the way the Inca´s lived and the things that they built.

As we were up at 4am (for the second day running) we managed to get on the list to climb Wyna Pichu. Only 400 people can climb a day and I was almost tempted to say no when I saw it. When we arrived at the Sun Gate the day before I thought the guy was joking when he pointed the mountain out because I was thinking there was no way I was going to make it up that. Anyway, I knew that I couldn´t go all that way, have the opportunity to climb it and not do it. I did it with this lovely Australian couple and an American girl also on my trip but I had to put my ipod in (glad I listened to Chloe for once) and not speak. It was quite funny walking up because everyone just looked shattered and sweaty and people had to keep stopping to catch their breath. Once we got to the top though it was all worth it and the views were amazing. By the time we got back down again it was lunch time so we headed back on the bus to our hostal and there was an all you could eat buffet - perfecto.

As I was going away for two days I decided it was best to say my good byes at the orphanage before the trip. It was really sad to leave the kids. They really are lovely. To think about how much they have gone through and the lives they have had, it´s remarkable how some of them have coped. I got a bit emotional leaving one of the boys behind - I seriously contemplated whether I could adopt him or not. He kept asking when I was coming back and it´s so hard to give an answer as obviously I can´t be sure and I don´t want to promise anything.
A few of us went out for lunch and then I said I wanted to get a cake for the kids as a leaving present. The boys found this hugeeeee tub of ice cream as well. We took it home and the kids got so excited. Afterwards we had a bit of a party. I love those moments when all the kids look so happy, dancing and being silly - doing what children should do. Unfortunately, there was a downside to the party which was that the night before one of the boys had escaped. I don´t think he will come back now to be honest. He´s one of the slightly older ones and has escaped many times. I just pray he manages to stay safe wherever he is.

Well my last day in Cusco is here. I am quite sad to leave to be honest. I feel settled here. Last night I stayed in a hostal in the plaza. Breakfast this morning was the perfect way to end my last day. Sat with a window view of the Plaza de Armas with the sun shining - que lindo.

Cusco y mis amigos aca - les extrañaré muchisimo.