Lake Titicaca, Isla del Sol, & Isla de la Luna, Bolivia (September, 2017)

After having a bit of fun in La Paz, we headed out for Lake Titicaca...we stayed only on the Bolivian side of the lake. We booked a hotel on the Isla del Sol that we actually had to hike a couple miles to get to, but the views were great and so was the weather. We rented a boat to take us around the lake the next day. Overall, a nice relaxing time around the lake was had by all.

We were able to see some reed boats made out of Totora reeds, explore some ruins on small islands on Lake Titicaca, and enjoy the views and some family time atop Isla del Sol.

Eliza and Sawyer overlooking Lake Titicaca from the Bolivia side.

View of Lake Titicaca from our Villa atop Isla del Sol in Bolivia.

 Our room atop "Isla del Sol" on the Bolivian side of Lake Titicaca.

 The dining room for the hotel and the sweet Bolivian lady that cooked us dinner and breakfast while we stayed on "Isla del Sol" on the Bolivian side of Lake Titicaca.

 We hiked to the top of "Isla del Sol" (Island of the Sun) on the Bolivian side of Lake Titicaca...this is the village that we found there...our hotel/villa was another quarter mile outside of town on the top of the mountain.

Awesome dragon Totora reed boat on the shore of Lake Titicaca.

The kids climbing on a real, functioning Totora reed boat on Lake Titicaca.

We chartered a boat to take us around Lake Titicaca and explore...the kids on top of the boat.

 The kids on top of the boat we chartered to take us around Lake Titicaca and explore some of the islands.

 Zander and Ryder, exploring the ruins on "Isla de la Luna" (Island of the Moon) on the Bolivian side of Lake Titicaca.

 Ruins on "Isla de la Luna" on the Bolivian side of Lake Titicaca.

The kids, checking out the ruins on "Isla de la Luna" (Island of the Moon) on The Bolivian side of Lake Titicaca.

Sawyer and Zander on the shores of Lake Titicaca on the Bolivian side.

 Nash, in front of the Cathedral in Copacabana, Bolivia on the shores of Lake Titicaca.

The kids sitting on a Totora reed boat. These boats are called balsa. There are also islands on Lake Titicaca made of these types of reeds.

Totora reed boats by lake Titicaca.

La Paz, Bolivia (September, 2017)

From Uyuni, Bolivia, we jumped on a plane to La Paz, Bolivia. We flew a local Bolivian airline called Amaszonas. We payed $86 each for the quick flight ($516 total). La Paz is a city Cody visited with his friend Matt a year earlier to celebrate Matt's 40th birthday. There is a lot of quirky and fun things to do in La Paz. 

One of the things we did was rappelling down the side of the Hotel Presidente while dressed up in funny costumes. Cody and Eliza both did the rappel...Cody did it twice. Cody dressed up as a bumblebee and Eliza dressed up as superwoman. Ryder wanted so bad to do it, but they wouldn't let him for height

We also visited the witches markets where they sell baby llama carcasses, all kinds of potions and spices, skulls, and other magical and superstitious objects and items. It was a bit freaky, but definitely interesting to hear about the weird superstitions and beliefs they had. People would buy llama carcasses for luck and bury them outside their house when they built new edifices on their property believing that it would bring them luck and prosperity.

We spent some time exploring the city. It is quite a chore to walk up and down the steep hills at this high elevation city. We often found ourselves exhausted and in need of a break after walking only a couple streets. We found a cool escape room on the other side of town and did a couple rooms together as a family and found a fun and elaborately decorated Mexican restaurant and had lunch there. As we do in most of the Latin American cities we visit, we had to search for Bolivian soccer jerseys for the kids.

Eliza and the kids in front of the Catedral La Paz.

The kids at the witches market in La Paz, Bolivia.

Sawyer, checking out the magical potions at the witches market in La Paz, Bolivia.

Llama carcasses and other strange things at the witches markets in La Paz, Bolivia.

Nash, checking out some of the magical spices at the witches markets in La Paz, Bolivia.

Zander's freaked out from the skeleton statues in the witches market in La Paz, Bolivia.

Ryder, at the witches market in La Paz, Bolivia.

Shopping for llama fur items in La Paz, Bolivia.

Ryder, in front of one of the "cholitas" in the main square in La Paz, Bolivia.

Family picture at the top of the rappel over the city of La Paz, Bolivia.

View from the top of the Hotel Presidente over La Paz, Bolivia.

