Carnaval in La Paz

Altho Carnival is great in LaPaz, the one in Oruro is world renowned. Ranked ahead of New Orleans. You will not find any hotel rooms available. May luck out with an all in tour from La Paz, otherwise just go and not plan on sleeping for three nights! [ LaPaz will also be problematic, but not nearly as Oruro, where you probably could not today get a reservation - paid now - for 2009! ]

It is still possible to get hotel rooms in Oruro for carnaval. I called a couple of them (mostly 2-star budget type of hotels) a few days ago, and some of them still had rooms. There were some hotels that even said that they only started accepting reservations this week. If you speak spanish, do a google search on hotels in Oruro, seek out a few phone numbers, and try calling them.

if you have a choice - go to Oruro.

But if it's La paz - action is on the upper end of the Prado+ Avebida Camacho only on one day - is it Sunday afternoon? (anyone can helpout with that?)

Prepare to get completely soaked by water ballons - female gringas are prime target

Carneval in La paz is not attracting huge crowds of tourists or visitors from other parts of Bolivia (at least wasn't like that in 2003/2004) - in 2003 I saw just a handful od other tourists - it seems to be more a local affair - so I think you won't have a big problem finding a room - but you can always reserve ahead to be on the safe side.

there is also another festival in Puno, called "la virgen de la candelaria" also really big from what I have read and also happening on the 2 or 3rd of feb.
I have a question regarding schedules, I am already in Lima, but got a bit sick with the cold and plan to leave to the south on Monday. Initially my trip was going to be Arequipa, Puno, titicaca, bolivia, coroico, uyuni, but now I have only 16 days from Monday and have heard that Arequipa is raining really bad. I was thinking maybe to travel to Tacna and somehow cross to Chile and then to Bolivia for the tupiza-Uyuni tour then Bolivia, maybe Coroico, La paz, Isla del Sol, Titicaca Lake and then Puno where I would like to arrive for the carnival on feb 2nd or 3rd not sure when exactly it is. I will basically have 12 days to arrive to Puno on time for the carnival, then I have olike 2-3 days to kill maybe I would meke it to Arequipa if it is not raining anymore. My question to all of you who have already done this would be if this is something that could work. How many days do you aproximately estimate that I would need for each place or places I should skip. I really appreciate your insight. Thanks!!!!!!!!!!