Bienvenidos a Bolivia

I arrived in Puno, Peru bright and early on Monday morning (4:30am) and took a mototaxi to my hostel, only to find that my reservations had not been processed and the only habitacion available was a triple with private bathroom, costing $30. I treked across town (moderately enjoying the sunrise over Lake Titicaca -- the largest lake in South America and the worlds highest navigable lake). I found a Lonely Planet-recommended hostel on the West side of town with a friendly owner. The place was clean and hospitable, but extremely CREEPY. There were little dolls everywhere, which were even more disturbing when illuminated by candlelight at night. Furthermore, I checked the guest log and no one had stayed there for several days. I arranged a tour of two of the islands closer to Puno on Lake Titicaca. Uros, a collection of floating islands made of the Titicaca reed, were very spectacular. However, just as I had been warned by my guidebook and other travelers, it was dispicably commercialized, as the "native" women sang "Row your Boat" to those who opted for a 15 minute ride in a reed boat. This struck me as dissapointing despite being desensitized to people commodifying their heritage and history throughout my entire trip. Taquile was more of the same: despite beautiful views of the lake and natives dressed ornately, there was more emphasis on selling the goods than exploring the island or examining its history. We returned to Puno, where I spent the night hoping I was safe.
The next day, after a failed attempt to get my Bolivian Visa in Puno (I had also tried in Cusco), I got on a colectivo to the frontera. $135 (only for US citizens, all other travelers get in for free) and many photocopies later, I was finally on my way to Copacabana, Bolivia, a touristy layover and entry point to Isla del Sol. Not wanting to spend the night there, I dumped my backpack and made the 17km hike from Copacabana to Yampupata. Despite being warned that it was dangerous, it was refreshing to see locals smile at you and not want anything in return. The scenery, eucalyptus groves set against grassy hills, reminded me more of Northern California than the Altiplano. By the time I hired a boat to cross to Yumani, the village at the southern end of Isla Del Sol, it was pretty dark. I had heard that Yumani was way too touristy and detracted from the beauty of the Island; what was more noticable was the lack of tourists. As Kim had pointed out in Cusco, the global economy has depressed what is already the "low season" for tourism. Most of the hostels and restaurants were closed, and those that werent were empty. In true Boliviano fashion (and making me feel better about the cost of the Visa) I found a hostel and dinner for $5.
On Wednesday I woke before dawn and began my trek across the island. Taking a side trail led to some cross country hiking (never easy at 4000m), until I reached the peak at the northern most end. I explored the eastern side of the island on the way back, stopping at the Museo de Oro, where the main (and only) exhibit was artifacts found from an underwater expedition dating to Pre-Inca civilization. Lake Titicaca also housed several Inca ruins (it is the origin in their creation myth), but after spending 3 weeks in Peru they seemed pretty ordinary. I returned by colectivo boat and spent the night in Copacabana, trying to catch up on sleep.
This morning I took the 6am bus to La Paz, arriving around noon. I checked into a hostel and explored the black market. If the Pisac market was daunting, than the size of the black market is terrifying, stretching for blocks. The other noticable thing about La Paz is the pollution -- I will never again complain about air quality in Los Angeles. I also spent a while obtaining my Paraguayan Visa (another $45, also for US citizens) so I can visit Concepcion and Asunction on my way to Iguazu. Spending the night here, then hopefully off to the jungle. Will write when I get back.

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Part of trip: Trekking South America

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