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Published: January 11th 2007
View from our hostel window
Copacabana beach - Bolivia's only public beach - apparently. Not that we saw anyone going for a swim though.We left Puno (
Los Uros - floating islands) (Peru) by bus early in the morning. Two hours later we were at the Peru-Bolivia border. There we had to leave our nice tourist bus and go through immigration and cross the border by foot. This must be one of the more relaxed immigration controls we've experienced so far. Compared to the US it was a dream. One look at the passport, a quick stamp - done! Not that we actually had to show our passport, we could just have continued walking across the border into Bolivia. On the Bolivian side a new bus (well a Ford Transit or something similar) picked us up to drive us the 8 remaining kilometers to Copacabana.
We were surprised to se how small Copacabana really is. We had booked our hostel in advance and (as usual) asked them to pick us up at the bus station. They replied something about it not being necessary. They were right!
Copacabana claims to have 50,000 citizens. We have no idea were all these people are living. Not in town, from what we can see. Copacabana has a handfull of streets, which are not very long, and an OK size beach, full
Blessed
This car is now safe for the road. of tour boats for Isla del Sol and Isla del Luna. The main road through the town also serves as the bus station. That's it! Our hostel was located right at the beach, about 100 meters from the "bus station".
The town is very quiet and very different from Puno and Cusco (
Qo'sqo: the navel of the world). People do sell roughly the same stuff on the street. The big difference is that you can actually walk down the street without ten kids trying to sell you finger puppets. You can even stop at a store, have a look and walk away without anyone trying to sell you anything. In fact, if you want to buy something you need to find the owner of the store first.
Our first day in Copacabana we spent organizing a trip to Isla del Sol (where the sun was born) in Lake Titicaca and bought a bus ticket to
La Paz.
We later ventured to the main square, just in time for what we found out was the traditional blessing of cars and buses. People dress their vehicle in flowers, pour beer and/or champagne at the tires and set off fire crackers on the ground in front
The more flowers the better
Beer and champagne was also poured over the wheels to ensure the car was properly blessed. of the bonnets. This will give the car/bus good luck. We're not sure for how long this luck will last as the ceremony takes place most (every?) days at 10 am and 2 pm.
The second day, we were off to Isla del Sol, in a tiny boat. Anywhere in the western world, this vessel would have been good for 20-25 people. We were at least 60, on the two-hour boat ride. Luckily the lake was kind with only a light breeze. Isla del Sol could very well be an island in the Mediterranian, as you can see from the pictures. It's very pretty and different from the mainland.
We walked to an old Inca ruin on the north of the island, together with a nice couple from Denmark (Jacob and Annette) and a pair form Canada (Jay and Jody). However, when you've seen the stuff along the Inca Trail, it's hard to be impressed. The walk there was absolutely stunning, though. On our way back to the boat (to go to the south of the island) we also saw the sun's footprints on a big stone. Legend has it that the sun, after being born on the
Sweden?
Could be on a sunny day in the archipelago. It's Isla del Sol though. island walked on the island for a bit before taking to the sky.
Atlantis is true and it's here. Just north of Isla del Sol, 8 meters below the surface, there's a sunken city. It wasn't discovered until 1992 and they are still still excavating it. There is a small museum at the north "port" on the island. Unfortunately it didn't tell us a lot. Guess they are still a bit uncertain to where it all comes from.
The south part of the Island promised some more ruins, but all we had strength for was yet some more Inca steps. The island could very well be full of charm, if it wasn't for the fact that whenever you raised your camera, you could hear "un boliviano" from local kids. H made a new friend though, who just wanted some cookies.
The boat trip back was less crowded, and we fell asleep shortly after a nice dinner with our new Danish and Canadian friends. Next day was spent pottering around the beach, waiting for the bus to La Paz.
Vi lamnade Puno (
Los Uros - floating islands) med buss tidigt pa morgonen. Tva timmar senare var vi vid gransen mellan Peru
Greece?
