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Published: July 21st 2009
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Wednesday morning we were once again up early in readiness for our bus journey to Copacabana. So after our all you can eat pancake breakfast we were once again on a bus heading to Lake Titicaca. The bus journey was pretty uneventful till we arrived in San Pablo de Tiquina where we had to get off the bus and buy a ticket to cross a 200m part of the lake to San Pedro de Tiquina. The amusing fact here is that we crossed on a small motorboat whilst the bus boarded a large barge and crossed separately.
Once in Copacabana we were picked up by the hostel bus and taken to the hostel - so much easier than having to walk up the hill with our bags as the altitude is a serious killer when carrying a 15kg plus hand luggage (well my rucksack may be a bit more now with all the presents and extra stuff I am carrying!!).
Thursday morning we once again had an early start as we headed to the lakeside and boarded a boat headed for Isla del Sol. The island of the sun is where Inca mythology was started and according to them
the birthplace of the sun. After the slowest boat journey EVER - and I mean slow as I think I could have swam faster than our boat! - we arrived on the north part of the island. We attached ourselves to a tour guide during the tour we visited the very unimpressive Museo de Oro (Museum of Gold) and then made our way by foot along the various pathways and we passed the footprint stone, sacred rock and we also saw our first Inca ruins. From there you had a choice you could do a ¾ hour walk over the Isla del Sol to the South Island or retrace your steps and visit the south by boat. As the weather was scorching and Sharon and I were both finding the altitude hard going we went for the easy option and went by the slow boat. Once at the south island we walked up the Escalera del Inca (Inca stairway) and returned in time to get the boat back to Copacabana.
On the way back the boat passed some floating islands. I will openly admit that I wanted to see the floating islands however was aware that they were very
commericalised so was prepared for this. The main floating islands on Lake Titicaca are the Uros islands off Puno but these were the same idea. Effectively the islands are built using buoyant reeds and they constantly replace the reeds on the top as they rot at the bottom. On arrival at the floating islands it was apparent how commercialised they were and that the “families” on the islands did not actually live on these islands and it was a pure tourist and commercial adventure!! Having seen these islands I announced to Sharon that we didn't need to go and see the Uros Islands off Puno as I had seen what I wanted to see and she was also happy with this.
On arrival back in Copacabana we walked through the town and established that the blockades in Peru were definitely finishing that day so we could cross the border on Friday with no problems. So Friday morning we got up and booked our tickets to Puno for the mid-afternoon bus. We then wandered around Copacabana doing our best to spend our last Bolivianos and believe me we did a good job in this and are both once again laden
down with presents both for ourselves and others.....
We then came across the cathedral where the local father was blessing peoples cars that they had dressed up with flowers and miniature objects. It was an amusing sight watching the priest walks around the cars splashing them and their owners with holy water both inside and out and then saying a blessing. Once blessed the owners and their families would throw alcohol over the car and take a lot of photos and sometimes let firecrackers off in celebration.
Having amused ourself here we walked down to the lakeside and decided to amuse ourselves once more by hiring a pedalo for 30 minutes. Whilst others peddled away into the sunset Sharon and I were quite content to float along admiring the view of the lake and Copacabana.
After a spot of lunch and a chat with a couple we had met in our hostel in Salta it soon came time for us to head back to the hostel for our bags and to find our bus.
So the next stop is our 6th and penultimate country in South America, Peru!
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