http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Bolivia/La-Paz-Department/Isla-del-Sol/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from South America , Bolivia , La Paz Department , Isla del Sol en-us Sun, 06 Dec 09 09:20:58 +0000 Sun, 06 Dec 09 09:20:58 +0000 We missed the bus to Lake Titicaca. I had left Kit in charge of buying the tickets. The previous evening we had had the following conversation.Me Are you sure the bus is definitely at 8Kit YES I AM SURE DONrsquoT QUESTION ME WOMAN.The bus was not at 8. The bus was at 7 we were a whole hour late. Amazingly instead of laughing at the stupid gringos and trying to sell us another ticket the http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Bolivia/La-Paz-Department/Isla-del-Sol/blog-403903.html When buying our tickets for Isla del sole we were told that it was 3 to visit the island or 4 to visit the island and see the floating villages. Ok I thought it would make sense to visit the floating village for 1. Turns out it costs 6 to visit the island and there is no floating village. The Inca ruins are a categorical joke the island is literally a tourist 'trap'. And then it turns ou http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Bolivia/La-Paz-Department/Isla-del-Sol/blog-402507.html If you havent heard theres a place on earth called Lake Titicaca. Its a marvellous place with an even better name. Just a few hours outside of La Paz you can reach a place called Copacabana which is right on the lake. From town theres an hour and a half boat ride to Isla del Sol Island of the Sun. This was a great chill place with a few hostels and restaurants scattered around a few sm http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Bolivia/La-Paz-Department/Isla-del-Sol/blog-398719.html Lake Titicaca Island of the sun.By Tina TorresAfter backpacking around Bolivia for a month everything is a bit dirty a bit stinky and a bit worn out especially me We have been constantly on the go finding buses finding accommodation finding food finding that monument that is on the map but not on the street. I am glad to be on Isla de Sol Island of the Sun for a genuine break and a c http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Bolivia/La-Paz-Department/Isla-del-Sol/blog-396159.html It's okay. You can laugh.We headed to the famous Lake Titicaca the largest lake in South America. Our Lonely Planet guidebook states in different chapters that it is the highest navigable lake in the world and that it is often erroneously described as the highest navigable lake. One thing is for sure it is the most laughed at name in all of South America. Lake Titicaca is also th http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Bolivia/La-Paz-Department/Isla-del-Sol/blog-393013.html 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 http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Bolivia/La-Paz-Department/Isla-del-Sol/blog-388471.html 14th February1 12 hours boat ride from Copacabana is the Isla del Sol the island of the sun which in Inca mythology was the birthplace of the Sun. We headed out early to buy tickets for the boat which left at 8.30am. The journey was slow quite a big boat but powered by a single outboard motor and the seats were really uncomfortable. We had decided to stay the night on the island as it sounded http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Bolivia/La-Paz-Department/Isla-del-Sol/blog-374932.html Arrived in Copacabana after a 9hr bus journey from Cusco. It wasnt bad except the mad old bint next to us kept opening the sky light window which we and several other passengers kept closing. we gave up in the end and kept warm beneath our llama woven blankets.We alighted the bus at around 8am the following morning along with several other travllers and were bundled into the slowest mini bus ev http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Bolivia/La-Paz-Department/Isla-del-Sol/blog-374643.html Mit einem kleinen Boot dass in der Schweiz vermutlich fuer 20 Personen zugelassen waere tuckerten wir mit 50 Personen an Board im Schrittempo 2h Richtung Isla del Sol.Im Norden der Insel befindet sich eine alte Inka Ruine mit einem Opferstein nicht sehr spektakulaer.Statt mit dem Boot auf die Suedseite der Insel zu fahren entschieden wir uns fuer den dreistuendigen Fussmarsch einmal quer ueb http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Bolivia/La-Paz-Department/Isla-del-Sol/blog-374241.html Day 16 Isle Del SolToday we arranged to go on a boat trip on Lake Titicaca to the Isle Del Sol. The Isle Del Sol is the legendary birthplace of the sun in Inca mythology. As we approached the ram shackled jetty we see the small wooden tourist boat nearly full of people but we managed to get a seat near the front. It is mainly full of foreign tourists however there were also some local people wh http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Bolivia/La-Paz-Department/Isla-del-Sol/blog-373923.html mittlerweile seit 3 wochen schon