A New Year is Starting - Days 28 and 29

New Years day should always be for taking it easy and that is exactly what we did - a long lie then we got up and rented ourselves a couple of chairs and a sun shade on the beach and neither of us moved far except to get a hair of the dog.  We stayed on the beach till about 8pm, the sun had gone but it was still so warm.  They guys packing up the chairs were staring daggers as we were quite happy where we were but we were the last on the beach sitting in their chairs!  ah well I had paid 20 reals (about six quid) for them so was going to get my moneys worth.

This is the view from our apartment - shame about the big crane but you can see the beach is very busy with red sun shades!!!  Just behind the trees is where we were for new year - very close to home which was brilliant, especially with being wet from wave hopping - even though it was 26 degrees at 2am I still felt a bit cold when I was wet and had stopped moving.

The beach was much quieter later on on New Years day a huge difference to the night before...

Today - 2nd January we had a lazy morning and then headed off to the internet cafe - getting wifi and getting money out of ATMs has been a huge problem in Rio - stupid really as its such a huge city you would think it would be really well connected!   Mark downloaded all his tweets which kept him happy while I uploaded my New Years Eve blog.  I don't really get twitter at all but he follows sports personalities,journalists and other twitter weirdos so they must have something interesting to say if he is interested in them!!

I had problems uploading my pic of me and Jesus from the 30th Dec so here it is now - Suz and Christ the Redeemer - what a pic....  well if Mark hadn't cut Christ's head off it might have been a good one and if we weren't back lit you might be able to see my face!!! ok its a shit picture but its the only one I have of me and Jesus -  and who is the geezer in the sun glasses trying to get in on my photo action?!

This afternoon we got on the Metro and on a bus to the Botanical Gardens - it was really beautiful and a bit like being back in the jungle - similar energy but not the intensity of the real Jungle.

Here I am doing what I do best and hugging a tree - I plan on hugging a tree every day in 2013.  The trees have such an amazing grounded energy they will help me through whatever 2013 has planned for me.  They will keep me deep rooted and will help me to remember what is most important in my life, instead of running around like a dafty on stupid film jobs - I am sure I will still be doing that but I will be very rooted and grounded so it will be a calmer more thinking dafty....

We spent a few hours just wandering around and we stumbled across the medicinal gardens - I hadn't realised they had one there otherwise we would have had to go there first!  Some of the plants I recognised but others I didn't but I could sort of work out some of the portuguese words to figure out what they were for - some medicinal words are the same no matter the language.

Here I am in the Medicinal Gardens - definitely 2013 is a year for discovery and learning about healing plants - I have been heading in that direction in the last few years but after my Jungle Ceremony it is clear that this is where my future is.  I really feel that the plants get me, they understand me and can help me to think clearly and breath clearly - I don't think I would have had the experience I had in my Ceremony in the Jungle if it wasn't for their support - does that sound daft? Probably but I know what I mean and so do the plants.  Have you ever felt plant energy?  It really is amazing - go up to your house plant and hold your hands about 2 or 3 inches from the leaves and wait until you start to feel the energy - I get differently feelings from different plants some are like a magnetic field and others are like a tingling.  Trees I sometimes get a pulsing like the tree has a heart beat, it really is the most amazing feeling - go and try it...

We headed from the Medicinal Gardens to the wee lake which was really cute - I was enjoying lounging on the grass until we got chased by a Parky - What we are not allowed to sit on the grass?!  is it some kind of special grass?  No just normal grass but no sitting allowed.  fucksake! might have said that to the parky too but don't think he understood!!  so off we went to stand on the pathway!!

A very nice afternoon spent - we left about 630pm and walked back to Copacabana beach which took about an hour and a half - I should really be slim with all this walking!! mind you for every mile I have walked I have had a beer so that will be why I am not slim - ah well... will keep drinking and walking!!!

Off to Foz Do Iguaco tomorrow by plane so an early start and need to get the apartment packed up - there is stuff everywhere and it not just my shit I have to pack now, I also have to make sure that Mark gets packed and doesn't forget anything.....

Hope you are all having a very happy 2013 so far.

suzxxx

New Years Eve – day 27

We went for a walk around the big lake that is nearby and had a big coco juice on the way – its non ripe coconuts so the taste is weird at first – its not sweet which is what I was expecting. 

