Isle del sol


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Published: July 8th 2010
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Monday 5.7.2010 day 264
Isle del sol
We got up at 7:30 and organised our boot trip to the Isle del sol. It cost $B20 ($Aus3) per person for a full day trip. We then grabbed a quick coffee and got on the boat. Once we got on the boat we realised it was not what we were expecting there were about 10 rows of 6, the seats where old school chairs nailed to the wooden floor. Every seat was full and there were about 20 people sitting on the roof of the boat and then the crew of about 3. There were two out board motors and the captain (I do not think he had a boating licence and the boat was not licensed) sat at the back of the boat looking around the side to see as the cabin was so full you could not see though that. One of the out board motors did not work. Each time they tried to start the engine it would not start but would poor loads of smoke in to the cabin which had pieces of glass glided to the wood as windows but they would not open so there was no were for the smoke to go it just build up in the cabin which is not good breathing it in especially at 4,000 m altitude were you are not getting enough oxygen as it is. I counted 19 life jackets but there were about 10 more up the front. My window was not glued in properly so every time I leaned on it, it would pop out, which was good it meant I got a bit more oxygen. None of the crew spoke English so all instructions where in Spanish. Luckily I spoke to the travel agent the day before and found out what the plan of the trip was. The trip to the island took 2 ½ hours. When we got to the first stop there was a 2.5 hour stop and that was just enough time to walk to the Incan site and back. It cost another $b10 pp to go into the site. There was a old man who meet the boat and only spoke Spanish and told everyone to follow him and he would take them to the museum and the site. Most of the boat followed him. Some walked up to the site themselves and some like us just stayed on the beach and had a look around the town. The isle de sol is where the Incans say the sun was born. The sun god is the most important of the Incan gods. The site was to be a worship place for that be we saw a painting of it and it did not look like much and we did not think it was worth the 2 ½ hour climb up and down the mountain. We took some snacks for bfast and lunch. We had some on the boat and then sat on the beach and had some more. There was a little boy who sat next to us and asked if we had and chocolates of briskets. We did not have any chocolates but did have some healthy coconut briskets so we gave him a packet of them he took them away to eat and we did not see him again. None of the children begged but they all looked very Hungary and lots of people gave then food or money. We also had a soup in one of the islands shops we had read that food on the island was very expensive as it all needs to be borough in from the mainland but the soaps were less the $1 Aus each. We then went to the other side of the island where there was another small ruin that we did not want to see so we had an hour to look around but there was not much to see there. On the way back we got a seat with the glass from the window missing which was very good when all the engine smoke was flooding back into the boat. Lots of people only go one way tickets as they were thinking of staying on the island or some people did stay on the island and came back with us. Other people though they payed for return but were told they did not even though they had pay $B20 the same as everyone else had payed for a return so were charges another $B20 to get back! The trip back was very slow with only one engine and lots of people had to be back for busses etc and then on the way back they stoped at what they called the floating islands but they were just pontoons made of wood with a few reads on the top they had tables and chairs and where serving meals the islands, houses and the boats were not real and the people where not in traditional dress it was nothing like the real floating islands off Puno in Peru. So I would never suggest to anyone to do the trip to Isle del sol and the floating islands in Bolivia as all the tours where doing the same as ours and had the same boats. That night we went to a very expensive restaurant as it was about the only one in town that did Guineapig and we wanted to try it as it was the Incan kings’ speciality. The Guineapig cost $b60 ($10 Aus) for one so was the most expensive dish that we have had in St America. Guineapig taste like chicken just a bit stronger. There was a cat in the restaurant that was being very good and quiet walking around but as soon as the Guineapig came out it sat looking at us and meowing. I think it wanted our Guineapig as we did not eat the head we hoped they gave it to the cat after we left.



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