And I thought Peru was mad!!

Have made it to La Paz in Bolivia (one of the highest cities in the world apparently) after a long day.
The bus was supposed to leave Puno at 7.30am, although the woman had warned me that as it was coming from Lima it could arrive at any time! It eventually showed up at 10.45am. The bus station is on the shore of the lake, although how it can be called a lake when it is obviously another ocean is beyond me! So I went and sat down there for a while and felt very lucky to be sitting by the side of Lake Titicaca. Back at the bus station I chatted to a young English couple for a while and they gave me some useful information about the salt plains.
When the bus eventually showed it was another comfy one. I was tired and did want to sleep but also didn’t want to miss anything. The bus wound its way down the south side of the lake, through all the little villages. Most of the houses are made from mud blocks and reeds and life is so hard for the people. The women are in the fields tending to their small plots of land, or sitting with their animals by the side of the road (usually a few sheep, a couple of pigs and a llama or two) knitting and sewing. They are all in their hats and big skirts and shawls. Not too sure what the men are up to, probably at home in bed!
The Bolivian boarder was mayhem, people and cars and bikes everywhere. We all got off the bus and got our stamps to leave Peru and then walked over the boarder and got our Peruvian stamps. About twenty miles further down the road there was an army blockade and we all had to get out again and show our passports but it seemed to be ok
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Arrived in La Paz about 6pm. It is spectacular as you arrive, you climb up very high and then there is this huge city built into the valley and up the mountain and behind is a huge snow covered mountain.
Luckily I had booked a hostel so had somewhere to head towards. It is pretty central and in the middle of the chaos but think it is OK. It feels like Peru had very little rules and structure, but Bolivia has even less. There are people selling things everywhere! I was really hungry and went straight out to try and find some food; I wandered around and was beginning to think I wouldn’t make it. There are really steep hills and with this altitude it is hard and the only food there seemed to be was chicken.. everywhere! I had actually reached the point of thinking that I was going to have to eat chicken when luckily I found an Israeli restaurant in a hotel that had falafels… I was very relieved!

I’m looking forward to hopefully getting some rest and getting out exploring tomorrow. Everyone says that it is a fascinating city. I need to find out what the exchange rate is and what language people are speaking!