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I woke up early as the boats to the Sun Island leave at 8.30am, and even though it was raining it didn’t stop me from taking it as really wanted to go to the island as soon as possible as wanted to keep moving to finish this trip and go back to Australia with Michael. I didn’t mind a little bit of rain as I knew it would clear up…and it did and at the end it was a very sunny day. The Island of the Sun is the legendary Inca creation site and is the birth place of the sun in Inca mythology. On arrival I first visited the little museum in Cha’llapampa, which contains artefacts from the underwater excavation near Isla Koa, north of here. From there it was a good 30-40 min walk up to the north of the island where I visited La Mesa de Sacrificio (Sacrifice Table) a rock table with 12 rock chairs around it simbolising the 12 months of the year (also in the inca calendar) and other 4 chairs for the 4 poles N, S, E and W symbolising also the 4 solstices. In front there was la Roca Sagrada (the Sacret Rock)
which has the face of an inca, which is natural and not carved by them, where the legend of the inca creation began, and the chincana complex or laberinth. There I stayed for a while contemplating the fantastic views and thinking about my new future waiting for me in Australia with Michael. From there I decided to take the walking track to the south part of the island, but being so high at 4028m above sea level, it took a toll on me and breathing was quite difficult so Ihad to take it easy and drink lots of water on the way. It was so good to walk alone that track as it gave me time to think about so many things. The views of the island and the lake were amazing. After more than 3 hrs I finally made it to the south side just in time for the boat to go back to Copacabana, not before having to go down la Escalera del Inca (the Inca’s stairway) to the jetty, where a procession of donkeys and locals were carrying supplies up the mountain and believe me it was a very steep way down, so going up carrying all
that must be hell. On the way back we stopped at Pilko Kaina the ruins of the Temple of the Sun.
The following day end up being a very cultura day and learnt a few Bolivian customs. My first stop was the cementery as there were some Inca ruins I wanted to visit. There was lots of people there today praying for their dead ones, and made me think lots about my grandparents and I started crying remembering them. From there I went to the nice Moorish-style cathedral. At the entrance there was a lot of cars decorated with flowers so I asked a girl who was selling candles and she explained to me that it was to “bendecir los autos” to protect them and their passengers from any accidents. The pastor then came out and one by one throw sainted water to the inside and out and all around the cars, the owner and their family and friends that were there. This is done everyday and people bring their cars they have just bought (new or old). After the pastor has gone around the car and them, they also throw flower petals on the car, in and out and
get a photo with the pastor. Some of the owners even throw some sparkling wine on the car and some even fireworks, just amazing traditions. Then I decided to climg El Cerro Calvario as I was told the the views to the town and the lake were amazing from there, and they were right, the views were fantastic. The hard thing was to get up there as it was very steep way and with the altitude it was difficult to breathe so I had to make a few stops, well, me and everybody else I saw on the way. There was a few crosses with lots of stones at the base of them, so I asked a nice old man about it and he told me that people prays there for forginesses of their sins and then leave a stone. He was about 70 and going up the hill as well but very very slowly, but man he did it!!! I even saw women carrying heavy stuff on their backs going up to the little stalls selling from souvenirs to religious artefacts to toys. I was struggling with my little backpack and there were going up like nothing. They are
so used to the altitude that they don’t even notice it. Up on the hill I also talked to another man who was coming from La Paz just to come up here and repent from his sins. Going down was not tiring but painful on the knees, and you had to walk slowly as the rocks were a little bit wet from the rain, so they could be sleepery. For lunch I couldn’t leave Lake Titicaca without trying the famous trout from the lake, and it was very delicious.
Then it was time to get onto another bus…to Cusco, with Jose and Ceci and also meet up with some of their friends (Mario, Betty and Julian) who were also coming to Cusco and Machu Pichu. And somewhere along the way I got my camera stolen!!!