Trying to hold your belly in (for the photo) whilst sucking on a straw is really hard...

It’s a beautiful lake right in the middle of the city.

After the lake we headed down to watch the sunset at Ipanema Beach and it was spectacular – and when it finally went down everyone stood and clapped, whistled and cheered.  I have never seen that before everyone applauding the last sun of 2012!  Great to watch.

We headed back to our apartment - all the shops seems to be either packing up and getting out before the madness or taking huge deliveries of beer!  There were thousands of people dressed in white all heading to Copacabana beach – its quite amazing to see. 

We had a bottle of prosecco in the apartment to welcome in the new year in the UK and then headed out.  The beach was absolutely chokabloc – mostly people wearing white and everyone being very good humoured! 

Out to sea all the cruise ships had come in to watch the fireworks display – there was one HUGE ship, which must have had about 20 levels!! The excitement was building right up to midnight and when we all did the count down to midnight and when we hit midnight the champagne started flowing all over us and the fireworks display started – I couldn’t see the first few minutes of fireworks because I had champagne in my eyes!!!  Everyone was cheering and hugging each other – it was brilliant!  We all then just stood open mouthed watching the amazing fireworks display – I hate fireworks but these were absolutely amazing and it went on for about 20 minutes.  I wonder how all the sea creatures are affected by the fireworks – that’s why I hate them so much – they may be spectacular for us to watch but so many animals don’t understand what its all about and are terrified by them.

The Heaving Beach!

and spectacular fireworks...

Happy New Year!  Yep it was all a bit out of focus after the champagne went everywhere!

After the fireworks everyone heads into the water to do their 7 wave hops – you need to jump 7 waves and make 7 wishes!  Mark was straight into the deep end wave hoping with his whole body but I had our phones and money in a waterproof bag but I didn’t really trust it would be really waterproof so I hoped the waves whilst not going further than my knees until one big wave took me down and also took my Lapas Lazuli ring!  Gutted, I loved that ring especially because I bought it in Chile but if the Goddess of the sea wanted it that much she could have it!  I believe that Crystals are transient and my Lapas Lazuli had obviously done its task with me in the 3 weeks I had it.  I am sure another Lapas Lazuli will find me at some point.

I wanted to dump the phones and the rest of my jewellery just in case so we popped back to the apartment which is just a 2 minute walk so easy to do and dropped everything off and left our sandals behind as they were going to get swept out to see too and headed back to the beach for some serious wave hopping!  I must have jumped a thousand waves!  Big ones and small ones – it was brilliant fun and the water was warm.  We stopped jumping occasionally to have a beer but pretty much wave hopped until about 2am and then headed back to the apartment to change into dry clothes and went back out to go and watch the music.  There was a big stage on the beach not too far from our apartment so we headed there to listen to the Brazilian artists – all the people watching could sing a long knowing all the words all we could do was dance along.

Brilliant New Year – it really doesn’t compare to any others as it was so huge (apparently 2 million people on Copacabana beach!) and it was free and it was hot!!  Great fun, loved every minute.

suzxxx

Travelling to and first day in Rio – days 25 and 26

It was a long old slog getting to Rio – I was picked up at 4am and dropped at La Paz airport, I was so early I was first in the queue for the check in –my favourite place to be!! Love being first in the queue.

My flight was heading via Santa Cruz in Bolivia where I went through immigration but got back on the same plane to Sao Paulo and then in Sao Paulo I had to pick up my bag and re check it for my flight to Rio.  I landed in Rio at 630pm and they are only 2 hours difference from the UK so I had been travelling for about 12 hours but I suppose that’s not bad considering I took 3 flights!    Especially with the chaos at Santa Cruz airport – they had 3 international flights leaving from the same gate within 10 minutes of each other!  I don’t know much about how airlines work but even Easyjet can’t turn their planes around that fast!  So South American chaos reigned!  I have learned you just have to be patient! 

My experience at Sao Paulo was better than my first experience at the start of my trip but I still got sent into the wrong queues a couple of times – very frustrating but if I can’t speak their language what can I expect?! 

