La Paz 2 and travel to Titicaca . After the exertions of the ‘ Road of Death’ we needed something quieter so took a walking tour with an excellent quide who had lived in England for 10 years . First stop the cemetery. Not at all like an English one ! They believe your spirit stays with you and the family for 5 years , so most people visit the cemetery quite often and maybe have lunch there . After 5 years the spirit leaves so often the site maybe re used . You then buy a skull doesn’t matter which one and have it in your house as a sort of shrine for perpetuity! Next a trip by cable car . La Paz has solved its traffic problem by installing three and six more planned , built in Austria and subsidised by government it is a very elegant solution to their traffic issues . It costs 40p to ride . We went to the top to its coterminous city El Alto , firstly for a great view then a trip to a witches market and a fortune teller. If you build a house you need to put a dead animal at its base . The size of the house denotes the size of the animal . Very large buildings apparently have a tramp or drunk who is befriended by the owner of the new building or their agent . I had my fortune taken and he said Leeds United would get promoted !! I asked him 3 questions through an interpreter as he only spoke Amyara . The other language is Quechua which is kept very much alive as it is taught in schools now along with Spanish.             Our hosts in La Paz have a lovely house with 3 generations of family living there (airbnb ). The grandfather Eduardo took us on a lovely walk across La Paz next day . He was a diplomat in Europe and we learnt a lot from him with his Begian wife . Today was the 14th so we went to a lovely French restaurant he recommended. We went about 8.30 and were first there ! They eat late ! Too soon it was time to leave . La Paz was truly a great city to visit.                      An unusual bus journey involving a ferry where the bus goes separately on a raft across the straights of Taquina took us to Copacobana.. no not the Brazilian one but Bolivian one ! Situated at the bottom of Lake Titicaca it is in a lovely setting sheltered by a hill at the back . Titicaca is full of superlatives . Highest navigable Lake in the world is enough for me , over 60 miles long and straddled the border between Bolivia and Peru . I came here in 1979 with Chris and I have dim memories of no electricity and a cold shower , it has certainly grown in the intervening 38 years but kept its charm , no more so in the accommodation we found ( thanks to the Guardian) . Las Olas should be renamed Las Gaudi , each small house was stunning in its architecture and design . We booked originally for 2 nights but stayed for 4 . Ceri made the most delightful Quinoa soup which we used for several meals . I found some delicious local sheeps cheese which had a very strong aroma . Ceri thoughtfully declined it while I tucked in with gusto . The sheep had its revenge with the famed ‘Inca two step ‘ That put paid to one day . Every cloud has a silver lining as we had to delay our trip to the Isla del Sol due to my dietary indiscretions!! The next day beckoned warm and sunny for our boat trip. A lovely walk across an island steeped in Inca history and stunning scenery . The altitude takes it toll and any up hill takes time . It’s as if you are running with a huge respiratory effort but your only walking . Our Himalayan knowledge comes in very helpful to us both . Sandwiches made for a walk always taste wonderful and so it proved today . All too soon it is time to set our minds to Peru . Tessa kindly sent me a picture of the border which I took in 1979 . I showed it to the border officials on the Bolivian side . I managed to stop all immigration for a spell as they wanted copies . We are now in Puno just about to catch a ferry out onto the lake for a night on Amantani island with local Amyarans who put you up . We are to be picked up at 07.40 so I had better get up and make hay as they say . Here are some pics which cover this last 6 days