La Paz and lago Titicaca

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Nach em ne super guete Zmorge mit richtig chnuschprigem Brot und feiner Erdbeerconfi :-)) hei mir ues is Getuemmel vo La Paz begaeh. Ueses Hotel isch i der Naechi vom Witches Market gsi. Dert cha me so ziemlech aues choufe vo Alpaca Chleider bis zu troechnete Lama Embrios. Die waerde anschiinend vor em Huus vergrabe und soeue Glueck bringe. Mir hei ues de ufs Shoppe vo Alpaca Chleider beschraenkt ;-) Der Thomas het de ou no ae Bolivianische Coiffeur usprobiert und het sech ou no grad la rasiere. Das het raecht kriminell usgseh, aber ds Ergaebnis isch guet gsi. A daem Namittag het de no die Bolivianischi Nati gaege Argentinie gspieut und het 6:1 gwunne. D'Argentinier hei natuerlech gseit, es sigi a der Hoechi vo La Paz glaege, doch immerhin ueber 3500 m.ue.M. D'Bolivianer hei natuerlech gseit es liggi a ihrne Fuessballkuenscht. Uf jede Fau hei si das no es paar Tag choenne usschlachte und immer wenn mer ae Bolivianer uf das Spiel ahgsproche hei, isch es Strahle ueber sis Gsicht cho.

Eigentlech hei mer no am zwoiete Tag woeue chli us der Stadt use gah, hei ues de aber dergaege entschiede und si de lieber no chli ir Stadt bliebe und heis gmuetlech gnoh. Zum Glueck hei mir scho mau in Ecuador Sache heigschickt, suesch haette mir jetz es Platzproblem i uesne Rucksaeck. Die Alpaca Sache si haut scho cheibe schoen und fiin! Denn si mir no chli duer d'Stadt gloffe und a zwe Ussichtspuenkt gange, wo me ueber d'Stadt ine gseh het. Das isch ou no ihdruecklech gsi, wie die Stadt i die Baerge ine bout isch. Am Abe si mir de no i nes Argentinischs Steakhouse go Z'nacht aesse...scho fasch chli nostalgisch ;-) aber ds Fleisch isch wie in Argentinie super guet gsi und der bolivianisch Wii derzue isch ou gar nid mau so schlaecht gsi.

Mir hei de vo uesem Hotel us d'Witerfahrt nach Copacabana am Titicacasee buechet und zwe Uebernachtige ire Ecolodge uf der Isla del Sol. Mir si im ne chliine Buessli und 3 Argentinierinne nach Copacabana gfahre. Dert si mir de chli go ds Doerfli ahluege und hei der Sunneuntergang uf der Terasse vo uesem Hotel gnosse. Am naechschte Tag si mir mit em ne Boot uf d'Isla del Sol gfahre. Das het schlappi 10 Bolivianos pro Person gchoschtet (1.50 SFR). Allerdings het gloub der Kapitaen probiert Sprit ds spare und isch bsunders langsam gfahre. Schlussaendlech het de die Ueberfahrt oepe 1.5 Stund duuret. Chuum uf der Insle ahcho si mir vo Iiheimische umzinglet worde wo ues hei woeue Tickets und Unterkuenft verchoufe. Mir hei de mau die Ihtrittsticket gchouft, si hei ja schliesslech nume 5 Bolivianos gchoschtet. Derfuer hei mir de die beruehmti Inkatreppe ufe doerfe loufe....uf oepe 3500 m.ue.M. isch das allerdings ae raechte Chraftakt gsi. Zum Glueck si mer das Mau so schlau gsi und hei ueses grosse Gepaeck in Copacabana glah. Uf daem Ufstieg hei mir sogar "Begleitschutz" vo zwe chliine Jungs gha wo ues hei woeue i ihres Hostel bringe und eifach suesch no chli gschproechle. Wo mir de i dere Ecolodge ahcho si, hei mir ues scho chli gfragt, wieso mir eigentlech reserviert gha hei. Mir si naemelch die einzige Gaescht gsi. Mir si de uf jede Fau am Namittag no chli uf der Insle umegspaziert und hei eigentlech no woeue go bade, aber der Wind isch de doch es bitzeli chaut gsi. Zum Zmittag si mir de no einisch vo dene beide Jungs abgfange worde und is Reschti vo ihrem Onkel glotst worde:-) Am Abe si mir ufe Gipfel ueber uesere Lodge ufe gloffe und hei der Sunneuntergang ahglueget. Uf ds Znacht si de doch no 3 anderi Luet i der Lodge ahcho und mir hei aui zaeme gmuetlech gaesse und si frueh is Bett.