Still no. Isla del Sol. och Bolivia. Dar fick vi lamna var trevliga turistbuss och ga sjalva igenom granskontrollen och sedan over gransen. Detta maste vara en av de mest avslappnade granskontroller vi upplevt. Jamfort med USA var det en drom. En blick pa passet och en snabb stampel - klart! Inte for att vi faktiskt behovde visa passet, vi kunde ha fortsatt over gransen in i Bolivia. Pa den bolivianska sidan vantade en ny buss (naja, en Ford Transit eller liknande) och korde oss de aterstaende 8 kilometrarna till Copacabana.
Vi blev forvanade over hur litet Copacanaba verkligen ar. Vi hade bokat vart vandrarhem i forvag och (som vanligt) bett dem hamta oss pa busstationen. De svarade nagot i stil med att det inte behovdes. De hade ratt!
Copacabana havdar att de har 50 000 invanare. Vi har ingen aning var de alla bor. Inte i stan, savitt vi kan se. Copacanaba har en handfull korta gator och en ok strand full av turbatar som aker till Isla del Sol and Isla del Luna (sol- och manon). Huvudgatan genom stan tjanar ocksa som busstation. Det ar allt! Vart vandrarhem lag precis vid stranden, ungefar 100 meter fran "busstationen".
Staden ar valdigt
tyst och valdigt annorlunda mot Puno och Cusco (
Qo'sqo: the navel of the world). Gatuforsaljarna har ungefar samma saker. Den stora skillnaden ar att man kan faktiskt ga nerfor gatan utan att bli antastad av tio barn som vill salja fingerdockor. Man kan till och med stanna vid en butik och ta en titt utan att nagon forsoker salja nagot. Om man vill handla maste man faktiskt leta upp forestandaren forst.
Var forsta dag i Copacanbana tillbringade vi med att organisera en resa till Isla del Sol (dar solen foddes) i Titicacasjon och kopa en bussbiljett till
La Paz.
Senare gick vi till stora torget, precis i tid for vad vi upptackte var den traditionella valsignelsen av bilar och bussar. Folk stror blommor over fordonen, haller ol och/eller champagne over dacken och tander smallare pa marken framfor kofangaren. Detta ger bilen/bussen tur. Vi vet inte riktigt hur lange denna tur varar eftersom ceremonin utfors de flesta (varje?) dagar klockan 10 och 14.
baten dugt at 20-25 manniskor. Vi var minst 60, och aktiden var tva timmar. Som tur var var sjon snall, och det var bara en latt bris. Isla del Sol skulle mycket val kunna vara en o i Medelhavet, som ni
Sneaky
H managed to capture this frame without the locals noticing. (they kept wanting money for photos...) kan se pa bilderna. Den ar valdigt vacker och annorlunda fran fastlandet.
Vi gick till en gammal inkaruin pa norra anden av on, tilsammans med ett trevligt par fran Danmark (Jacob & Annette) och Jay & Jody fran Kanada. Nar man sett runinerna langs inkaleden blir man tyvarr svarflortad. Promenaden dit ar dock fantastisk. Pa vagen tillbaka till baten (for att aka till sodra anden av on) sag vi solens fotspar pa en sten. Legenden sager att solen, efter att ha fotts pa on, gick en bit innan det var dags att stiga upp pa himlen.
Atlantis ar sant, och det finns har. Precis norr on Isla del Sol, 8 meter under vattenytan, finns en sjunken stad. Den upptacktes inte forran 1992 och haller fortfarande pa att utgravas. Det finns ett litet museum vid den norra "hamnen" pa on. Tyvarr sa det oss inte sa mycket. Antar att de ar lite osakra pa vad allt kommer fran.
Sodra delen av on lovade oss mer ruiner, men allt vi hade styrka till var mera inka-trappsteg. On kunde mycket varit varit full av charm om det inte hade varit for det faktum att sa forst man hojde kameran hordes
The Sun's footprints...
on the left of this stone. For sure! "un boliviano" fran de lokala barnen. H fick en ny kompis dock, som bara ville ha nagra kakor.
Batresan tillbaka var mindre fullspackad, och vi somnade strax efter en trevlig middag med vara nya kanadensiska och danska vanner. Nasta dag gick vi mest omkring pa stranden innan det var dags att ta bussen till La Paz.
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