Bolivia Border Run!

Shopping in La Paz- I didn't buy this hat, but I should have!

Traditional Bolivian skirt!  Playing dress up in the hostel in La Paz

La Paz

Baby Lllama fetuses in the witches market in La Paz
... there is some sort of superstition involving these.  Pure witchcraft I think.




The Witches Market (Mercato de la Bruja) in La Paz

 

  From La Paz we took the bus to Copacabana, on Lake Titicaca.

our cisne (swan) paddle boat ride!

Lovin it! ( I let Selena drive!)



Lake Titicaca, Bolivia



Probably the most upscale place I have stayed since the annual meeting in Bar Harbor- the roof still leaked!

Our luxury suite in Copacabana

Heading out for the Isla del Sol on a rainy Monday!

Taking refuge from the rain on Isla Del Sol

Isla del Sol

Thanksgiving Cuzco

    So now that all the holidays have passed, I have some time to get caught up on updating the blog.  So here's what Thanksgiving in Cuzco was like.  In case you didn't know, Peruvians do not celebrate the arrival of the Pilgrims to the United States.  It was difficult to explain to my students what Thanksgiving is... so I pretty much just told them we eat a lot of turkey and pumpkin pie to celebrate when some white people came to our country. 
     Unlike last year in Costa Rica, where I had a dinner alone on Thanksgiving, we had a big ex-pat Thanksgiving party.  I made an apple pie and a sweet potato and squash casserole.  I found out that our oven doesn't work very well... it took about 4 hours for my apple pie to be completely cooked!  Oh well.... it was still delicious! 

Teachers enjoying the spread.  From left- Justin, Nick, Alexis, Becca

It feels like Thanksgiving when theres children around!  One of the teacher's girlfriend's children came.  And yes, the beer can was later spilled by the baby.

No leftovers!

The Whole Crew!

Rock climbing Cuzco!

Elias climbing

the view

Amy

My first rappel

     Rock Climbing!  So one day my roomate Amy, who recently started working part time at a nearby hostel, asked me if I would like to go rockclimbing with her and a guide she knows from work.  Of course I immediately said yes.... and it was free!  So we headed out on a beautiful Sunday morning with Alex, the guide, Cameron (a teacher) and her mother, and a few extra Peruvians.

      We took a taxi up to a spot called "La Garganta del Diablo" (translation: The Devil's Throat) behind some of the ancient ruins on the hills outside Cuzco.  There we go suited up, and up we went!  So I got my first taste of REAL rock climbing, and loved it.  Fortunately, Alex asked me to go climbing again with him and Elias, another Peruvian who had come along with us that day.  So the following day we hiked up the hill again, and did some bouldering at the "Monkey Temple."  Now I'm hooked.
  

As we were leaving to depart for a climbing adventure, we stumbled upon some sort of event in the plaza.  This is pretty typical for a Sunday in Cuzco, but this is the first time I had seen the Chewbaca-looking costumes.



The Police dogs were out in full force in the park where we waited

Walking back down to Cuzco in the rain

This is the Puma shaped rocked where we climbed at the Monkey temple