3 Days in Sorata

I left La Paz for the first time in nearly a month with Adam, Jamien, and Sarah, taking a 4-hr bus up and out of El Alto, across the Altiplano, skirting the shores of Lago Titicaca, and then dropping down into a lush Yungas valley to spend some time in tranquil Sorata. We stayed at a beautiful hostel called Altai Oasis down out of town across the river, with views of 20,000 ft Illampu under the full moon, spent lots of time drinking beer, playing cards, grilling our own delicious dinner over a fire, exploring the markets in Sorata and eating lots of fresh mangos and custard-like chirimuyas, riding in the back of a pickup truck 1 hr down the valley to La Gruta - a huge cave - where campesinos were hanging out, swimming and paddling around in inflatable boats deep underground. All in all a perfect 3 day vacation from the bustling city, but I'm glad to be back...