Am zwoeite Tag uf der Isla del Sol si mir as Nordaendi gloffe, zum die Ruine go ahdsluege. Der Waeg dert ane fuehrt uf der Krete vo der Insle nache und me het ae super Ussicht ueber d'Insle und ou uebere See. Ou fuer dae Teil vo der Insle het me natuerlech muesse es Billet ha. Das hei mir de ou brav bim erschte Poschte gchouft. Mir si de aber uf dene oepe 10 km no a 3 witere Poeschte verbi cho, wo si ues immer wieder die Tickets hei woeue verchoufe. Mir hei de aber immer wieder uesi Billet zueckt und denn si si aui ziemlech schnaeu wieder verschwunde. Die Wanderig isch uf jede Fau scho mau ae gueti Vorbereitig ufe bevorstehendi Inka Trail gsi. D'Hoechi isch scho nid ganz z'unterschaetze. Chum geits es Bitzeli ufwaerts chunnt me raecht is Schnuufe.

Nach ere chli unruhige Nacht - ig ha gloub uf dere Wanderig es bitzeli ds vieu Sunne und Hoechi verwuetscht - si mir de wieder mit em Boot uf Copacabana zrugg und denn mit em Bus witer nach Puno, uf der Peruanische Site vom Titicaca See. Mir si de i ei Bus ihgstige, si mit daem bis ad Graenze ahne gfahre und nach der Graenze hei mir de muesse der Bus waechsle. Das isch chli komisch gsi, woeu si ues eifach gseit hei, ueses grosse Gepaeck sigi umpackt worde, wo mir uesi Paess si go zeige. Alles i allem isch es uf jede Fau eini vo de problemlosischte Graenzueberquerige uf uesere Reis gsi und ds Gepaeck isch ou tatsaechlech mitcho.

In Puno ahcho si mir de vo es paar Luet am Busbahnhof belageret worde, wo ues zu irgend eim Hotel hei woeue bringe. Mir hei de ae Taxichauffeur usgwaehlt, wo ues zum ne Hotel haet soeue fahre, wo ues empfohle worde isch. Denn isch aber no ae zwoeite Ma ihgstiege is Taxi und het gfunde aer sigi vo irgend ere Travel Agency und aer choemi jetz ou no mit. Das Ganze isch raecht suspekt gsi....aber ig ha de die beide ghoere tuschle und dae zwoeiti Ma het de ae Provision uebercho, wenn mir i daem Hotel bliebe si. Mir si de uf jede Fau guet i daem Hotel ahcho und si de ou dert bliebe.

Puno isch vor allem bekannt fuer sini "Islas Flotantes", das si schwuemmendi Insle ungefaehr ae Kilometer vom Feschtland waeg. Die Insle si us ere Art Schilf bout. Mir si de so ne Insle go ahluege und hei ues la erklaere, wie die Insle bout waerde. Das isch wuerklech no ihdruecklech gsi und ou no luschtig, so uf daem Schilf umedsloufe. Natuerlech hei mir de no doerfe d'Hueser vo inne go ahluege und am Schluss aes Souvenir choufe :-)

Wieder in Puno ahcho si mir de nid mit em Bus zrugg is Hotel, sondern hei aes Velotaxi gnoh und hei ues zum Hotel la fahre. Das isch no luschtig gsi, obwohl mir nid vieu schnaeuer gsi si, aus wenn mir gloffe waere ;-)

Morn geits mit em Inka Express Bus ab nach Cusco, wo mir de am 10. April mit uesem 5 taegige alternative Inka Trail ahfoeh. Dae waerde mir hoffentlech guet ueberstah, da mir jetz doch scho oepe 2 Wuche ueber 3000 m.ue.M. si.


