Day of rest in Sorata

My room

We have the entire second floor.

Our hostel.

8 am heading for breakfast 

Cherimoya and avocado.

Bunuelo and Api.

Love this bolivian breakfast. Photo: Mark

Maruja and me. Photo: Mark

Maruja preparing our breakfast.

Heading for the cave. 

There were a lot of bats.

Steep roads.

Dinner. One of my most poor.

Heading for Reggae House

Mark shows me the secret garden before breakfast, There are two talking parrots and colibris and an avocado tree. Then we go for our first truly bolivian breakfast at Maruja´s. We get a sweet pancake called bunuelo and a hot drink called Api which is made from blue corn and I think also som pineapple, spiced with lime, sugar and cinnamon. (It's a drink which is popular mainly in the andean highlands of the country. It makes sense; on cold mountain mornings, there is nothing better than a steaming hot cup of rich, liquid corn sugar.) Then we had a sandwich with fried egg, avocado, cheese and tomato. I love Marujas breakfast. Just what we needed. On our way back I bought some cherimoya because I have never tried it. It had a nice sweet taste, almost like a blend of pineapple and banana. Back at the hostel I washed some clothes and hang them to dry in the sun. Then me, Michael and Henrik took a cab to a cave outside the village. We saw some bats. It was really hot and damp in the cave. As we came back we went to get Markus at the hostel and went for pizza and beer.

Sorata

Lovely morning.

Markus.

On our way down we met people going up.

The ridge.

Another refugio which was closed.

Michael. 

We found a café!

Our bus ready to go. 

Buying bread halfway.

The landscape.

We went down first and it started snowing. Luckily we found a café so we could have some instant coffee and sandwiches with fried egg and tomato. And also someone was thirsty for beer. Today we are leaving for a small mountain village, Sorata which is situated really low at 2700 m. We are going to stay for two nights and get ourselves some rest. It took us 4 hours to go there. First we went over a pass at 4300 m and then down the winding sometimes steep roads. Mark was waiting for us in Sorata and was now feeling better. My first thought was to have a shower but then I realised my clean clothes are locked in at Mark and Jonn´s room and they are out somewhere. So instead I joined the others for some beer. Never mind the smelly clothes and my dreadlocks. But later at 9 pm I also went back to my room for a shower trying to detangle my hair and then relaxing with my book.

Huyana Potosi

The world is awakening...

Struggling upwards.

They get smaller. 

I can follow their path.

Bolivian flag in the wind. 

The refugio above ours.

Pink light. 

It's a cold morning.

So beautiful.

We got up at 4 am. Boiled water for everyone. We started at 5 am in darkness. I noticed pretty early that I was breathless and went really slow so I decided to turn around before we tie in. But I didn't go down since it was a magic morning. The sky was on fire so I had to enjoy the views. I put on my downjacket as well since it was really cold. Then I went down to our refugio went into my cozy sleepingbag and read my book until I fall asleep. Then I heard the sound of a radio. The "host" was back. The sky was clear and sun was strong now. I put on some sunblock 50+ and got one of the orange plastic chairs outside in the snow with my kitchen. Making noodles and reading my book while gazing up towards the mountain meanwhile to see if my friends were coming down. In the afternoon groups came up size of 15 but luckily they just passed me and went on to refugio above with all their guides carrying a lot of gear and food. These people hardly carry anything! The it started snowing so I went inside again back to my cozy sleepingbag (I spend a lot of time here) while reading my book. When they came I started boiling a lot of water since I knew they would be hungry. We had tea and noodles or freezedried. Then everyone was passed out / in coma for some hours. I can understand that.

Refugio 5168 m

Snowstorm during the night...

Henrik looking out.

We are ready for breakfast!

In the beginning it was easy...

New checkpoint. New rules.

Moving in. 

Kind of like a tea house.

We are having lots of tea. 

Me and Jonn are reading.

We've explored the upper camp.

It was windy tonight and not it's all covered with snow. I had noodles for breakfast today. Then it took us 3 hours up. We were supposed to camp but according to new rules we had to register and were not allowed to camp but stay at the refugio at 5168 m. So we carried our tents all in vain but I think it was cozy and we all stayed together. No one else came. Only two guys from Switzerland stayed in the refugio above us with their guide. They are leaving at midnight. We had noodles for lunch. Then reading a lot since I got a new book from Michael. Then went outside for a short stroll. Then we had dinner. Now it's almost 8 pm and we are going to bed. Tomorrow we'll get up at 4 am. I'll try but I am coughing my loungs out. Otherwise I feel good.

Moving camp again

Michael.

Heading down. 

Down here the snow is gone.

Waiting for our bus driver. 

EL Alto

El Alto 

We were so hungry in El Alto.

Cemetery.

Almost there.

Markus in gloomy weather. 

I can discern the buildings.

Our tent spot.

Today we headed down and left for El Alto where we had lunch. Chaotic city. Then we left again towards Huyana Potosi. There is fog and rain. We found a basecamp at 4800 m.