Once landed in Rio I tried to get a hold of Mark to make sure he was at the apartment to let me in and help me with my bag, eventually he called me back and was in the beer shack on the beach (of course that’s where he was!). 

So I got settled in – the apartment is tiny but is literally one building and a bar  away from Copacabana beach – perfect!

We went off to the beach and from the 29^th December until 1^st January it’s the Festival of the Goddess of the Sea – you are supposed to throw a white flower into the water and thank the Goddess for everything she gave you this year and ask for what you need for the next.

Here is a pic of me with the statue – am I really small or is she REALLY big?

We had a couple of beers and a paddle in the water – it certainly didn’t feel like a warm bath but I imagine during the day its warmer with the 40 degree sun belting down on you and the water.  The waves were huge too, perfect surfing waves.  Mark said there were loads of surf dudes out earlier struggling with the waves.

Here is a pic of the beach – its dark so you can’t really see.  It certainly won't be this quiet on 31st !!

  

We were booked on a tour on 30^th Dec so headed off at 8am so a nice early start!

We started at Sugar Loaf Mountain and got the cable car up to one platform then another cable car to the other.  It was quite smoggy in the city so you couldn’t really see Christ the Redeemer statue in the distance.

It was quite busy with lots of people but the good thing about being part of a tour group was we were fast tracked for the cable cars so didn’t have to wait much.  There were a lot of us in the group though which can be a pain in the arse as the guide tries to keep us all together so lots of shouting from him in English and Spanish.

Once down from the mountain we had a bit of a tour of the city but the traffic was soooo bad it took us so long to get around it was hard to stay away – I think me and Mark both slept through the Lapa tour which was the area we wanted to see!

After lunch we headed off to get the train up to Corcovado Mountain which the Mountain that the big Christ statue sits at the top of.  The train goes steadily up the steep hill through the Tijuana Jungle which is the biggest jungle in a city in the world.  There are monkeys etc in the jungle but we didn’t see any jungle wildlife just plenty of tourists. 

O M G…. this place was like Disney!!  It was rammed packed full of tourists.  Once you get off the train you can take the lift but the queue for it was huge and I didn’t really want to walk up all the stairs to the top as all I have done for the last 3 weeks is walk up hill but off we went up the stairs being unwilling to wait for the lift.

Once at the top, it was just mental – a pick pockets paradise!  It was HEAVING with people  lying on the floor trying to get pics of their loved ones and Christ in the same pic!  People stepping over them or falling over them!  I hate shit like that and had to go and find a space where I wasn’t being constantly jostled.  We only had about 45 minutes up there before we had to get back down to get the 5pm train.

It may be a huge statue of Christ but it wasn’t a spiritual place – we had visited the modern cathedral in the morning too and that felt the same – too many tourists have passed through that any spirit has been swept away or just trampled on.  I felt like I was just ticking a box by being there, it really didn’t mean anything more than that which is a shame – I have seen that Statue in so many photos and it’s the symbol used on the news if there is a story about Rio but it’s a bit like the Taj Mahal – amazing looking in photos but just a big Disney attraction in real life – they would be as well sticking some Mickey Mouse ears on the statue!!!

I will upload the picture of me and Jesus later - having stupid wifi issues and its costing a $real for every minute I fart about!!

One of the tourists on the bus asked one of the guides what New Years Eve was going to be like on Copacabana beach and she said “It will be one big mess”  Brilliant!!! Apparently there are 4 big stages with Brazilian music and they are expecting more than the 2 million people that attended last year and if the traffic out there is anything to go by there is about 3 million people here getting ready for the party!!!

Tomorrow night is going to be an absolute blast!    Will let you know all about it on the 1^st! (well that is if I can get some Wifi - who would have thought Wifi at Macchu Piccu was easier than Copacabana beach!!

suzxxx

A Day in La Paz - the Valley of the Potato - Day 24

 I was starving when I got up because I hadn't had any breakfast so off I went to stuff my face with toast and jam which is pretty much been my breakfast for the last few weeks.  I do miss Charlie's white toast with beans and mushrooms - my daily breakfast whilst on Case Histories!  I think that will be what I have for my breakfast when I get home on the 16th - a huge plate of white toast with mountains of beans and mushrooms!  Its funny the food we crave when we are not at home and can't get what we normally have.