And here for the English audience a short summary:

La Paz: a beautiful city built in the midsts, around and on top of a maintain chain at an average altitude of 3600m - that's probably also the reason why the Bolivian soccer team beat the Argentinian team 6:1, this right when we were in town. So Maradona (the new coach of the ARG team!!!) went without the help (hand) of god and the Bolivians kept telling us about their strong team for days after the game.
We also strolled around the witches market that sells all kind of weird stuff - dried lama foetuses, snake skin, powder made of 'how should I know', etc- Bought some beautifully and soft alpaca clothes - and I went to the hairdresser and jointly let them cut my beard (scarry pic, isnt it?) - all went well and the re was nearly no blood.

After 2 relaxing days in La Paz we took a bus to Copacabana (doesn't relate to any drink, pub or any other street w/high nightlife) at the Lake of Titicaca (3800m - and said to be one of the highest navigatable waters). Spent a night there and went the next day with the public boat for 10 bolivianos (USD 1.50) each to the Isla del Sol - the boat took about as much time as the ticket would have cost in USD - probably the crew tried to save gas and went extra slow..

Got to the Isla del Sol - which during the Inka time was one of the sacrest places around Lake Titicaca because it was said to lay in the middle of the lake/Inka imperium. Got of the boat and had to pay an additional 'fee' (5 Bolivianos) to enter the island and were then alowed to climb the famous Inka stone stairs. Got to the 'Ecolodge' - which we had prebooked on purpose because we thought that during the weekend and at the beginning of the 'semana santa' many hostals would be booked out - and had to find out that we were the only guests staying there. Well, we didnt really mind/care, dropped our staff in our room (at about 3950m) and went for a stroll to the mountaintop that was right behind our cabin and gave a beautiful view of the sunset. Tired from the altitude and climbing around at this height we went to bed early and woke again to the nice sunrise that we could enjoy right from our beds. After a shower and a healthy breakfast we hiked to the northern end of the island (about 7k's) - all along the mountain crest with a superb view of the lake - and checked the Inka ruins out. Naturally not w/out paying the 'fee' for walking now on the northern part - the entry fee that we had paid the day before was only for the southern part - paying the fee however didnt make a huge dent into our pockets.
Walked all the way back and treated ourselves to a fantastic pasta for lunch and with a superb view over the lake. Later on got back to the lodge quiet tired and that night after dinner sleep came quiet fast. The only thing the altitude did to us was that we woke up at least once per night and felt like we were fully awake and then sleep came again only after some time.

Next day we boarded the boat back to the mainland in Copacabana and hopped on a bus that brought us to the Bolivian/Peruvian border. In between boarders we had to change buses but other than that the boarder crossing went very smooth - as long as you had the proper stamps and papers w/you. If not, you had to pay a 'fee' - I overheard/saw a conversation were the boarder guard was asking for 280 bolivianos (USD 40) from a guy that did not have these stamps - well, that's how it works.
The ride to Puno - on lake Tikicaca on the Peruvian side - was quick. Getting out at the 'Terminal Terrestre' in Puno we were greeted by a hord of taxi drivers and other agents who all tried to sell us either a ride or a hotel. We picked one and told him which Hotel we wanted to go - on the way to the taxi (about 200m) we were joined by yet another guy who said to be an agent w/a tourist agency and he would also ride with us. We didnt really like that and were weary sitting in the back of the taxi - however made it to the Hotel w/out any detours and paid 5 'Soles' (3 Soles = 1 USD). Checked into the hotel and then noted that the additional guy - the travel agency muchacho - was asking the hotel for a provision as he had let us to the hotel (tricky these guys...).

After a quiet night we went for a boat ride out to the 'Islas Flotantes' today. These islands are about 5k in the lake, built of seegrass and really float on the lake (tied to the ground w/ankers such that the islands would not move even during strong winds). Each island is inhabited by 2 - 10 families and we got a tour around one of the islands which was quiet interesting. After this tour we had ourselves a quiet afternoon and will be off on a touristic busride to Cuzco tomorrow, such that we can go on the Inkatrail during the Easterweekend, meaning we will have no bunnies made out of chocolate this time (we'd sure would appreciate to find a late one in our fridge when we get home!)

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Comments

[Raquel]

5 taegige alternative Inka Trail
Na da sag ich nur: toi toi toi Werde an Euch denken und wünsche Euch viel Spass, schöne Erlebnisse und viel Glück... wir sicher ein tolles Erfolgserlebnis :o) Liebe Grüsse aus der mittlerweilen frühlingshaften Schweiz! Raquel