Arrived in Copacobama after a 4 hour journey from Puno through the Peru/Bolivian border control, which as these things go was pretty much straight forward. Copacobama is small town situated on Lake Titicaca and is seen as a place to relax for both foreigners and Bolivians alike. Copacobama, as with Cusco, has expanded exponentially in the last 5 years or so which has placed a tremendous strain on its` infrastructure, for example, roads and waste disposal are poor, then Bolivia is one of the poorer developing of South America, struggling to keep up with its richer neighbours. Despite all of this Copacobama had a laid back atmosphere and I found a hotel with a room with a view overlooking the lake, both cheap and comfortable, if a little worn around the edges.
I stayed for a week in the town with one night on the Isla del Sol (the Inca birthplace of the sun). During my stay I completed the 17km hike to Yampupata and then caught a private boat over the strait to Yamuni on the Isla del Sol. A great walk from Copacobama to Yamputata was on dirt road which mainly followed the coastline. The weather was perfect, a clear sunny day, ideal for hiking, where the only person I met was Hilario at Sicuana in his reed boat. The Lonely Planet Guide had mentioned Hilario and I was still surprised when I was hailed and offered the opportunity to sail in her/him (male or female in Inca history with the panther prow?) for a small donation. Relaxing on the boat with 4 Frenchmen who were also taking time out from hiking though the other way, to Copacobama, was a peaceful experience as Hilario punted us through the reeds on Lake Titicaca, where I took the opportunity to enjoy my packed lunch in this unusual setting!
A further 4km hike to Yampupata and I found a boat to take me to the south of the Isla del Sol, for ten dollars, where I stepped onto a very basic pier, unexpectedly, this was about 3 km from Yumani. In Yumani it was relatively straightforward to find accommodation, though this involved a climb to the highest point of the village, which given I was rather tired was not entirely welcome! The one nights´accommodation was of a surprisingly high standard, bathroom ensuite, and cheap, giving spectacular views over Lake Titicaca. The next morning I set out for Challapampa, on the north of the island a hike of 4 hours, of between 12 and 17 kilometres, were again I climbed to high altitudes of 4,200m, along the spine of the island. Yet more spectacular views were to be had, and the weather was clear and sunny with a breeze at the highest points. Needless to say I was well prepared with sunscreen, hat and covered arms and legs. I met a number of other hikers on the way all of whom caught the same ferry back to Copacabama, a journey of one and a half hours that became a nightmare journey of two hours when a storm blew up. The small ferry was packed with people and it yawed and pitched in the high seas on the lake, half of the passengers were very seasick, though I avoided this as I kept busy by helping with the sick passengers (plastic bags were at a premium on this journey!).
I spent the next 2 nights recovering from the experience, in Copacabama, visiting some of the local sights, including Calvary Hill and enjoying a swim in the not-so-cold lake in the next bay along to the town.
Sadly I was unable to find a massage place in Copacabama, as my usual practice was to have a full massage after a hike, but that had to wait until La Paz. The 4 hour coach journey in a ´tourist´bus was not without its own entertainment when we disembarked whilst the coach was loaded onto a ´ferry´to cross the straits (see photo!). We were taken across on a small motor launch which, of course, was packed to the gunnells....
First impressions of La Paz, the highest capital city in the world at an altitude of 3,600m, was of a bustling, large and crowded city, fortunately, as always I had booked a hotel through Hostelworld, beforehand, and the bus dropped us about 200 yards away.
Photo 1. The Cathedral, Copacobama, viewed through the main gate.
Photo 2. Sunset over Lake Titicaca, seen from my hotel room.
Photo 3. A farmer waters his pigs by the lakeside.
Photo 4. Copacobama viewed from Calvary Hill overlooking the town.
Photo 5. Calvary Hill seen from the Inca ruins (in a very poor state of repair with much graffiti and destruction of the fabric of the ruins.
Photo 6. A wedding on the lakeside. The women all over Bolivia wear this traditional dress of bowler hat and full skirt with many petticoates. This group were dancing in pairs along the lake.
Photo 7. An island on the lake, complete with fish farm (trout are commonly farmed on Lake Titicaca and are standard food on all restaurant menues) . Alongside the farm is a floating island (a feature of the lake, and composed of a mat of reeds) where the farmer has his home.
Photo 8, 9, 10. The reed boat with its panther prow. This particular boat took Hilario 2 weeks to build with the help of 4 friends (and generous brewing of coca leaf tea, to be recommended when dealing with high altitudes). The boat will last for about a year when they will build another one!
Photo 11. An alpine flower seen at approximately 3,800 m.
Photo 12. The view of the lake from the top of the ridge along the island.
Photo 13. Sitting on the altar stone at the rather disappointing Inca Temple of the Sun.
Photo 14. The bus to La Paz, being driven onto the ferry, hazardous or what?
No comments:
Post a Comment