Off I went to meet Guido who was taking me on my half day tour of the city.  We headed straight out of the city, which is a good thing because the traffic is absolutely MENTAL!  its worth than Edinburgh and I never thought that was possible! (Sorry Edinburgh folk, you know I can't help but have a dig whenever I can!!!).

Guido explained to me that La Paz used to be called the Valley of the Potato as this is mostly what was grown here but then the Spanish arrived and changed the City's name to The Virgin Mary of Peace to which the locals have shortened to La Paz which apparently means the Peace.  Sorry there is no peace in this city, it is pretty much non stop - the noise outside my hotel room went on till about 3am then started again at 430am!

We went all the way up into the mountains surrounding La Paz to the Valle de la Luna - what a spectacular place, it really makes you think that this is what the moon looks like.  Its a weird place that has been formed from years and years of rain!  The mountains are sand and clay based which is why this erosion happens in the heavy rains.

It was actually quite hot and sunny here - hard to believe 2 hours later it was pouring with rain and freezing - its a bit like a Scottish summer.

Here is an amazing carving out of the clay/sand soil - whoever the model was never made it to the Sacred Fountain of Eternal Youth did she?!

After the Valley of the Moon we visited a local ceramic gallery and workshop - I loved this place!  It is owned by Mario Sarabia - he is a ceramics specialist and his work is beautiful - have a look at his website www.ceramicsarabia.com - I love the big bulls - but they are not going to fit in my suitcase - well actually they would if I left all my clothes behind!  That thought did go through my head!!  but the chances of any Ceramic surviving the next 2 and half weeks where I still have 6 or 7 flights still to do are slim but as I walked around the Gallery I found some really beautiful jewellery pieces - his two daughters work with jewellery design so there was very different designs to look at.  Now Jewellery I know will make the trip so I shopped!!  They had some really beautiful pieces of jewellery made from Ametrine which is a crystal only found in Bolivia - it is a cross between Amethyst and Citrine and together these crystals are a really important Power Crystal able to heal many ills, one of its main healing properties is to treat depression.  The Ametrine mine is in Santa Cruz which is 300 miles from La Paz - my flight tomorrow stops off there on its way to Sao Paulo.

Next time I come to South America I have to come back to Bolivia as I really haven't done it justice with just a few days and 2 of those being on the Sun island.  I have missed so much and I would love to visit the Ametrine mine in Santa Cruz and also visit the salt flats which are supposed to be amazing with lots of energy.

So after my shopping spree with Mario - who only gave me a 10% discount - come on Mario, don't you know my middle name is 80% discount?!  we headed to another important monument for La Paz but for the life of me can't remember its name - probably because it was pouring with rain and blowing a gale when we got out of the car and Guido was telling me all about it - probably couldn't hear him.

There had been a landslide at the site in the last few days so it was all cordoned off so Guido asked if I was ok to climb over the fence?  What break the rules?  oh yeah bring it on!  so the pair of us climbed the fence and had just enough time to take the picture below before we were chased by a security guard so we had to skip back over the fence pronto - I turned to the guard who had chased us to the fence and said Muchas Gracias with a cheeky grin and he replied 'pro favour' with a steely gaze in his eyes and made an action with his hands to get over the fence.  Brilliant fun in the rain!  Mind you I look like the Michelin woman in this pic - what the feck is going on?  I only had my fleece on under my rain jacket!

We headed back into town to the Witches Market - ah saved the best till last....  It was full of lotions and potions for every human disfunction there is.  There were lots of talismans and other lucky charms you could buy for long life etc.  Guido left me here at the end of my tour so I very happily wandered around for a couple of hours boggling about in amongst all the medicines and the witchy people.

Really enjoyed my day here half of it guided and the other half just wandering about - its not a difficult city to navigate but you need to beware of the ever moving traffic - you take your life in your hands crossing the road.

Off to Rio tomorrow, via Santa Cruz and Sao Paulo so a long day of travel - Mark is already in the air and lands tonight at about 10pm Rio time - he has a night and a day to ogle the girls on Copacabana beach before I arrive tomorrow night - he reckons he will just be watching the kids play football on the beach - oh yeah I believe that!

