6-7
I had been having this pain in my chest for a couple of weeks. Of course when you have a pain in your chest, you worry that it might be something with your heart. As I am at high altitude and am going to be doing some treks, I decided to check out yet another 3rd world hospital...I guess I should write a book about visiting them. Add bolivia to the list of the philippines, several in thailand, nepal on a couple occassions, malaysia, and argentina.
The doctor was a really nice guy. Super friendly and nice. He ruled out heart problems really quickly. In fact he said my heart is so very healthy that I am like a boy in that sense. And he said my blood pressure was super healthy and that I had no altitude affects. He narrowed down to what I have as either plueritis (and infection of the outer lining of the lung) or neuritis, (some straining of the nerves by my sternum), the last being the most likely, especially with awkward lifting of a giant backpack. He gave me some medication, and I am feeling much better. He is such a nice guy and wants me to check in with him when I come back to la paz from my various trips. And when I did come back, he actually sent one of his assistant doctors to my hotel just to check up on me. Bolivianos are just so nice.
After the hospital and a cheap tasty lunch, Laura and I caught a bus to Copacapana on lake Titicaca. Lake Titicaca is famous as being the highest big lake in the world. The shores sit at about 3950 meters (13,000 feet). The drive took us along the high altiplano for a while with grand views of the giant Bolivian peaks of the Cordillera Real. We arrived at a small town and had to cross a small portion of the lake to get around an unpassable part of the shore. Everyone got out of the bus as the bus went on a sketchy little wooden ferry and we took a small motorboat across. The road climbed up hills as it skirted the lake as we headed towards Copacabana, giving nice sunset views. We arrived in to Copacabana at night and after we had checked into a hotel, we quickly hit the night streetfood scene
6-8
We got up early to take a boat ride to Isla Del Sol (island of the sun), which is a very important island for the Incas as it is the birthplace of the sun god and the location of their creation story. At Isla del Sol, a hilly and treeless island, we did a hike along the entire island that took us past traditional villages with tiny adobe and rock houses where the crazily colorfully dressed people scraped out a life farming, past some pretty sweet ruins overlooking the sparkling sapphire waters of Titicaca, past the rock that was the birthplace of the sun god, and past a huge sacrificial table. At the village where the trek ended, there were some famous inca steps (I am sure mom and her hips thing of inca steps with a slight frown) as well as an important spring. Views all around were amazing as the coast of the lake was jagged and rough. The lake stretched out further than you can see in some places an in others you could see the giant snowy mountains in the distance.
When we got back from the two hour boat ride to Copacabana, I hiked up a viewpoint/stations of the cross hill between the town and the lake while Laura went to take a shower before it got too cold. The view from up on the hill was nice and it was cool to watch the sunset from there. I ran into two Australian friends (Clinton and Laura) from Puerto Natales who got me all excited for going to the Galapagos someday. That night we had a most amazing trout dinner (recommended by the aussies) by the lake. Fresh trout straight out of the lake for 2 bucks fifty.
I had been having this pain in my chest for a couple of weeks. Of course when you have a pain in your chest, you worry that it might be something with your heart. As I am at high altitude and am going to be doing some treks, I decided to check out yet another 3rd world hospital...I guess I should write a book about visiting them. Add bolivia to the list of the philippines, several in thailand, nepal on a couple occassions, malaysia, and argentina.
The doctor was a really nice guy. Super friendly and nice. He ruled out heart problems really quickly. In fact he said my heart is so very healthy that I am like a boy in that sense. And he said my blood pressure was super healthy and that I had no altitude affects. He narrowed down to what I have as either plueritis (and infection of the outer lining of the lung) or neuritis, (some straining of the nerves by my sternum), the last being the most likely, especially with awkward lifting of a giant backpack. He gave me some medication, and I am feeling much better. He is such a nice guy and wants me to check in with him when I come back to la paz from my various trips. And when I did come back, he actually sent one of his assistant doctors to my hotel just to check up on me. Bolivianos are just so nice.
After the hospital and a cheap tasty lunch, Laura and I caught a bus to Copacapana on lake Titicaca. Lake Titicaca is famous as being the highest big lake in the world. The shores sit at about 3950 meters (13,000 feet). The drive took us along the high altiplano for a while with grand views of the giant Bolivian peaks of the Cordillera Real. We arrived at a small town and had to cross a small portion of the lake to get around an unpassable part of the shore. Everyone got out of the bus as the bus went on a sketchy little wooden ferry and we took a small motorboat across. The road climbed up hills as it skirted the lake as we headed towards Copacabana, giving nice sunset views. We arrived in to Copacabana at night and after we had checked into a hotel, we quickly hit the night streetfood scene
6-8
We got up early to take a boat ride to Isla Del Sol (island of the sun), which is a very important island for the Incas as it is the birthplace of the sun god and the location of their creation story. At Isla del Sol, a hilly and treeless island, we did a hike along the entire island that took us past traditional villages with tiny adobe and rock houses where the crazily colorfully dressed people scraped out a life farming, past some pretty sweet ruins overlooking the sparkling sapphire waters of Titicaca, past the rock that was the birthplace of the sun god, and past a huge sacrificial table. At the village where the trek ended, there were some famous inca steps (I am sure mom and her hips thing of inca steps with a slight frown) as well as an important spring. Views all around were amazing as the coast of the lake was jagged and rough. The lake stretched out further than you can see in some places an in others you could see the giant snowy mountains in the distance.
When we got back from the two hour boat ride to Copacabana, I hiked up a viewpoint/stations of the cross hill between the town and the lake while Laura went to take a shower before it got too cold. The view from up on the hill was nice and it was cool to watch the sunset from there. I ran into two Australian friends (Clinton and Laura) from Puerto Natales who got me all excited for going to the Galapagos someday. That night we had a most amazing trout dinner (recommended by the aussies) by the lake. Fresh trout straight out of the lake for 2 bucks fifty.
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