This further proves my theory that nothing in Latin America is made for the tall gentleman!

Ten days ago I arrived in lovely La Paz, Bolivia after 27 hours on a bus. I boarded the double-decker beast in Lima well aware of the tourture that lie ahead. The bus, engineered by a Brazilian company was clearly made by short people, for short people. If I have learned anything from my travels in Latin America it is that the greedy owners of bus companies pack so many damn seats into their busses (city or coach) that dangerous would be an understatement. It is not uncommon that I will board a bus here and be forced into a tiny back seat with my knees pulled up to my jowels and my bag uncomfortably stuffed in my face. This particular bus voyage was not so bad.

The day after my departure and only 20 short hours into a fantastic bus ride, we arrived at the Peru/Bolivia border at a town named Desaguadero, a name I will always remember. After standing in line and getting an exit stamp from Peru, I proceed to cross over the river which divides the two nations. Before actually leaving Peru, a robotic police officer of average stature and and strict facial features waved me over to his office while making small talk. Upon entering the building he learned that I am indeed a gringo from the loved/hated United States of America. He then proceeded inform me about drug trafficking and its serious implications while showing me photos of international travelers handcuffed next to mountains of cocaine and statuesque, shotgun-toting police officers beaming proudly over their captured contraband. I politely told him that I understood that such an act is highly illegal and that I neither possessed the listed items, nor did I intend to. He then decided to search my backpack and interrogate me about its contents and implied several times that I may indeed be one of those unfortunate travelers who get caught with drugs on them at the border. He asked me to empy my pockets and STUPIDLY, I revealed all of my cash on his desk, along with my iPod and a few miscellaneous items. I had just enough money to purchase a Bolivian tourist visa and as I set it down on his desk, time stood still for a second and I remembered that not all police officers in this part of the world are honest. To make a long story short, he stole 20 bucks from me and sent me on my way saying thanks for visiting and come back soon, with a smile on his face. I exited the building, counted my cash and instantly realized that I had been DUPED! Needless to say, I did not have enough money to pay for my visa and the police officer´s Bolivian cousin on the other side of the border was not sympathetic to my situation even though I explained myself. Thank Dog that I speak the language!

So I entered Bolivia enraged and alone. Great start to a new country, eh? Anyway, La Paz is a quaint little city with a mountain/colonial/indigenous feel to it. I already looked into working a long-term job here as a mountain bike guide but Evo Morales wants 1000 bucks for a work visa so I told him to take that visa and shove it, cuz I am already dropping some coin on this country! For the time being, I am tending bar at my hostel for a bed to sleep in and some scraps (really delicious) food. I am having fun and look forward to spending a couple more lazy weeks here before I figure out where I want to go next. I am told that La Paz has a way of sucking the passing traveler in and not letting go. I see what they mean.

A solo trek to Marcahuasi

So I've been hanging around Lima for about four weeks not really knowing where or when to make my next move. I am enjoying myself and relaxing quite a bit but it has recently become apparent to me that my time in this part of the world is short and I need to get moving to cover more ground and see new places. So last week I set out for a quick solo backpacking trip to Marcahuasi, an ancient Incan observatory set at the top of a mountain not far from Lima. The mountain is topped with interesting rock formations resembling human heads, camels and even religious icons...if you use your imagination. Said to have been created by extraterrestrials, these rock formations definitely have unique shapes, unlike any I have ever seen. It is no wonder that the Incan people used this basin with its natural acoustics and magestic beauty to observe the celestial spheres dancing in the heavens.

My first (and only) night at Marcahuasi began with one of the most fantastic sunsets I have ever seen. I had spent most of the day in delerium, walking around camp in a daze searching for a shady place to rest after a sudden onset of altitude sickness. I had to drink more than half my water to ensure that I wouldn't drop dead at the top of the mountain and thus cut my trip down by a full 24 hours. However, once the afternoon sun melted into the horizon and shade settled over the rock basin, I became instantly energized and felt the urgent need to witness the puesta del sol, as sunsets are rare this time of year in Lima. I grabbed a jacket and my sunglasses and took a short walk out of the camp to go watch the show.

I found a rocky pier which jutted out of the basin and over the side of the mountain, revealing a group of burnt black granite spires to the south. Standing at attention like a hundred Incan warriors, the spires had surely seen this spectacle every day for their million year existence. To the west I could see a deep valley slowly filling with clouds rolling off of the Pacific ocean. Following the valley out to the perfectly flat plane of the sea I found the sun. Delicately balanced on the point where water meets sky, the hot ball of light turned a brilliant orange and eventually into a deep reddish purple until nothing was left. The sky followed suit after the disappearence of the sun and quickly went from blue to pink to purple night. I had seen sunsets before but nothing quite like this. Just as the show ended I turned to head back to camp and was stopped in my tracks by the most brilliant white moon I have ever seen. It was like a shiny silver dollar rising in the eastern sky. Its rays of light seemed to pierce my heart and once again, I was left breathless. All I could do was laugh to myself, knowing that only a handful of people have ever seen this same spectacle.

So after eating some soup and unsuccessfully attempting to light a fire (dried llama dung and green twigs being my only fuel option) I watched the moon dominate the sky for another hour and headed to bed. The trip to Marcahuasi, although being difficult with it's 16,000 ft elevation and extremely dry air, was a complete success. I can't say I have ever enjoyed being by myself so much. The next day I packed out and began the long journey home filled with bumpy, dusty bus rides and angry taxi drivers. I so enjoyed my trip that I am very anxious to get out of Lima and even out of the country. I am not completely sure where I will end up next but Bolivia might be on my agenda very soon. Until then, the wayfaring anthropologist wishes you well and thanks for reading!