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Published: August 31st 2011
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Borders are always interesting places; I am sure that a few international frontiers spring to mind. We are now adding Bolivia – Peru to our list. Here’s our story…actually, just to protect the innocent here, and in order to take proactive steps to avoid any future immigration difficulties, let’s find out what happened to another couple, let’s hear what happened to Brett and Zara….
Brett & Zara
They were having a lot of fun in La Paz, the crazy place that it is, but Brett and Zara needed to be in Cusco by Friday. Their friends from the States were arriving on Saturday morning as they all prepared to hike the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. 'No worries,' they thought; it was only Tuesday after all. But they had been hearing, from other travelers about problems along the border to Peru. There were apparently blockades there as part of strikes and demonstrations against the Peruvian government awarding mining contracts to a foreign company along the sacred Lake Titicaca. So Brett decided to explore a few options.
First up they tried to book bus tickets. “Should be fine by Thursday” the girl let him know. ‘OK’ thought Brett, ‘but I
might look into other options just in case.’ Next day Brett popped into the airline office to check on flights. There was an American couple struggling to understand the lady, so he helped out…turns out that Brett helped them get the last tickets on Thursday’s last flight! Not that it mattered much anyway because all flight prices had risen to crazy prices (normal prices outside Bolivia, I suppose!). Wednesday came, and still the blockades were preventing road transport between Bolivia and Peru. Through the traveler grapevine Brett and Zara had heard something about ‘not really legal’ boats running across the lake to Peru. The weekend rendezvous in Cusco was looming, so they decided to go for it.
Copacabana is a small Bolivian town nestled right on the shore of the famous Lake Titicaca. A 6 hour bus from La Paz took Brett and Zara to the beautiful setting. Most tourists visit Copacabana to see the Isla Del Sol and Isla de la Luna (Sun & Moon Islands) and then, normally, travel the shorter distance by road to Puno in Peru. Zara and Brett got to town in time for lunch (trout of course!) and then they found an agency
that was selling ‘unofficial lake tours’…perfect! They paid the toll and got their names on the list for the border run next morning.
While they had their names on the list, both of them still needed to sort out some paperwork, namely passport stamps. So off to the Bolivian border in a taxi Brett and Zara went, got the stamps out of the country (without leaving) and returned to Copacabana for their last night in beautiful Bolivia (sob, sob).
The sunset along Lake Titicaca was stunning. Perhaps Brett and Zara will be able to do an album of sunsets alone after this trip? After soaking it up and reflecting on an amazing few weeks in Bolivia, Zara and Brett went for a few beers. Tomorrow was going to be a big day…
The couple woke early and got to see an amazing sunrise. ‘New dawn, new day’ thought Brett. 7am and they were at the agency door, chatting with other ‘border-runners’. There was an air of excitement, and nerves, about the place. It was going to be fun. About twelve of them hopped into a mini-van and drove to the border. Some people hadn’t got exit stamps
yet, some already had entry stamps to Peru, and some had even been deported from Peru! Brett and Zara followed a few others as they made a bee-line for the Peru side to get stamped in and get to the lakeside boat. It was a wild scene as there were huge rocks on the road, burnt out cars, boxes, and scrap metal; anything to block the road. They both progressed to the immigration office, which was a very unassuming pre-fab.
“No, no chance, not today. Maybe tomorrow…come back tomorrow...” Yes Brett was understanding him correctly and this was not what they wanted to hear from the immigration official. Brett knew what would work though…after handing over 60 Bolivianos (less than $10) he agreed to stamp their passports, so they went to his desk to complete the deed. Uh oh, now he’s frowning again…..this time he sees that Brett and Zara got stamped out of Bolivia yesterday, and why are they going to Peru today…a different date? Emptying his pockets of his last cash, Brett handed the official 10 Bolivianos and watched the officer as he rolled back the date-stamp and punched them into Peru… and off they were! Good
old Brett and Zara. Aaaaah…good old fashioned bribery…
The adventure was far from over however. Getting past immigration wasn’t easy, but now Brett and Zara had to get on one of the boats…easier said than done. The shore was teeming with backpackers trying to get across the lake and into Peru. But Brett and Zara maybe had something more than most of the other travelers. This was something that none of the other travelers could keep in their backpacks, not in their combat pants pockets or hide in their shoes. Brett and Zara were so focused, determined and motivated to make it to Cusco on time that they may have swam across the lake if had taken that. (Considering its ten hours by boat, it’s a good thing that that was not necessary).
The couple pushed to the edge of the shore and waded into the water to make it to a small boat which delivered them safely to the ‘tour boat’. They were glad to have made it onboard.
Three hours later and Brett and Zara were still waiting for their boat to depart. There was chaos on the shore, where many people were desperately trying
to make it to one of the three boats. The boats were already packed to over-capacity so it was hard to see how any more people could make it. Zara could hardly believe it when the boat crew started to pack people on the roof.
Eventually they embarked from the Bolivian shore of Lake Titicaca, which was bittersweet for Brett and Zara. They had loved their time in Bolivia, but were looking forward to meeting up with their friends in Cusco. The ten hour boat ride was the easiest part of the adventurous day for the couple. They enjoyed the view of the lake and mountains in the distance, the cool air, and the sunset.
Before landing on the shore at Puno in Peru, the boat stopped on the ‘floating islands’ nearby to let the passengers enjoy the scene just as night fell. And with nightfall, Brett and Zara got off the boat and onto another bus. Cusco was a further five hours from Puno, so they were going to make it there by about 2am.
Quite the couple, this Brett and Zara? Unfortunately you’ll have to hear more about your friends Bref and Sarah in our next blog from Cusco. Until then, enjoy….😉
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connie and kevin mulcahy
non-member comment
lovin' it!!!
Rebel is your middle name.....and its our favorite word. Go against the flow!!!! Enjoy Peru.