Day 23- Copacabana to Huatajata... (70km Wednesday 31st August)

Ant's buzzing this morning, he can't wait to get on the road again, hoping around like a little puppy. As always I'm slightly slower to get moving and much more excited about the prospect of breakfast than the ride ahead. Breakfast being fried eggs, home made soda bread, muslie and yoghurt from the Irish cafe, a pure treat... No stale bread and jam in sight!
Not just useful for food, the Irish cafe man was super helpful recommending routes and keeping up to date with news. For example the fact that the miners have decided to strike and killed the deputy minister of Bolivia by brutal beating a few days ago... Its ok though, their striking methods are quite simple, block major roads into and out of cities and play with dynamite, possibly in an alcohol and coca induced frenzy.
Its not like were going on any main roads to La Paz or anything...oh wait!
A quick message to Jemima to let her know our plans and expected arrival times, just in case,  and we were off, trying fairly hard not to think about miners. Except to contemplate their predicament. It sounds like an incredibly tough life and you can understand the want to strike, but not sure they have chosen the best method of demonstration or the best arguments.
In any case, we were on our way up the beautiful 400m ascent out of the town, winding its way gently up and over the the mountain, and how absolutely stunning it was.  We were on a peninsular that almost thought it was an island and were super high (4300m) surrounded by lake and snowy mountains. Pure 360 degree heaven. Yes it was proving fairly hard work, but man it was worth every pedal stroke. The road seemed to just keep climbing, and I was living every minute, getting stronger and stronger and fueled by the views I was pulling away from Ant. Very strange, oh well I'll enjoy it while it lasts!
Them the inevitable and well earned descent to lake level to get a "ferry". Ant managed to hit 70km/h on the descent and was super proud! I forgot how to turn corners, but woosh it was fun! Until we discovered just how big the Bolivians like to make speed bumps... These are definitely worth slowing down for! Bike churning people throwing nasties... But somehow we managed to keep the boys upright.
So the ferry... Well not so much a ferry, more a floating (just!) plank of wood that somehow had us, a bus and a minivan balanced atop it. With every wave the bus lurched, and with every bus lurch, the wood creaked and twisted. We were fairly sure there were three possible outcomes of this ride: 1-death by toppling bus; 2- death by sinking under toppling bus; 3- survival. And we were never quite sure exactly which outcome would transpire!
Thank full that outcome number 3 decided to win, we were soon in our way back up the hill on the other side of the water, but not after the boatman had tied several knots in metal chains to secure the plank of wood and the bus had tightrope walked its way ashore!
Fuelled by popcorn and salteñas, we were on route. Another 25km or so and we would find the "town". After about a 250m climb up it was a fairly pleasant ride. Gentle downs and only a few small lumps to get over, but all alongside the lake, though strangely we were both finding it incredibly tiring. The last 6km seemed to drool on forever, but eventually we found a settlement that must be the town (not a placename in sight!). It seemed less a town and more a few fields, the odd restaurant on a field, and a couple of hotels. We stayed in the "hotel and spa" that was really just an expensive hotel ($60), but it had a lovely restaurant with cool Bolivian music (cue panpipes, miniature guitars, and multi coloured cloaks dancing), and seemed to be the base for several mountaineering groups.
An early night and we soon discovered why Ant had been so tired... Fever, shivers, cramps... Oh no! A night of head strokes and comforting was ahead and a strong chance there would be no cycling for us tomorrow.
The morning offered me the chance to practice my Spanish... "I breakfast here but my wife breakfast in room, little bad well" is what I think I said, but nevertheless it worked! Almost as well as at reception... "a question, today we go La Paz with bicycles, but no, my wife little bad well, is possible a car, taxi with two people and two bicycles?". Again a slightly confused receptionist managed to decipher the message and a man with a Rav 4 turned up half an hour later, ready and waiting to drive two people and two bikes! Proud Stewie!
So an awesome day of cycling followed by a day in a car, but what amazing views we've seen .