Copacabana: Sunshine, trekking and even a strike!

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The journey to Copacabana was supposed to be straightforward ....take a bus to Puno, wait an hour and change buses to Copacabana. Arriving 2 hours early, before the sun had even risen, and spending 3 hours in the bus station did not really figure into my orginial plans. However, I guess that is part of the adventure of travelling!

I did eventually arrive in Copacabana at around 12....and Lake Titicaca was even more beautiful than I ever expected! It was so blue and pure. I felt really fortunate to spend the day on the beach, basking in the sun and taking in my surroundings. I was also really happy to discover a great restaurant (La Cupula)....where I could have a soup, a main course, and a glass of wine for $10!

The next day, I woke up pretty early, as me and an Austrian I had met were going on a 17km trek to Yampupata. It was a really peaceful trek through the hills; being surrounded by water, greenary and animals the whole time was a nice change from my everyday life😊 It was also nice to take a boat over to Isla del Sol, which is an island where the Inka used to worship the sun. We ended up settling in the town of Yamani and getting a hostel there. The island was great, as it has still kept it´s identity and is not quite as touristy as Copacabana. As the name suggests, it was quite sunny....and it was nice to drink beer and lie in the sun after walking for over 4 hours. I also went up to the mirador, which is one of the highest points on the island and got a great view of the sunset😊

The next day I took the boat back early in order to catch the 1:30 bus to La Paz. However, I was soon informed that there was a 24 hour gas strike and the buses weren´t running. This would have been okay i I didn´t have to be at the Canadina Consulate for a meeting the next day at 10! The weird thing was that private cars and taxis were still going to La Paz, so I made a deal with a private car....but it said that it would only leave at 6. So ,we waited.... However, miraculously the strike ended at 6 and minibuses were leaving for La Paz, so we ended up going with one of them. I figure that no one likes to strike in the dark!

The journey to La Paz was 3.5 hours, but it still had its share of adventures. Since, Copacabana is bordered by Peru, it is said to be somehow easier for us to take a ferry across, then to have to go through Peru again. So this means that the bus took one ferry accross the water and we take another boat. The other interesting aspect about taking the minbus is that it drops you in front of the cemetary in a really bad part of town. Therefore, I was really happy when we got a taxi that dropped us off at our destination.....and I was safe and sound in my hostel in La Paz!

Hasta pronto.
Caitlin

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