Fly With Me . . .: Bolivia or Bust, Baby!!! Whoop, whoop! :)

So, I just got back from Bolivia a couple of days ago and man, was that an adventure!!! Not only did we bust a move all over the country, but we also have about a gazillion stories to share. Oh yeah, and I came back a year older!!! Weeeeeeeee! Yay birthdays! Anyway, here's my list of memories and some pictures to share...enjoy!!! ~m

Bolivia = leaving straight-away from school, gross smelling plane ride to Santa Cruz, visa paperwork, landing in la Paz, Ceci with no luggage, meeting Ceci's aunt Sonia at airport, crazy taxi ride, fires on the side of the street, hotel espana, our tour guide- Ceci's cousin Anita, checking out Ceci's family's apartment, view of light covered hill, pressing my nose against the glass to see the mountain with snow, absent, cocoa leaf candies for altitude sickness, cab ride with 5 to old haunted downtown, packed dive bars/restaurants, pizza de la piedra, what sound does a zebra make?, but she's a hippy too!, yeah but she's like a fancy hippy, 1am sleep time, 5 am wakeup call, severe altitude headache, bus to Copacabana, totally zonking out, Chaya's bus incident ;), Chris - I could have lived without that information, me - impressed, beautiful scenery, green green grass, huge lake, mountains, paper dolls hanging from the bus ceiling up front, I'm in [dirty] leggings right now-i win, bus on ferry across the lake, Emily left her bag, chest hurting from altitude?, gas, cocoa leaf tea, big breakfast, shopping for goods, lolly the llama purchase, priests spraying down cars with flowers all over them, 30 minute/1.5hour boat ride, fuzzy fruit, 2 hour hike to hotel, amazing views, crazy chicken with feathers on feet, cocoa leaf tea and crackers and chocolate cookies, liquor de coca, sheep herds while watching reverse sunset, donkey happiness?, delicious dinner, sick roommate, 6am hike down the mountain island to watch the sunrise, hour boatride to pre-incan ruins, labyrinth, lady with sheep by the ruins, boat transfer in the middle of lake titicaca, hour long boat ride with old men gambling up front, ladies weaving next to us, man eating coca leaves next to me, arrival at copacabana and eating at Mexican restaurant, more shopping-legwarmers, socks, gloves, hat; bus ride back to la Paz-all 5 of us in the back seat, Emily and I playing the word association game for 2.5 hours, sitting on the floor of the bus, showers and unpacking/repacking at aunt sonia's house, disappointment at the bus terminal, no reservations, back to sonia's, getting news that we have a private mini-bus, sleeping in the back of the mini-bus, 3 flat tires, 5 hours on the side of the road, stranded pictures, braiding chaya's hair, hippie awesomeness, broken sunglasses, birds eating poo, rescue by Edgar with lunch for all, not abandoning Ismael, coolest couple ever, quinoa fields, drive to the salt flats, crazy fun salt flats photos, Lolly the llama photos, water over the salt, walking barefoot on the salt, salt mounds, beautiful reflection photos, clothes covered in salt, chillin in uyuni, drive to first night's hotel, 3 person shower with hot water, super colorful bedding, 6am wakeup, drive to Arbol de piedra, laguna roja, flamingos, aguas termales, laguna blanca, laguna verde, awesome colors, hospedeja at laguna blanca, super duper super cold night, awesome birthday surprises, maxi pad absorption note, rock structure, sweet notes to bring in my 27th year:), cold cold night, ridiculously awesome stars, sleeping in til 7:30, lots of driving, valley of the rocks, train cemetery, candy and glitter stars purchased at San cristobal, rock church, all the girls wearing the stars, candy spray, jelly filled marshmallows, pringles, pringles, and more pringles, hanging out in uyuni before our 10 hour bus ride back to la Paz, sleeping on the bus, early morning arrival to la Paz, staying at ceci's grandparents' house, touring la Paz, Thai food, coca museum, Internet cafe with 30+ guys playing video games, 123 emails with awesome birthday messages, coffee and lemon pie, resting at the g'rents house, mango's for our last dinner in la paz, groovy music, awesome g&ts, flight to Santa Cruz, afternoon with Ceci's Uncle's family, riding in the back of his truck, even more flight delays, vino at the airport, finishing grading on the plane ride back...yes!

Church at Copacabana