Ok, so a year ago, if someone had asked us to point to Lake Titicaca on a map, we might have started by looking around Africa. No joke. But now we've been there and know right where it is. This little record breaker of a lake straddles the Peru/Bolivia border. It's a huge lake. Big enough to make Montana's big 'ol Flathead look like a little fishin' hole. It sits 12,507 ft above sea level making it the highest commercially navigable lake in the world. Cool stat? Sort of. But what is truly amazing about this lake is the community of people living on it. The Aymara are a native people who call this part of the world home. Not all of them live on the lake, but a small group have made their home on islands made of reeds. Yes, these are human made islands. They cut and stack enough reeds to keep entire communities afloat. Then they anchor the islands to eachother and replenish the reeds every two weeks as the underside rots out and sinks to the bottom of the lake. Again, this process takes place every two weeks... year after year after year. Cool stat? Absolutely. Papa Biedel and Lindsay's younger brother, Brent joined us for this part of the trip and we made a day of it. As the Good Book says, (that is, the Lonely Planets' guide to South America) commercialization and tourism have really been hard on these island communities. But there is only one place in the world to witness such unique living arrangements.
Also, there are only a few places in the world where the sun is so strong. Imagine the strength of the sun as you sit just below the equator. Now, add over 12,000 feet of elevation. Aside from sticking your head out of an airplane window, this is as close as some of us will ever get to Mr. Sun. Needless to say, the lovely people of Thailand taught us the only lesson we need to learn about 3rd world sun blocks: don't buy 'em.
After a crazy morning of hoop-jumping for the Bolivian Consulate, we're finally proud holders of 90 day Bolivian Visas. Big deal, right? Check this out. As of December 12, Bolivia changed things for US citizens. What used to be a free 90 day Visa, now costs $100! That will be one of the most expensive things we've purchased since we started traveling. I guess that's to pump a few bucks into the national economy. Though, that's just the beginning. You also need the following... Proof that you have a hotel reservation in the nations capital, La Paz. This is so you don't try living on the street. Also, this ensures a good flow of money into the capital city. Next you need to show that you have ''financial solvency''. We had to show them a copy of our bank statement, seriously. This is so you don't have to live on the street. Also, this ensures that you have money to pump into the local economy. Then, we had to show them a record of recent vaccinations. This is so when you try living on the street, you don't spread disease among other Americans... living on the street. Finally, you had to show them your confirmed departure date and mode of travel. In our case, a plane ticket into Argentina. This is to ensure you won't try living on the street indefinitely. Of course, a copy of your passport is necessary. This is so if they find you living on the street, they know just who you are and just where to send you. Wild huh?
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