Lake Titicaca - The Bolivian Side

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Day 79: Tuesday 16th September - Across the border into Bolivia

Catch a bus at 7.30am to Copacabana in Bolivia. First though a taxi driver tries to fleece me but after 3 weeks in Peru I know how much things cost......unlucky Mr Taxi Driver, 1-0 to Chapman. The bus stops after about two and a half hours at the border and we all file out to Peruvian immigration. First change some dollars to Bolivianos and get a surprisingly good rate. In the queue at immigration get talking to some fellow North Easterners - I recognise one of them from the Inca trail, he was wearing a Sunderland top - guess someone has to!! After getting the police stamp on the immigration card get our passports stamped and its across the border into Bolivia to hand in an immigration card and get passports stamped. Whole process takes only around half an hour before we board the bus for the short journey on to Copacabana.

As Bolivia is an hour ahead of Peru its now noon and I have an hour and a half to drop my big rucksack at a hostel and find a boat going to Isla Del Sol on Lake Titicaca. Sort both out within half an hour. A guy tries to rip me off in the hostel by charging me 10 Bolivianos (80 pence) to store my bag for a night before I bargain him down to 5.....2-0 to Chapman, getting the hang of this haggling malarky! In the hour or so I've got before the boat departs I wander around Copacabana. Its a small lakeside town and its only real attraction apart from the lake is the Cathedral. Manage to eat all the snacks I'd bought in Peru for Isla Del Sol whilst clock watching waiting to depart.

The boat journey is an hour and a half to Isla Del Sol, which lies just off the mainland. Isla Del Sol is the largest island on Lake Titicaca at 11km long and 5km wide and is significant as being the birthplace of the Inca's. On the boat journey get talking to an American, Len who is travelling to Isla Del Sol with an American girl Laura and he asks me to join them which I do. A Korean girl, Nanda also joins us after following my advice in Copacabana and spending the night on the lake rather than in Copacabana. After a steep climb up the Inca stairway to Yumani, one of 3 villages on the island we drop our bags at the hostel which overlooks the lake, in a quite stunning location for only 25 Bolivianos a night (2 pounds). Great choice Laura. After a short rest we start walking to the south of the island, which is only some 2 km. On the way see the Paino Kaina ruins and the lake and the island are quite beautiful. We enjoy the sunset before stopping at a vegetarian restaurant where the only light is from candles and the building is made from mud brick. After a few glasses of red with only candlelight lighting the room, anything looks good though!! Actually I quite like the primitive feel of the place and the owner is a nice guy, telling us where to go tomorrow. After the meal, with little else to do its an early night.

Day 80: Wednesday 17th September - Isla Del Sol

Awake at 6am to see the sunrise over the island. Is nice, but its freezing cold, so after watching it for 15 minutes or so we all head back to bed for an hour or so. Get up again at 8am as I've got to walk the length of the island to catch a boat back to Copacabana at 1.30pm. Nanda is going to catch the boat back in the morning from the south side of the island so we bid her farewell. The three of us start the 8km walk across the island, enjoying the stunning views of both the island and the lake. As the sun rises it makes it infinitely more pleasant and warmer. As we pass through each community on the island we are hit with a 10 Boliviano fee. At around 11am we reach the Chincana ruins, near the tip of the north of the island. From here its a short walk back along another trail to the Titicaca rock, famous as the creation of the Inca civilisation. The rock is supposed to depict a puma, but I can't quite make it out! From here its a 45 minute walk down to Cha'llapampa where I can catch a boat back to Copacabana. On enquiry both boats in the dock leave at 1.30pm but as both go via the south of the island, I'm not going to get back to Copacabana until after 5pm. This should still leave me enough time to get to La Paz tonight, so its not a major worry. Decide to get the more expensive boat as it goes via Isla de la Luna, also significant in Inca mythology as the birthplace of the moon (Isla Del Sol is the birthplace of the sun).

Say goodbye to Len and Laura before climbing aboard the boat. Its been much better sharing the experience of Isla Del Sol with the other three, and the island is my favourite on Lake Titicaca. It takes 45 minutes to get to Isla de la Luna, where we have 20 minutes to explore before the boat sets sail. This gives us just enough time to see the Acllahuasi ruins, which are a few minutes walk from the dock. According to Inca mythology Mama Huaca lived on Isla de la Luna and her husband-brother Manco Capac on Isla del Sol. After Isla de la Luna we sail 30 minutes back to the southern end of Isla del Sol, pick some more passengers up before sailing back to Copacabana. Arrive in Copacabana just after five, and after picking my rucksack up start searching for the best option to get to La Paz. End up getting a bus at 6pm for 15 Bolivianos (just over 1 pound) for a three and a half our journey....bargain. Arrive in La Paz at 9.30pm, across town from where I need to be. The arrival into La Paz is spectacular, you turn the corner and see the city sprawling up both sides of a deep valley below you. A helpful tourist policeman gets me a taxi and arrive safely at the hostel.Was going to go straight to bed, but the cost of the hostel includes a free beer, so it would be rude not to!!

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