Protest!

Bright and early we set off to for Puno, Peru. Once on the bus they warned us that there might be a blockade and therefore we'd need to change buses and walk for 20 MINS MAX.

This was a lie. At the border the blockade was confirmed in Ilave. A protest. We sorted customs and changed our left over Bolivians for Soles.

My backpack is a beast. It must stand at about 20Kg but adding my smaller day pack which is also heavy. I reckon I'm carrying close to half my body weight, needless to say, a 20 minute walk is a challenge, a crippling challenge. When we got to Ilave we got off the bus and loaded up, we started walking up a pretty mean hill and there were many more. I couldn't help but notice that the only people we saw coming in the other direction were travellers like us rather than locals. I couldn't help but think, this protest doesn't impact Peruvians so what's the point?

Every so often there were stones stretching out across the road a few people sitting around but all in all the beginning of the protest seemed like a tame affair. It wasn't until my shoulders were screaming with pain and we'd been walking for a good half an hour or longer that we got to the main hub. Fires in the road, police in riot gear. At no point were we frightened or worried that we would get caught in the crossfire.

I kept asking people who we passed, how much further until the end. The response was varied but mostly - oh not that far. Lies! I was getting to the point where my back was so painful that it was actually a strangely nice sensation. I cross the pain/pleasure boundary, the pain got so bad it was good. I wasn't looking to cross this physical boundary, but I had no choice but to continue and try and get to the end. I'm surprised that I had it in me.

When the ordeal was over and we were safely inside a hostel in Puno, fed, unloaded and comfortable I think I was the most physically exhausted I've ever been in my life. My body was spent.

Not surprisingly, I didn't have the energy to get my camera out during this whole ordeal, but when we finally surfaced and went out to take a look at Puno and find a cheap meal.