Advertisement
Published: July 31st 2018
Bolivia Part 1 Copacabana and Isla Del Sol (01/07/2018 - 03/07/2018)
Copacabana Copacabana; a small, pleasant town on the shore of Lake Titicaca (3800m), and my first stop in Bolivia.
The Peru-Bolivia border was very quick and easy (20 minutes), and there were no issues. I didn't really know exactly what to expect in Bolivia. I knew the infrastructure would deteriorate (it definitely did, hello bumpy roads and increasingly rustic buildings) and I knew it would be cheaper (great for my bank balance!). But I had also heard the food was nothing to write home about. Regardless of the latter, I was super excited to see what Bolivia had to offer and determined to find some delicious Bolivian food.
Here in Copacabana, you can eat your body weight in trout. Interesingly, the trout consumed by the bucketload in Copacabana is not actually native to the lake. They were introduced from North American here in the 1930s. Stuffed, in a sauce, in a parcel.. I sampled them all and they were all fresh and delicious. Good start, Bolivia.
After an adventurous day in Copacabana, climbing up to 2 view points, I had 1 relaxing night in a
pretty hotel in a private room (flashpacker!). With epic views, free roaming llamas, and a heater in my room (it's very cold when the sun goes in), I really enjoyed my cosy stay.
The real highlight however was my 1 night stay on Isla del Sol (the island of the sun). On the shores of Copacabana, you can catch the painfully slow (2 hour) boat ride here for a good price.
Isla del Sol Isla del Sol is at 3,800m at the base and 4,100 on the highest point. The Incas believed this was the birth place of the sun (they worshiped the sun), hence the name.
I had read finding accommodation would not be an issue. True, there were plenty of places.. but all of them deserted.. where the hell was everybody? After the forth hostel I stumbled upon, I finally found Jose (on a roof hammering away) and bargined for a good price for a single room (70BOB). Turns out I was the only guest!
Beautiful white beaches? Donkeys and llamas? No traffic? Epic hikes? Gorgeous glowing sunsets? Isla del Sol was paradise.
Unfortunately though, the north and south of the island have
fallen out over tourism revenues and accessibility (boo!) and now us gringos can't venture up north. But don't worry, there's plenty of beautiful hikes in the south.. with good views of snow capped mountains and pretty islands everywhere you look.
Las Velas Las Velas is truly something special. A hidden gem. In a tiny, rustic, cottage restaurant on top of the island at 4010m, it's hidden through a forest of eucalyptus trees. They have no power, so you eat, and they cook, by candlelight. The owners are Pablo and Lidia, a friendly Bolivian gourmet chef couple. Having read reviews online, I was prepped with a torch for the walk back, and things to entertain myself as I knew the wait would be a long one.
I watched the sun go down from the broken rustic window and drank 3 hot herbie teas to keep warm. The 1 hour 10 minute wait was well worth the incredible gourmet trout in wine sauce with quinoa and vegetables; which was wolfed down in seconds. No desserts (sad face), but Lidia provided me with a small luxury dark bar of chocolate. Perfecto!
After dinner, I walked through the pitch black forest
back to my hotel, stopping every so often to stare and gawp at the incredible star-filled sky. Zero light pollution, nice!
Isla del Sol was one of my most special places in South America. It was a perfect introduction to Bolivia.
Advertisement
Tot: 0.122s; Tpl: 0.012s; cc: 14; qc: 53; dbt: 0.0694s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb
