In a follow up to the Peru Hop Debacle, we thought it only right to share how we actually made it to the dizzying heights of La Paz. Whilst relatively painless and stress free, the trip wasn't without some minor hiccups. For example, trying to secure an actual bus ticket in advance proved slightly more tricky than we first imagined. Like all good millennials, we headed straight for the wisdom of Google to tell us exactly how to cross the Bolivian border. Unfortunately most posts online dated from 2013/14 and the reviews of the tourist buses were slightly scary. In the end we went directly to the bus terminal with the idea of purchasing a Panamericano bus ticket. When we got to the terminal, their booth was empty, and after waiting half a day to see if they'd arrive we ended up buying a ticket to Copacabana (a half way point over the Bolivian border) with a company called Titicaca Bolivia for a 6am bus the following day. Fast forward to 5am, as we try to leave the hostel in Puno, wearing three layers of clothes with all our essentials strapped to us for security. We open the door to find ourselves behind padlocked gates. Much panicking ensued as we realised we were locked inside and that the reception didn't open until our bus was actually due to depart. Luckily for us, a few commuters passed along the street and using a mixture of pigeon Spanish and strange charades, we got them to ring the bell on the outside of the hostel so we could be set free. The bus itself from Puno to La Paz was most definitely dated. The double-decker coach had none of the promised seat belts and the windows were partially falling out of their frames. However, one of the benefits of being in such a dinosaur was that it was unable to gather the required speed to pull off the dangerous driving tricks we had previously witnessed. All in all the journey of about four hours was about as comfy as any other we'd had in Peru. The Peruvian/Bolivian border was a point of some apprehension, as we'd read stories of buses leaving passengers stranded. Our bus company kept our bags on board (which was definitely a little scary) as we carried our valuables over the crossing ourselves in day packs. Getting stamped in and out was painless and required little to no Spanish. Our bus had a guide who spoke a small amount of English to assist with the customs forms and the whole thing took around half an hour. We joined our bus on the Bolivian side and got back on for the journey into Copacabana. One thing to bear in mind is to change some money into Bolivianos, as this is required for some nominal taxes on entering Copacabana. Once we arrived in the town (which is situated on the shore of the worlds highest navigable lake, Lake Titicaca) we were easily able to find a number of buses travelling directly to La Paz for around 20 Bolivianos each (around £2.50). The bus was relatively new and used by locals and tourists alike. The scenery was truly incredible and the journey involved an exciting lake crossing, whereby passengers were shipped across in a small boat and the coach was floated across on a barge. Again the crossing requires 2 Bolivianos per person but was a very welcome opportunity to stretch your legs and spend some time off the bus. All in all the journey cost around $7 per person and actually resulted in quite an adventure, which in hindsight was more enjoyable than an overpriced bus.
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Settle in, because this could be a long one... In the course of planning how to get from Lima to La Paz, we came across a hop on, hop off bus company by the name of Peru Hop. A quick Google search brings up glowing trip advisor reviews and a glossy website, complete with safety guarantees and pictures of the modern coaches they use. We didn't hesitate at spending a considerable amount (around £200 each) for a 6 day tour, taking in the sites of Peru as this worked out to be cheaper than a flight. Fast forward to our first few days in South America. The bus company seemed to deliver as promised, with comfy buses which included reclining seats, a toilet, USB charging ports, English speaking guides and GPS trackers to monitor driver speeds, all things designed to make long journeys (sometimes over 8 hours) more bearable and of course safe. It was in Huacahina that the perfect picture began to crumble, when the company attempted to force us on to a small 9 seater run down mini van for a travel time of around 6 hours with stops. With no leg room and none of the aforementioned comforts or safety guarantees, the tiny van was filled to capacity with 8 adults. A number of passengers including ourselves asked to speak to the operations office (after all, we paid for a state of the art coach with safety features, not a tiny van with a driver in flip flops!). Eventually, after some heated discussion, it turns out a coach which we had been told was full, actually had a couple of spare seats and we were able to travel in the vehicle we actually paid for. One of the most surprising things about traveling around Peru is the sheer diversity of its landscapes and climate. Like many, when someone mentions this South American country, images of the ruins at Machu Picchu spring to mind, leading to the impression Peru is universally high, and well… green. In fact, the country is home to incredible biodiversity, ranging from tropical jungles in the Amazon to desert conditions complete with picture perfect sand dunes, and not forgetting the imposing Andes, which jut their way across the east of the country. This was one of the many reasons we sought to explore using a hop on hop off bus service on our way to La Paz in Bolivia.
Our journey started in Lima (once Joe had located his wallet) where we caught a bus to our first hostel in the upmarket district of Miraflores. After spending some time recovering from travel induced nausea (Alice) we ventured out in search of lunch and to people watch in the central park. It was here we cooked our first hostel meal of the trip (a very imaginative pasta with tomato sauce)... Things not to do on your RTW trip #1 - leave your wallet with bank card and driving license on a plane and spend the next 45 minutes frantically running around Lima airport trying to get it back.
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Hi! We're Alice and Joseph, currently on a year long RTW trip :) Archives
September 2018
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