bin ich jetzt in bolivien. und es ist schon definitiv ein grosser unterschied zu argentinien zu bemerken. seien es die busse gott sei dank ist bolivien nicht so gross und man faehrt nie wirklich laenger als 8 stunden zumindestens bei unserem reiseplan das wetter alles durchgehabt von tropen bis schnee die menschen es sind wesentlich mehr indigene sichtbar http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Bolivia/La-Paz-Department/Isla-del-Sol/blog-373427.html Irsquove never been happier to get out of bed than I was on this day. After a freezing cold night the feeling of sunshine on my skin was glorious. Today we were off to explore Isla del Sol on foot.After breakfast we jostled with asses to pick our way down steep steps to the dock. The steps were steep enough to make me glad we had taken the switchback path the night before. Then it was into the http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Bolivia/La-Paz-Department/Isla-del-Sol/blog-367767.html Our first day of walking. Leaving most of our luggage at the hotel and donning day sacks with overnight gear we set out on foot along one of the original Inca trails. It was the route taken by the Inca as he made his way towards the sacred Isles of the Sun and Moon. Itrsquos a very beautiful route following a dusty track along the southern shore of Lake Titicaca. It was so peaceful too the on http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Bolivia/La-Paz-Department/Isla-del-Sol/blog-367434.html So on into Bolivia. Our bus from Cusco to the Peruvian border was very comfy well I thought so anyway. But despite being told we had a direct bus all the way to Copacabana in Bolivia we were unceremoniously dumped off at a roadside with directions to get a minibus. This we did and after the simple border formalities were completed another minibus took us to Copacabana. So perhaps the bus http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Bolivia/La-Paz-Department/Isla-del-Sol/blog-354540.html On to YampupataAfter one last early breakfast at our favorite place on the shore Anna and I buy some water and head down the road that leads out of Copacabana and toward Yampupata.At first the road cuts away from the shore of the lake. It takes us through large fields that are being sown with various crops. We see three or four men working in each of these fields with shovels and hoes. A few mor http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Bolivia/La-Paz-Department/Isla-del-Sol/blog-354500.html We just got back from isla del sol well ok we have had breakfast and slpt for about five hours since but whatever. The boat to the island took an inordinatly long amount of time as we chugged along in the weird hotcold weather that if found at this hight. On the island we set off on a walk from the southern tip to the north i dont think at first andrew was convinced that this was a brilliant id http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Bolivia/La-Paz-Department/Isla-del-Sol/blog-351590.html Day 603 21.11.08Today we were making the trip out to one of Lake Titicacas southern islands Isla del Sol according to Incan legend the birthplace of the sun.We planned to stopover for the night so made our way down to the lakes edge with a bag packed and plenty of snacks. It turned out that we were on the same boat as Geoff and Sian who wed met on the hill the night before so we braved the http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Bolivia/La-Paz-Department/Isla-del-Sol/blog-347519.html Nossa prxima parada era a cidade de Copacabana que deu nome praia carioca e um dos grandes destinos de peregrinao da Amrica Latina graas imagem da Virgem de Nossa Senhora de Copacabana que como a maioria das imagens idolatradas j chorou lgrimas de sangue piscou o olho voou salvou vidas e fez milagres. At chegar a Copacabana o nibus passou por estradas de terra alguns desfi http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Bolivia/La-Paz-Department/Isla-del-Sol/blog-338413.html Coming up on our trip we were pretty nervous about crossing into Bolivia. I had a few friends traveling in Bolivia already so I knew that once we were in the country the citizens of Bolivia dont really give a damn about the pissing match that has been going on between our governments as of late. However getting into the country we have to deal with guards representing the government that just http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Bolivia/La-Paz-Department/Isla-del-Sol/blog-335566.html We buy a one way ticket to the Isla del Sol and after about an hours crossing land at the village of Yumani. From the dock we walk up La Escaldera del Inca a staircase built by the Incas up past the natural spring Fuente del Inca which flowing down 3 channels represented the Inca moral code Ama sua ama llulla ama khella Dont steal dont lie dont be lazy. The Spanish believed it to b http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Bolivia/La-Paz-Department/Isla-del-Sol/blog-334211.html