Eliza, rappelling Aussie style down the face of the Hotel Presidente in La Paz, Bolivia.

Cody, rappelling Aussie style down the face of the Hotel Presidente in La Paz, Bolivia.

Cody, rappelling Aussie style down the face of the Hotel Presidente in La Paz, Bolivia.

Eliza, rappelling Aussie style down the face of the Hotel Presidente in La Paz, Bolivia.

Eliza, rappelling Aussie style down the face of the Hotel Presidente in La Paz, Bolivia.

Video of Cody, rappelling "Aussie style" down the side of the Hotel Presidente in downtown La Paz, Bolivia.

Fun and elaborately decorated Mexican restaurant we ate at in La Paz, Bolivia.

 We found a cool escape room in La Paz, Bolivia and went out one of the afternoons and did 2 different rooms.

Great times doing escape rooms in La Paz, Bolivia with our family.

Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia (September, 2017)

Once we dropped down from the highlands to more reasonable elevations, everyone started feeling a bit better. The weather started warming up, the wind died down, and we found ourselves in a land made almost completely of salt. In that land, of course, someone decided to build a Salt Hostel. The walls, ceilings, floors beds...everything was made out of salt. It wasn't the most luxurious place we've stayed, but perhaps one of the most unique. We stayed the night at the hotel, then left early to check out the Salt Flats of Uyuni (Salar de Uyuni), which was spectacular.

We drove out across what seemed like endless salt, then in the distance we spotted what looked to be an island. When we got closer, it was an incredible sight...an island oasis in the middle of the salt flats that had incredible cacti springing up from all over. The island was called "Isla Incahuasi" (Incahuasi Island). We jumped out of the jeep and went exploring on this island. There were caves, cacti, and trails going all over and we were surrounded by sunshine and white salt for miles. This place was truly unique.

Family game of cards at the Salt Hotel on the outskirts of the Uyuni Salt Flats in Bolivia. 

Handmade Bolivia sign in the salt hostel towards the Uyuni Salt Flats in Bolivia. 

 After driving through endless salt, we arrived at an island full of nothing but rock and cacti.

"Isla Incahuasi" (Incahuasi Island) or as we called it, Cactus Island.

King of the cacti.

Eliza and the kids on the cactus island in the middle of the Uyuni Salt Flats in Bolivia with a mountain in the background.

Cody and the kids surrounded by cacti in the Uyuni Salt Flats in Bolivia. 

Kids posing on the island in the middle of the Uyuni Salt Flats.

Island in the middle of the Uyuni Salt Flats.

Video from the top of "Isla Incahuasi" (Incahuasi Island) in the middle of the Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia.

Zander, climbing around and jumping on the rocks on "Isla Incahuasi" (Incahuasi Island) in the middle of the Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia.

There were these incredible arches and caves throughout the island and we climbed, explored and ran around the island for hours. The kids loved it.

Zander meditating on "Isla Incahuasi".

Eliza spanning one of the caves at "Isla Incahuasi".

Endless salt at the Bolivian salt flats of Uyuni.

Our crew near the end of our 3 day jeep tour across the Bolivian Highlands and the Uyuni Salt Flats.

Ryder.

Nash.

Sawyer.

Zander.

Sawyer and Eliza.

Yoga Eliza.

Having fun with perspective pictures in the Bolivian Salt Flats at Uyuni.

Underneath Sawyer in the Bolivian Salt Flats at Uyuni.

On top of Sawyer in the Bolivian Salt Flats at Uyuni.

Cody, fighting a dinosaur in the Bolivian Salt Flats at Uyuni.

Family jumping in the Bolivian Salt Flats at Uyuni.

Nash, stepping on the family in the Bolivian Salt Flats at Uyuni.

Nash, cooking the family in the Bolivian Salt Flats at Uyuni.

Sawyer, weighing her options with the family in the Bolivian Salt Flats at Uyuni.

Sawyer, fighting a dinosaur in the Bolivian Salt Flats at Uyuni.

Sawyer, doing gymnastics on the salt flats at Uyuni, Bolivia.

Family picture, on the Bolivian salt flats at Uyuni.

Cody and the kids, running on the salt flats of Uyuni, Bolivia (3,650 meters - 12,000 feet - above sea level).

Cody, going down a big, bumpy slide in a public park in Uyuni, Bolivia.

Old train graveyard just outside of Uyuni, Bolivia.

Old train graveyard just outsie of Uyuni, Bolivia.