Looking forward to seeing him but will be a bit weird travelling with someone else now I have got so used to being on my own but I am sure I will adapt quickly!!  Well he better hope I do.....

suzxxx

Finding Eternal Youth on the Sun Island - Day 23

What a great nights sleep I had on the boat - it was really calm on the water until about 6.30am when the winds picked up and that was what woke me - my brain sending messages to my stomach of queasiness! so I got up and put my sick bands on just in case!

After breakfast the Catamaran headed off to another part of the island where we climbed up to see another pre inca ruin with a perfect view through one of the windows of the moon island...

We then climbed to the top of the hill which took us to 4030 metres about sea level - just incase you think thats amazing she climbed 4000 metres in a day - lake titicaca sits at 3800m!  Still a steep climb but worth it for the 360 degree views.

We started to climb down hill and visited an Inca museum that have been set up for the tourists and after that we had Coca tea and a snack at the tour companies cabana at the top of the hill with really beautiful views and the cabana is in the middle of a beautiful herb and flower garden, it was really pretty.

We then set off to have our Shaman ceremony where the Shaman prayed for our Long Life Good Health and Good Luck.  We put all the offerings into the bowl and the Shaman prayed over them then put them on the fire to burn them - the offerings were lots of sweets like in my other ceremony at Macchu Piccu.

Here is our Shaman doing his prayers with the Moon Island in the background - think I was supposed to be praying and not taking pictures but its  great picture isn't it?!

and here I am being blessed by the daisies that have been dipped in the sacred water.

It was a short ceremony but really beautiful and amazing to be part of.  The energy from the Island made it a very special thing.

So next we headed down hill to the fountain of the sacred water - the place where Eternal Youth can be found - oh boy did I suck up the water from that fountain!!!!

Here I am looking very excited to be getting rid of my laughter lines and grey hair!!

 and now sucking it all up, as much as I could get in my big mouth!!!

 This water comes from within the hills of the Sun Island and has always been treated as Sacred water but its really only in the last 100 years that the Eternal Youth tag was added but hey I am up for trying anything!

Our two days of touring the beautiful Island of the Sun was nearly over but we didn't realise that Guido our guide had one more fun surprise for me and my Korean friend - we were getting a trip on a reed boat round to the cove where we had started off on the morning.

Always willing to make a complete tit of myself here I am dressed as a Bolivian boat man - I reckon this is the Captains outfit....  although look at my body language - my feet say I am hating every minute of making a tit of myself!!!

and here I am as the Captain - hey boat geezer let go of the oar - don't you know I am in charge....

We then headed off back to the Catamaran for a huge lunch while the boat made its way to the port in Bolivia before taking us by bus to La Paz.

Got to my hotel in La Paz just after 8pm but there was a problem - no booking for me!!!  The travel agency had really done well not to have fucked to many things up up to this point but this was a major fuck up!  So I had 3 spanish speaking hotel check in staff all speaking loudly and fast in spanish and there was lots of pointing at me and then staring at the computer - the whole time I was trying to stay grounded and not get cross - which is hard to do when people are having conversations about you in another language and are pointing and staring at you like you have done something wrong - at one point one of the women pointed at me and accused me of not having paid the tour company which is why they hadn't made the booking - well my Mantra of "I am Grounded, I am Grounded, I am Grounded - fuck it these bitches are going to get it" kicked in so I started tossing paperwork and telephone numbers at them for the tour company and told them to phone the emergency number but they continued to discuss in spanish my predicament whilst continuing to point at me but they were getting louder now because I was interjecting with my own language - yup you can imagine!!!  So in the end because none of them were calling the tour company's emergency number I grabbed their phone from their desk and started dialling the number myself - that stopped the fuckers talking as they all looked at me opened mouthed.  Unfortunately no one answered the emergency number - what is the point of giving me an emergency number if no one answers - I left an irate message and then called back 5 more times to see if I could get a response - no chance!

Anyway I think my action of helping myself to their phone made them realise I wasn't going to suffer fools so one of the women finally called their boss and got authorisation to give me a room but I was told if the tour company didn't pay the bill they would charge my credit card.  Anyway room key given and porter on his way up with my bag I settled in to the hotel and the first thing I did when I got wifi was to send an angry email to the tour company telling them of their shambles.

