We decided to take the short cut to Bolivia--across the islands in the southern part of Lake Titicaca. Part of our thinking was the hope to have a hassle free border crossing. We were not disappointed. From the time we got to the Peruvian customs office until we cleared multiple offices in Bolivia it was only 3 hours. This is good.
The only part of the crossing that is done using a computer is the motorcycle documentation. What is interesting is that in Lima the customs people never laid eyes on our bikes. And again when we entered Bolivia he made it a point to collect all of the numbers, but he never went outside to see the bikes. Everything else is written longhand into manuals and hit with a rubber stamp.
We are through with Nuevos Soles and now converted to Bolivianos. The price for our hotel is 100 Bolivianos each, which is about what we paid last night in Peru. The difference is Bs are worth half as much. So we find ourselves in a new, lakeside hotel for $15 each. We met some young kids from France and Switzerland, and they pointed out that they can't afford to leave Bolivia.
Lake Titicaca is much more beautiful here than what we saw from south of Puno. The vacationers are like a page from the past in the US. Lots of swan boats with pedals and canoes. No jetskis or loud powerboats. Every bay is filled with trout pens. And the trout is excellent.
Manana we head to La Paz and east. Looking for ways to bypass this city. Haven't heard anyone suggest there is a reason to visit it.
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