Width of South America

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In four day buses, three night buses, and one week, we have spanned the width of the continent from the Pacific to the Atlantic.

Before leaving Peru, we visted an island on the enormous Lake Titicaca -- try saying THAT to a roomful of pre-pubescents during a geography lesson. One of the most untouched places we have visited -- locals all wore traditional dress; women were either working at their looms or knitting; no hotels, restaurants, or shops (we stayed with our boat captain's family). The most intriguing thing about the place is its surreal quietness. The women speak in whipsers and babies are silent. Imagine!

On a freezing overnight bus, I picked up Jim's cough which quickly blossomed into my annual case of larengitis. 24-hour togetherness does have its pitfalls. Maybe I should return to the Isle of Silence.

To make things worse, in one of our stopovers towns, a local unleashed dog chomped on me! Okay, 'nipped' is more like it, he barely broke the skin really. Jim was dousing me with iodine within about 30 seconds. (I no longer tease him about the bulging first aid bag he has been lugging around.) Nevertheless, it warranted a visit to the 'Clinica Rural' where the 'At the Hospital' section of our Spanish phrasebook came in handy. ('Little dog... bite to me... Vaccination necessary?... No is necessary?... Why no?... Yes, my voice leaves me, but no is problem')

San Pedro de Atacama, on the edge of Chili, Bolivia, and Argentina, was definitely overrated by the guidebooks. The 'hip colonial village' was really just a two-street desert town with a plaza and some pizza joints. It was our last chance to enter Bolivia and poorly timed right at the height of their riots. Added Bolivia to our list for RTW trip number 2 and made our way into Argentina.