Sorata and beyond

Joshua and I have spent the last week in and above Sorata. Sorata is a charming, small town based at the northern end of the Cordillera Real. We spent several nights in the town itself, staying in an old German mansion with great gardens and endless cooridors. Our room had vaulted cieling, lots of antiques, and the sense of a forgotten era. During the day we went on hikes through the lush surrounding mountains, encountering villages and curious children as we went. We also drank lots of banana smoothies and spent hours just hanging out in the tranquil setting. Then from Sorata, we headed for the high altitudes with a guide (Mario) and a couple from Isreal. We did a four day trek that led us by green pastures, mountain communities, alpine lakes, bright flowers, and Mount Illiampu. The highlight was sleeping at the base of Mt. Illiampu. At 5,038 meters we were above the clouds and under the stars! It was amazing!

Now we're at Lake Titicaca... also a spectacular, peaceful place. Tomorrow we head for the well-spoken of island, Isla del Sol =)

Before Sorata, we spent a couple of nights in La Paz. Caked onto a mountain side, it was a city unlike any I've ever seen. Definitely chaotic and slightly overwhelming, by far my favorite part of La Paz was the market. You could find everything and anything, plus some! We got lost for hours in the colorful maze of street vendors... eating yummy delights for pennies whenever our stomaches grumbled! Good memories!

Below are some photos from the trek. Enjoy. I'd like to get some more photos up soon, but internet is much harder to come by and quite a bit slower here in Bolivia, so I'll just update as much as I can.

Hugs to you all,

Amy

Sunrise over Lake Chillata
Joshua taking a deep breath during the high altitude climb
Alaska Salmon for dinner at 5, 038 meters in Bolivia!!!
Mt. Illiampu at sunset
Hiking back down to Sorata on the last day. We descended almost 3,000 meters in one day... the thighs are still a bit sore.
On the way to Sorata our bus had a minor breakdown... minor meaning we were only delayed a couple of hours during which time the driver welded a rather elemental part of the bus back together. This lady, a fellow passanger, was just hanging out behind the bus watching the guys go about thier fixing business. The breakdown was actually kind of nice, because the sun was shinning, we were right next to a lake, and I had my book close.
Our guide (Mario) and fellow hiking campanion (Erez) loading up the mules. On the long, sunny, climbs I was quite grateful to have nothing more than a day pack on my back.
A glimpse of Illiampu surrounded by clouds
The green, lush valleys below were nothing short of gorgeous!