Copacabana/Lake Titicaca/Isla Del SolDec 16, 2011
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Our bus taking the ferry
Our first hotel in Copacabana
Ian napping
| Dec 16 Copacabana/Lake Titicaca/Isla Del Sol Copacabana is a small town on the edge of Lake Titicaca, which is the world's largest high-altitude lake. At an altitude of 3808 meters and covering an area of 8400 sq km it straddles both Peru and Bolivia. We arrived in Copacabana in the afternoon by bus. We spent the entire day wandering around this very small rundown fishing town. In about 2 hours we had seen everything there was to see. A small wedding was taking place and every street vendor and shop was selling champagne and flowers. The next morning we took a boat taxi that was ridiculously packed for approx. 2 1/2 hours through choppy waters (the boat was moving at least 1 meter up and down!) to Isla Del Sol (Island of the sun). This island is the legendary Inca birthplace and the birthplace of the sun in Inca mythology. It was here that the bearded white god Viracocha and the first Incas, Manco Capac and his sister-wife Mama Ocilo, made their mystical appearances. The boat dropped us off at the north side of the island where we hiked for about an hour to an old Inca ruins and saw the rock that apparently the first Incas appeared from. The scenery was beatiful and the ruins were very neat with little doors and tiny little over hangs to squeeze through. On the way back Ian decided to hike the 3 1/2 hour trail from the north of the island to the south, while Jenelle decided to take the boat to the south. The trail for Ian was very well kept but he soon found out why, they charged you an entrance fee 3 seperate times along the trail! Fortunately it was only 5 Bolivianos each time which is not even $0.75 american. On the south side of the island was a small town named Yumani. There were more hotels and restaurants than sun rays. We originaly planned on staying the night but the people on the island were so money hungry ie. blocking the pier off so no one could get off the boats without paying first (not normal) or take a picture of a baby donkey and have someone jump out of the bushes demanding money for the picture. So we decided to take the boat back to Copacabana for the night. The next day we went to another hotel and checked into a very nice suite. The room was so nice and had a separate sitting area with a hammock. We spent the whole day relaxing. Then back to La Paz the following morning. |
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