Not quite the hottest spot north of Havana
Well ages ago I was in Copacobana but i havent been in to update this thing. Will be brief anyway.. (yeah right)
So I left my lovely Spanish teacher Maria behind in La Paz after four days of Charades because she couldnt speak a word of the old Anglais so I have no idea if what im saying is even friendly, never mind correct, and then got me on the bus to Copa (in Spanish. Yes check me out indeed)
The only 'Gringa' on the bus and it took like, 4 hours when it should have taken two. Arrived in rainy Copacobana in the dark and was poached by a small lady to go to her hostal. But better than me wandering around in the dark. Missed the pal I had lined up through the Thorn Tree Forum {LP} so took myself off to a groovy bar called Nemos where I ordered in Spanish and the guy behind the bar (who looked like Jesus) answered in a Somerset twang. Chilled out, watched a band and left when some people started to twig I was on my lonesome - a bit tipsy after 3 coronas.
Next day Im lucky enough to meet the prospective pal (whom I had missed the night before) Ben from Melbourne who was also nursing a hangover with the sentence of a lovely ride on Lake Titicaca to Isla del Sol. Met someone who talks as much - and as animatedly - as I do, and before long we were firm pals. That night was a bit of a messy one where I then aquired the ski couple Nick & Claire and all in all Copacobana was a right laugh. On the sunday the whole village turns out with their clean and shiny cars and dresses them in flowers & garlands and gets them blessed in front of the main church. I have no idea why but its probably because of the way they drive in the mountains. Really pretty anyway.
Half way through the Sunday theres a power cut all over the whole village. Pitch black by 6pm, then the rains set in - oooh it was like the war! Hee hee. The locals didnt seem too bothered and it was all business as usual serving food cooked on gas stoves and candles everywhere. It was pretty cool.
Said Adios to Benny Boy and set off with Nick & Claire to Puno, and therefore a new country - Peru baby! Puno saved all of its rain just for us (and the little parade they had on Lima Calle) and we sorted out a trip to the Reed Islands etc.
Islands made of Reeds dont feel as safe as they dont look. Then the boat journey from hell as Lake Titicaca kicked up 3 meter waves and nearly capsized our barge like boat- i was totally sea sick - it took 3 hours to arrive at an unintersting island to spend 2 hours there only to do 3 hours back. Nice! Blurgh.
Left the lovely Claire and Nick behind and headed to Cusco where I was to meet my pals Id left in Bolivia. I gets changed, goes to Paddys irish bar on the main plaza and enter the pub blissfully unaware that im 24 hours early to meet me pals. As soon as I walk through the door I meet the gaze of a person I recognise from work. Well you cant go anywhere can you? Ben - an actor - was on his way to Puno an hour from then. Me not realising im a saddo with no friends budged him up and had a drink. End result was someone informing me it was the 14th not the 15th but by then i had aquired some lovely irish pisshead friends. Late night number one.
Met the girls the next night to say my final sorry goodbyes and had late night number two {details have to be sketchy Im afraid}.
Errr well Friday I was feeling 'a little under the weather' and stayed in. Still hadnt seen much of Cusco...
Saturday I had to meet my inca trail group and Im FULL of cold, sore throat, the lot... grumpy as you like in order to meet the group of canadians, english, japanese, and six, yes SIX Americanos, that were to be part of my pilgrimage to Machu Picchu.
No one sat too near for fear of the lurgy...
So I left my lovely Spanish teacher Maria behind in La Paz after four days of Charades because she couldnt speak a word of the old Anglais so I have no idea if what im saying is even friendly, never mind correct, and then got me on the bus to Copa (in Spanish. Yes check me out indeed)
The only 'Gringa' on the bus and it took like, 4 hours when it should have taken two. Arrived in rainy Copacobana in the dark and was poached by a small lady to go to her hostal. But better than me wandering around in the dark. Missed the pal I had lined up through the Thorn Tree Forum {LP} so took myself off to a groovy bar called Nemos where I ordered in Spanish and the guy behind the bar (who looked like Jesus) answered in a Somerset twang. Chilled out, watched a band and left when some people started to twig I was on my lonesome - a bit tipsy after 3 coronas.
Next day Im lucky enough to meet the prospective pal (whom I had missed the night before) Ben from Melbourne who was also nursing a hangover with the sentence of a lovely ride on Lake Titicaca to Isla del Sol. Met someone who talks as much - and as animatedly - as I do, and before long we were firm pals. That night was a bit of a messy one where I then aquired the ski couple Nick & Claire and all in all Copacobana was a right laugh. On the sunday the whole village turns out with their clean and shiny cars and dresses them in flowers & garlands and gets them blessed in front of the main church. I have no idea why but its probably because of the way they drive in the mountains. Really pretty anyway.
Half way through the Sunday theres a power cut all over the whole village. Pitch black by 6pm, then the rains set in - oooh it was like the war! Hee hee. The locals didnt seem too bothered and it was all business as usual serving food cooked on gas stoves and candles everywhere. It was pretty cool.
Said Adios to Benny Boy and set off with Nick & Claire to Puno, and therefore a new country - Peru baby! Puno saved all of its rain just for us (and the little parade they had on Lima Calle) and we sorted out a trip to the Reed Islands etc.
Islands made of Reeds dont feel as safe as they dont look. Then the boat journey from hell as Lake Titicaca kicked up 3 meter waves and nearly capsized our barge like boat- i was totally sea sick - it took 3 hours to arrive at an unintersting island to spend 2 hours there only to do 3 hours back. Nice! Blurgh.
Left the lovely Claire and Nick behind and headed to Cusco where I was to meet my pals Id left in Bolivia. I gets changed, goes to Paddys irish bar on the main plaza and enter the pub blissfully unaware that im 24 hours early to meet me pals. As soon as I walk through the door I meet the gaze of a person I recognise from work. Well you cant go anywhere can you? Ben - an actor - was on his way to Puno an hour from then. Me not realising im a saddo with no friends budged him up and had a drink. End result was someone informing me it was the 14th not the 15th but by then i had aquired some lovely irish pisshead friends. Late night number one.
Met the girls the next night to say my final sorry goodbyes and had late night number two {details have to be sketchy Im afraid}.
Errr well Friday I was feeling 'a little under the weather' and stayed in. Still hadnt seen much of Cusco...
Saturday I had to meet my inca trail group and Im FULL of cold, sore throat, the lot... grumpy as you like in order to meet the group of canadians, english, japanese, and six, yes SIX Americanos, that were to be part of my pilgrimage to Machu Picchu.
No one sat too near for fear of the lurgy...
posted by LesAlanos @ 10:36 AM
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