Me levante temprano ya que los barcos que partian para la Isla del Sol salian a las 8.30, y aunque estaba lloviendo un poco eso no me quito las ganas de ir a la isla, ademas queria ir pronto para asi poder continuar mi viaje y volver a Australia con Michael lo antes posible. No me importaba un poco de lluvia, ademas sabia
que iba a parar…y lo hizo y al final fue un dia bien soleado. La Isla del Sol es el legendario lugar de la creacion Inca, y donde segun la mitologia Inca nacio el Sol. Al llegar primero visite el pequeno museo de Cha’llapampa, que contiene artefactos de una excavacion marin cerca de la Isla Koa, al norte de aqui. De ahi fue una buena caminata de 30-40 min hacia arriva hasta llegar al norte de la isla donde visite La Mesa de Sacrificio, una mesa de piedra con 12 sillas de piedra alrededor simbolizando los 12 meses del ano (y tambien del calendario Inca) y otras 4 sillas afuera que simbolizan los 4 polos N, S, E y O, y que tambien simbolizan los 4 solsticios. En frente tambien pude observar la Roca Sagrada que tiene la cara de un inca carvada naturalmente y no por los incas, y que es donde la leyenda de la creacion de los incas empezo. Tambien visite el complejo labertinto chincana donde me quede un buen rato a contemplar las maravillosas vistas y a pensar acerca de mi nuevo futuro que me estaba esperando en Australia con Michael. De ahi decidi irme andando
toda la isla hasta la parte sud, pero como estamos a 4028m sobre el nivel del mar, el caminar se hacia dificil y el respirar tambien, pero con varias paradas y mucha agua llegue. Las vistas de la isla y del lago eran maravillosas y como ande sola me dio tiempo para pensar en muchas cosas. Despues de mas de 3 horas finalmente llegue a la parte sud de la isla justo a tiempo para cojer el barco de vuelta a Copacabana, no sin antes tener que bajar por la Escalera del Inca hasta el embarcadero, donde una procesion de mulas y gente local estaban subiendo las provisiones que habian comprado, y creedme eran unas escaleras bien empinadas, asi que cargando con todo eso debe ser el infierno. No se como lo hacen de verdad y ademas ves a senores y senoras bien viejitos que dan una pena cargando con tanta cosa a la espalda. De camino de vuelta en el barco paramos en Pilko Kaina que son las ruinas del Templo del Sol.
El dia siguiente fue un dia bien cultural para mi ya que aprendi unas cuantas costumbres Bolivianas. Mi primera parada fue en el cementerio donde visite
unas ruinas Incas. Habia mucha gente rezando por sus seres queridos que ya no estaban aqui, y me hizo pensar en mis abuelos, y se me saltaron unas lagrimas recordandolos.
De ahi me fui a visitar la catedral de estilo moro. En la entrada habia un monton de coches de todo tipo, incluso autobuses, decorados con flores, asi que le pregunte a una chica que vendia velas en la entrada que era eso y me explico que cada manana el cura sale a vendecir los coches para proteger a sus ocupantes de cualquier accidente. El cura salio y empezo uno por uno a echar agua bendita por encima de los carros, por dentro, en el motor y tambien al dueno del coche y a toda la familia y amigos que alli se hallaban. Esto lo hacen cada manana y la gente trae los coches que acaban de comprar (aunque sean de 2da mano). Despues de que el pastor ha bendecido el coche el dueno y acompanantes echan petalos de flores en el coche, dentro y fuera, y tambien se sacan una foto con el cura. Incluso hay algunos duenos que echan vino espumoso en el coche, y otros tiran fuegos
artificiales. Algunas tradiciones son increibles, pero de lo que me he dado cuenta en Sud america es que son muy muy religiosos. De ahi decidi escalar el Cerro Calvario ya que me habian dicho que desde arriba habia unas preciosas vistas del lago, y tenian razon, las vistas eran increibles. Lo duro fue el llegar arriba ya que la subida era bien bien empinada y era dificil respirar debido a la altitud, asi que tuve que hacer varias paradas, bueno yo y casi todo el mundo que subia. Por el camino habia unas grandes cruzes que en la base tenian varias piedras que la gente iba poniendo, asi que le pregunte a un senor y me conto que la gente rogaba para que Dios les perdonara por sus pegados y entonces echaban una piedra. El senor tenia unos 70 anos y subia muy despacio parando bastante, pero lo consiguio!!! Incluso vi a alguna mujer subiendo cargamentos a las espaldas para los puestecitos que habia arriba vendiendo desde souvenirs hasta artefactos religiosos como juguetes. A mi me costaba subir con mi pequena mochila cargada con la botella de agua y ellas subian como si nada. Se nota que etan acostumbradas a
la altitud asi que ni lo notan. Arriba tambien empeze a hablar con otro senor que habia venido desde La Paz solo para subir aqui y arrepentirse de sus pecados. Bajando no fue dificil pero si en las rodillas y tenias que andar despacio ya que las rocas estaban un poco humedas por la lluvia con lo cual podian estar un poco resbalosas. Para comer no podia dejar este lugar sin probar la famosa trucha del lago Titicaca, que por cierto estaba muy rica. De ahi Jose, Ceci y no nos cojimos un bus hacia Cusco, donde nos encontrariamos con unos amigos suyos (Mario, Betty y Julian) que tambien venian a Machu Pichu. En algun lugar del camino me robaron mi camara de fotos!! Chorizos!!!
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