By the time all this was sorted the hotel restaurant was closed so no alcohol for me tonight!  just a luke warm ginger tea!

At least I had a room and I got a call this morning to say everything had been paid and sorted with a huge apology from the tour company who added an excursion to the music museum to make up for my trouble.

I loved my two  days at the Sun Island - a very very special place that everyone should go and feel the energy of this little island it is really beautiful and amazing.

suzxxx

I'm not in Bolivian Jail and its my birthday! – day 22

My birthday started at stupid o’clock – and for those of you who don’t know what stupid o’clock is – its anytime before 5am in the morning! 

I was picked up in a minibus with 2 japanese ladies and one Korean lady already on board and we headed off to Copacabana in Bolivia – I hadn’t really thought too much about crossing the Bolivian border until I got onto that minibus and it was at that point I started to get a little nervous – I am carrying a self-faked Yellow Fever Exemption certificate.  Now I faked it so it’s the best fake ever but you just don’t know who you are going to get at the border – if I get a jobs worth like the chinese guard in Tibet who insisted on waiting till my ipad recharged so he could see “all my media” then I might have been in trouble but the good news is they didn’t even ask for it!!! Can you believe I spend £16 on a special stamp set to help create my lies.

Now before you judge me and think I am some master forger this is the first time I have EVER DONE ANYTHING LIKE THIS! But my health is very important to me – I carefully manage my own immune system with Olive Leaf Extract, Vitamin C and Vitamin B and whilst on this trip I have been taking Neem leaf extract as its good for making sure I don’t get Malaria so was good for the jungle although the mozzy bastards in the jungle I was in don’t carry yellow fever or malaria.  Olive Leaf is a miracle nutritional supplement that I have been taking on and off for the last 3 years but I have been taking in the last five months every day to push my immune system to 100% so it doesn’t matter what virus is thrown at me my body will eject it thanks to Olive Leaf Extract.  Most of you will know I always bang on about Olive Leaf Extract but I have not been sick AT ALL for the last five months – everyone else on Case Histories were going down with colds and flu and with the help of my olive leaf capsules and vitamin C and B I didn’t get any of the sickness so if you want to have a healthy immune system go and get some olive leaf extract from www.comvita.co.uk - its expensive £29 for a month supply but given the option wouldn’t you pay £1 a day to never be ill?!

So anyway back to why I had to forge my Yellow Fever Exemption Certificate!  The Bolivian Government state on their website that it is a requirement of entry into the country that you have a Yellow Fever Vaccination – now I am only in the country for 3 days and I never go to the jungle here which is where Yellow Fever is at its worst so why have a LIVE VIRUS INJECTED INTO ME if I don’t need it?  Also they use EGG to make the virus – that’s disgusting!  Now I do eat organic free range eggs but what are the chances of the virus being made of organic free range eggs – eh I don’t think so….  I never have any of these injections that are ‘recommended’ when going into foreign countries, I am not interested in having live viruses injected into my immune system.  

So knowing that it was a requirement of entry into Bolivia I started my research into how I get round it – I thought that one of the private doctors that we work with for films would write me a letter of exemption but because he is not my regular doctor he refused so I made an appointment at my doctor surgery – I never get the same doctor at my surgery, which is a horrible unfriendly pit of a place in Kilbirnie so I went in with an open mind willing the doctor to help me – after all is a GP’s job not to help you manage your health?  Injecting me with a live virus that has battery farmed egg in it is NOT MANAGING MY HEALTH!!!  

Anyway she was a new doctor to the surgery and was obviously a rule follower and when I gave her the paperwork saying that she could give me a Medical Exemption Certificate without it necessarily having to be a medical reason for me being exempt but she still wanted to check with the other doctors because she was new.  I knew there was no way I would get it but you live in hope.  Anyway she called me the next day to say because there wasn’t a medical reason she couldn’t write the exemption certificate.  I thanked her for not helping me or helping me to manage my own health and told her that I will be changing surgeries.  How useless these rule followers are!!!

