Lake Titicaca

---

The adventure began when the bus to Copacabana, Boliva (on Lake Titicaca) boarded a, for lack of better words, floating dock to cross a small portion of the lake. Althought the bus almost toppled into the lake we did make it safely to Copacabana and decided to stay in the ´splurge´ hotel which cost us a whopping 3.50 US dollars. The first evening we just relaxed because we had decided to do the 17km hike through the countryside to the the boat that would take us to the island of the sun.
The next morning the hike began very relaxed. We snapped pictures of the pigs, chickens, donkeys, street children on the road. The people live very self sufficiently...humbley is an understatement. It wasn´t long before we had veared off track a little to follow what we now realize was nothing but a llama trail. After about one hour of amazing veiws and a bit of challenging hiking the lakeside trail ended and left us with no choice but to scale the mountian and go down the other side. I think we all agree it was the most challenging hiking we have done so far.
Once back on the road and about 12 km into our 17km hike we were chased down by a man on a bike who wanted to take us on his boat to the island of the sun. We were tired and hungry and quickly boarded his boat and his son drove us the 45 minutes to the island.
One more uphill climb and we reached the main ´pueblo´ on the Isla del Sol and settled into a trout dinner and a small bedroom. We spent two nights on the island (one of which the boys slept on the floor of a great family owned restaurant) and one full day. During the day we just explored and the second night consisted of teaching some children to play old maid and figuring out the most economic way to be able to eat, spend the night somewhere, and have a beer (we still haven´t figured out that many places don´t have ATMS!).
The next morning we headed back to Copacabana on a very slow boat and settled back into the ´splurge´ for one more night.

---

Photos

The hike
Typical of the country side of Lake Titicaca...a ton of livestock and crops...and Zach making friends witht the cow.

Boat ride to the Isla del Sol
This is the boat we rode to the island in...notice the bolivian style dock!

Restaurant and old maid
Place where the boys spent the night on the floor and the sweet family who we taught to play old maid!

Life on the Island
the house on the right is actually pretty nice compared to many

Life in Copacabana
Women in the typical dress selling homemade cheese

Comments

[Carol]

The elemental struggle of man and nature. I continue to enjoy your struggles, triumphs and defeats (ATMS!!).