Leaving Peru

I went to the Uros islands . Not much to say about it except box ticked, I suppose. It`s a funny old thing, but I guess a lot like life in that the unexpected is always a million percent better than the foregone conclusions.

For example, Uros, the floaty island things had to be done as they are one of the Lakes "attractions". But actually the bus ride up to Puno from Arequipa was brilliant, with some of the most amazing landscape ever. It changed almost quite dramatically from being semi desert with Vicuñas to quite green with lakes and flamingoes. And that damn bus ride has been the highlight of the week.

I confess that yesterday I was pretty badly behaved. I lost my temper at lunchtime with the waiter...he did kinda ask for it as he asked me if I had smaller notes 3 times. I also got a bit shirty with the guy on the islands . It was 5 soles to go on the little reed boat they had, it was supposedly opional but one felt really bludgeoned and cajoled into it. So with a big sigh I handed over my 5 soles and got in his boat and then he asked me if it was for one person. Took me a lot of strength not to say "Yeah, f··k features, who else do you see standing here" South Americans dont understand a lot of things, sarcasm is one of them. Basic mental arithmetic and electrical wiring are among the others.

I left Peru yesterday and crossed the border by bus. We had to walk about 200m to get between Peru and Bolivian immigration. ...A small part of me did start to worry that after having been stamped out of Peru, the Bolivians wouldn`t let me in. And then I`d have to go back to Peru and then they might not let me in...and then I would be destined to just walk up and down a bit of road between the 2 for the rest of my life, selling Inka Cola and sleeping in the toilets. Crazy Town. But as it was, the guy barely looked at my passport. Think he sees a lot of UK passports. Half the bus was from England, and half the pubs are filled with English too.

So I find myself in Copacabana, Bolivia. One more flag thingy for my travel map.