Copacabana - Lake Titicaca
From La Paz I took a minibus to Lake Titicaca and then to the lakeside town of Copacabana. It was a fairly short trip. The first half on the trip was along the plateau that extends from El Alto (the town above La Paz). The second half of the trip was along the shore of the lake and over the hills of the peninsulas. It also included a ferry ride where we had to get out of the bus and take a passenger boat. I giggled when I saw that the ferry cost was about 40 cents because so many tourist buses bragged that the transportation cost included the ferry transfer fee. What a deal!
Copacabana was pretty average except for the many unique hotels offering views of the lake. The architecture of these hotels is rather unique, somewhat bohemian. Lots of stained glass, strange shapes. The rooms are arranged on the side of a steep hill to maximize lake views. I decided to splurge a bit and stay in a junior suite with a lake view. Having my own bathroom meant I could wash some things, (clothing, luggage, and trekking poles). I even had a small lawn in front of my room with a couple of lounge chairs where I could dry things in the sun. There was a kitchenette and I cooked most of my own meals while I was there (just soup, but with a variety of fresh vegetables, which I’d been craving, and severely lacking). Restaurant meals in the town were pricey, so I saved a few dollars. I enjoyed my suite a lot over the three nights I was there. I did have one creepy moment where two guys were standing on the lawn two feet from my window at 6 AM taking videos… of… the town and the lake, I hope. They woke me up. I got out of bed to draw the curtains. Not sure if they were rude or clueless, as if there is an excuse for either. I guess this is why we put fences around our yards.
Copacabana was pretty average except for the many unique hotels offering views of the lake. The architecture of these hotels is rather unique, somewhat bohemian. Lots of stained glass, strange shapes. The rooms are arranged on the side of a steep hill to maximize lake views. I decided to splurge a bit and stay in a junior suite with a lake view. Having my own bathroom meant I could wash some things, (clothing, luggage, and trekking poles). I even had a small lawn in front of my room with a couple of lounge chairs where I could dry things in the sun. There was a kitchenette and I cooked most of my own meals while I was there (just soup, but with a variety of fresh vegetables, which I’d been craving, and severely lacking). Restaurant meals in the town were pricey, so I saved a few dollars. I enjoyed my suite a lot over the three nights I was there. I did have one creepy moment where two guys were standing on the lawn two feet from my window at 6 AM taking videos… of… the town and the lake, I hope. They woke me up. I got out of bed to draw the curtains. Not sure if they were rude or clueless, as if there is an excuse for either. I guess this is why we put fences around our yards.
The hotel also had a garden with a couple of alpacas in it. One was skittish, but the other really liked the carrot peels I fed him. He ate a lot of carrot peels – he tried the cabbage, but only once and refused to eat more.
The town of Copacabana was small but kind of nice. There was a parade one day where indigenous tribes (Quechua and possibly Aymara) walked past a stage carrying their tribal banners. The school band played some music (very poorly) before the parade. It drew quite a crowd, and it was nice seeing everyone in their traditional dress, proud of their heritage.
By the way, the women wear a lot of layers and I think “fat” is a desired look. On one of my bus rides I sat beside a woman in her traditional skirt. I could tell she was wearing many layers of crinoline underneath her skirt. I also sat beside a woman that was wearing crinoline around her belly. I could see its roughness under her shirt, and it made noise when she shifted. But most of the women are actually obese, and then make it look like they are even more obese than they actually are. The men are not obese and do nothing to pretend they are. The men don't dress traditionally as often as the women. The men seem to like Adidas sweat pants with stripes down the sides.
By the way, the women wear a lot of layers and I think “fat” is a desired look. On one of my bus rides I sat beside a woman in her traditional skirt. I could tell she was wearing many layers of crinoline underneath her skirt. I also sat beside a woman that was wearing crinoline around her belly. I could see its roughness under her shirt, and it made noise when she shifted. But most of the women are actually obese, and then make it look like they are even more obese than they actually are. The men are not obese and do nothing to pretend they are. The men don't dress traditionally as often as the women. The men seem to like Adidas sweat pants with stripes down the sides.
