Partylife and Naturelove

Back in Cusco! First of all, we had to find a hostel again, but this time it was easy because Oskar and Cata work as volunteers in a hostel here in Cusco, Ned and Alexis are also in this hostel, and since it was the cheapest accommodation in the whole city (3.50€ / night), it was clear to us that we would go to Antis Hostel!
Along with Natalie, we managed to make this climb (the hostel was on one of the highest hills in the city), and when we arrived, we understood why Ned and Alexis told us that the hostel was very special. A somewhat sturdy Canadian guy opened the door for us and invited us in. He explained that he himself was a guest and there was no one there except him, but he could give us a free room to stay in and we just had to wait for Cata and Oskar for the check-in. Then he sat back in front of the TV and watched some random movie, occasionally saying some really strange stuff to us. That was his only activity all day, sitting in front of the TV and talking nonsense. A pretty weird guy, to say the least.
In the evening, Cata, Oskar, Alexis, and Ned also arrived. They told us that the owner only came in the morning, and after that, they took care of the hostel themselves. We thought that was pretty cool. It was the weekend and we were really motivated to party. The hostel had more of a shared house vibe, and from Thursday to Sunday, we partied non-stop! It was amazing to be able to come back to the hostel at 7 in the morning with people we went out with and end the night jamming together. We'll remember this weekend in Cusco for a long time, as many funny stories happened, but unfortunately, they're not suitable for a blog. But let's see, if things get smoother at home again, we'll definitely tell you about them ;-).

Gabriel and Oskar in the best condition!

Since the hostel was located on one of the highest hills in the city, the view was amazing!

Feet also need some fresh air!

After a weekend full of alcohol, it was time to move on. We headed back to La Paz, a city where we had unfinished business. The last time we were there, we only got to know all corners of our toilet, but that was it. So we were highly motivated for all sorts of activities in La Paz!

Back in La Paz!

A Bolivian Christmas tree

One of the first things we learned for our trip is that a travel guide is completely unnecessary. Because you meet so many people, whether they are travelers or locals, both groups can tell you better than any travel guide what things to do in each place!
The same goes for La Paz. Everyone told us that we should ride down the Death Road, the 'most dangerous' road in the world, on a mountain bike. Normally, I'm not a fan of activities that everyone does because they are usually too touristy, but since the Death Road was highly recommended by all backpackers, we decided to do it. Furthermore, almost everyone also recommended Valle de la Luna, a place near La Paz, but a local told us about Valle de las Animas, which is less known and apparently even more beautiful. That was enough to convince us and put it on our to-do list. The third item on this list was the one I was most excited about. Two guys from Tyrol, whom we met at Route 36 in La Paz, told me about Huayna Potosi, and I was immediately thrilled to climb a 6,000-meter mountain! Although they had to turn back before the summit because they couldn't handle the altitude, I had been above 3,500 meters for over two weeks now, so I felt confident to do it!

But let's take it one step at a time. First, Gabriel and I went to Valle de las Animas together! We somehow couldn't find the local microbus there, so we had to take the more expensive option, a taxi. (The 30-minute ride cost us 5€, so it was manageable.) When we arrived at the starting point, we first met a very friendly elderly man who lived there and showed us the way and told us something in Spanish about the place. My Spanish is okay by now, but since he spoke so fast and unclearly, I only understood some bits. For example, he mentioned that there should be some cocaine labs there, which can be recognized by the laundry hanging everywhere and the windows being locked.
At first, I wasn't sure if I understood him correctly, but as we continued and it became more and more deserted, with us being the only people around, and then we saw a small hut with lots of laundry hanging outside and darkened windows, we were pretty sure that we understood him correctly. A man who passed by looked at us strangely, but a typical tourist smile and a friendly 'Buen dia' were enough to have no problems. When we finally reached the valley, we were once again totally impressed. On the left and right sides of the valley, there were sharp rock formations, similar to pinnacles, rising up. We had never seen anything like it before. To give you a better idea, let the pictures speak for themselves!

The first meters in the 'Valle'

Unique scenery!

It's nice to hang out here for a while.

Since we were really happy to finally do a sports activity again, we spontaneously decided to climb somewhere and reach the highest possible point. It was simply fantastic to be out of the city, breathe fresh air, and be completely alone in stunning nature. I could enjoy every step, it was great to feel physical exertion again!

A few meters of altitude never hurt!

We were rewarded for our efforts! The view over the valley with La Paz somewhere in the background could almost be a painting!

If you pay attention to the car on the ground, you'll realize how huge these pinnacles are!

The highest point we could reach was a small platform. If you dared to look over the edge, you could see that it went steeply down for dozens of meters and the sharp pinnacles seemed to 'laugh' at you.

The platform, the highest point we could reach.

If you take a peek over the edge...

So we decided to keep a safe distance from the edge of the platform, sit down, and then we had that moment again. You look into the distance and feel how happy you are right now and you just have to laugh. Oh, how I love these moments!
Before it got dark, we made our way back, this time taking the cheaper option of a collectivo, which cost less than 50 cents, back to La Paz. Then Gabriel and I separated for the first time on the trip. He was going to do the Death Road and have a day of relaxation in Coroico, and I was about to embark on my first real mountain tour, Huayna Potosi, at 6,088 meters. It feels good to start with a 6,000-meter climb!

Author: Andreas