So I googled (isn’t google AMAZING!) what an Exemption Certificate looks like and off I went to Staples to get my supplies and I created my own Exemption Certificate and it gave me great pleasure to put this doctors name to the certificate and then forged her signature – that’s what she gets for being a rule follower! 

Anyway as it turns out no one at the border even cared about yellow fever – I was coming across the border at 4000m above sea level – yellow fever can’t survive at this level.  So no Bolivian Forgerers Jail for me – well not this time anyway…

Still changing my doctors surgery though!

So on with the day, we cross the border and met our Bolivian guide Guedo who is from La Paz.  He took us on a walking tour around Copacabana where there were big protests going on in the streets and main square because the people are not happy with the decisions the Mayor is making.  Another interesting event was also happening was the ‘blessing of the cars’ – yes the priest blesses your car – brilliant!! It’s better than taking it for a service.  They pour champagne over the cars and everything – what great fun to watch, although what a waste of Champagne!

After watching the blessing of the cars we went into the Cathedral to watch people light candles and then ask the Virgin Mary for a Favour...

People use the wax to draw pictures of cars or houses they want!  And once the Virgin grants their favour and they get their car or house then they have a special placard made and stick it to the wall!  Strange place with strange energy – I think because people are asking for possessions that ultimately we all want but we don’t need to live.  Surely people should be asking for good health for themselves and their families?!

Guedo took us to the popcorn market - there were about 20 stalls all selling different kinds of popcorn!  Its a big thing in bolivia to eat popcorn - they will buy big bags of it and share it around their family and friends.

After that we headed to the big boat – a huge catamaran just for me and my Korean friend for the next two days and our guide – how amazing! Here is the view from my bedroom...

I had my sick bands on but I really didn’t need them as the journey to the Sun Island was smooth and when we arrived we docked and were served lunch – how civilized is that?!  We then had a siesta for an hour before heading on a rowing boat to the other side of the island and then walked up hill to the Sun Temple.  This island reminds me of the energy of Macchu Piccu – it’s a different energy but the same affect – it makes you gape in wonder and want to just lie down and cuddle the ground.  Again its not about the ruins and this Sun Temple is pre Inca so it was first build 1500 BC so its REALLY old but its not the stones and rocks that give the energy, the energy is coming from under your feet but also from all around your body and over your head, its something that is hard to explain but it is an amazing feeling.  What a beautiful place to spend my 43^rd birthday!  We walked for 3 hours back to the beach where we had got the rowing boat from.

On top of the world!  amazing what 2 glasses of Bolivian Sauv Blanc at lunchtime will do!!

The big stone below is a big sacred one - can you see the V shape above my head? that is supposed to be the big tall, white Inca God that had a big long white beard that appeared from Lake Titicaca - hard to see but the guide kept banging on about it so I had to agree I could see it and the big stone is supposed to be the shape of a Puma which is a sacred beast - definitely don't see the puma!!!

This really is such a beautiful place

Here are the pre inca ruins of the Sacred Temple of the Sun, this would have been built around 1500bc but was rebuilt after earthquakes destroyed parts of it.

What an amazing place to spend time.  We slowly walked down the hill to the beach.

We arrived back on the beach at 5pm so with two and a half hours before dinner I left our guide and my Korean friend and went and sat on the beach and watch the piglets digging in the sand – yes piglets!  This was like a scene out of babe!  8 of the cutest piglets ever digging about in the sand trying to find food.   Then a little girl passed with 2 sheep and a llama – and the big eared donkey was just behind me on the beach.  What a wonderful way to spend my birthday!

I then sat on the boat and read my Fuck It book and watched the sun set whilst drinking Bolivian Sauv Blanc – just perfect.

Dinner was at 7.30pm and they had the locals come in and play some music and do some dancing – it was really good fun, thankfully I had had a couple of glasses of wine before I had to get up and dance.  The picture is all blurry because me and my dance partner are moving sooooo fast!!!

Here are the band - they were a bit duff but hey it was birthday entertainment so it had to be enjoyed!

So a really long day for my birthday but loved every minute of it.  Tomorrow we sail around to a different part of the island and walk up to the top again and explore a bit more and I find the place where I can get eternal youth – looking forward to that!!!!

suzxxx