Copacabana has a hill you can climb that has great views of the town, the surrounding area and the lake. It’s only a 200 meter climb, but it’s very steep and humbling. The views were great.
I took a boat to Isla del Sol on my second day. It’s an island of great religious significance to the Incan people and contains a lot of ruins. I had planned to hike from one end of the island to the other, but I’d read that the north side was closed to tourists due to a political conflict. I should have asked more questions, because apparently it has been reopened. I also messed up when I purchased my boat tickets. When I got to the island, the boat captain told us we only had an hour on the island. It was only 10:30 in the morning and I’d planned to do some hiking. I found out there was a boat going back at 4 PM and decided not to worry about missing my boat. I had to buy a new return ticket, but it only cost me a few dollars.
From the port, there is a huge Inca staircase that takes you up the hill. It’s beautiful, but obviously restored. From the top of the staircase, I turned left and headed to the southern peninsula of the island. I got a great view from the peak of the hill, then descended the Inca trail to the Temple del Sol. The temple was amazing looking, but also very disappointing because it was covered with a tarp and fenced off. It looked like one of the walls had collapsed somewhat recently and the tarps were there to prevent it from getting worse. But it didn’t look like there were any plans to repair the damage anytime soon. I hope they do some work to restore and maintain the temple, because it’s one of the biggest potential attractions on the island.
From the port, there is a huge Inca staircase that takes you up the hill. It’s beautiful, but obviously restored. From the top of the staircase, I turned left and headed to the southern peninsula of the island. I got a great view from the peak of the hill, then descended the Inca trail to the Temple del Sol. The temple was amazing looking, but also very disappointing because it was covered with a tarp and fenced off. It looked like one of the walls had collapsed somewhat recently and the tarps were there to prevent it from getting worse. But it didn’t look like there were any plans to repair the damage anytime soon. I hope they do some work to restore and maintain the temple, because it’s one of the biggest potential attractions on the island.
I hiked back to the top of the staircase and continued up to the town of Yumani, which was quite a climb. I then continued climbing to Palla Khasa where I could get a view from the other side of the island. It’s only 250 meters above the lake, but I was gasping for air, nonetheless. I guess I’m as acclimatized as I’m gonna get. At least I haven’t been dizzy or nauseous.
I had lunch in Yumani - quinoa soup, lake trout, and an ice cream sundae. It was delicious and I had a great view of the lake while I ate.
I eventually made my way back to the port and caught a boat around 3:30 PM. I ended up with a mild sunburn on my face. The chilly air is deceiving. And it’s hard to find good sunscreen here. I have some 30 SPF stuff, but it seems to separate and require a lot of shaking before use.
I had lunch in Yumani - quinoa soup, lake trout, and an ice cream sundae. It was delicious and I had a great view of the lake while I ate.
I eventually made my way back to the port and caught a boat around 3:30 PM. I ended up with a mild sunburn on my face. The chilly air is deceiving. And it’s hard to find good sunscreen here. I have some 30 SPF stuff, but it seems to separate and require a lot of shaking before use.
I spent my last day in Copacabana lounging around and enjoying the view from my suite. It gave me time to update my website, prepare for my border crossing to Peru and repack everything. I listened to some music and drank lots of tea. I also started a fire in my fireplace, but it was extremely difficult. I’m pretty good starting fires, but I couldn’t even get the newspaper to burn. It didn’t seem wet, just cold. Then it dawned on me that at 4000 meters, there isn’t as much oxygen in the air. I ended up using the very hot blow-dryer in my room to assist me in starting the fire. And even once I got coals good and hot, I still needed the blow-dryer a few times to restart the flames. I guess I learned something new!
I caught a bus to the border the next day… and that’s for another post.
I caught a bus to the border the next day… and that’s for another post.