Me? A Geographer? Lost? Never!

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Copacabana, although a very nice small town is basically a jumping off point for visiting the Isla Del Sol on Lake Titicaca. It’s the birthplace of the Inca sun and is really beautiful. You can do day or overnight trips by boat from Copacabana. It’s a couple of hours by boat so we decided to hike along the coast to another town called Yampupata which is just across the strait from the island and get a boat from there. Lonely Planet said the trek is 17km and should take 3 to 4 hours. We set off at 9am and arrived at 3pm! But to be fair we did stop at the market on the way for some fresh squeezed orange juice and after about an hour or so of walking we did get lost. Not totally lost, I mean, how lost can you get following a coastline? But yes, we did get a little bit lost. We started out fine walking along the lakeside through farms and hamlets. We were the only two gringos for miles and all the locals we past were very friendly. So we were daundering along for a couple of hours, stopping to take photos of donkeys or the stunning views of the lake, then we came to a fork in the road and lonely planet advised to go left and take a "short cut." We climbed some quite steep Inca stairs (you’d think we’d had enough after the Inca trail) but they came to a sudden stop at quite a creepy alter and there was no more path. There was what seemed to be a slight path along the coast through the forests so we assumed that that was the way. The whole time we weren’t too concerned because we were shaded by hundreds of eucalyptus trees on a cliff face that overlooked the lake and Copacabana so we knew roughly where we were. So we walked for another hour or so and the path would disappear and then appear again at the next ridge. But then it started to get really steep and we climbed higher and higher thinking the path would start again after the next ridge. After about 5 or 6 ridges, a couple of scrapes and bruises and one hand-on-a-cactus-incident we realised that this had to be wrong. The trees had finished long ago and sparse scrub was giving way to bare rock faces and sheer drops to the lake. We decided that the only way was up so we started to scale the mountain we had been trying to walk around. It really was quite scary and steep but we were sure that by the time we reached the top we would be able to see the path again. The top of the cliff was yet another false summit (again, you’d think after the Inca trail we’d be used to those) So after some more climbing and yet more scrapes and bruises we reached the summit and there in the distance about another 20 minute walk down the other side of the mountain was a perfectly formed fork in the road. Just like the lonely planet described. We had taken an earlier and evidently wrong fork in the road. But not to worry, it’s all in the name of adventure! So we rejoined the track and continued the trail. We walked through loads of what seemed to be deserted villages. There were very few locals about and eventually we past two other gringos having lunch with 5 or 6 local kid all crowded round them. We continued on because lonely planet said there was a restaurant in the next village. It too was deserted but we could sit in the gardens and eat our packed lunch. By the time we reached Yampupata it was already 3pm, only 2hrs behind schedule then! We decided to take a row boat to the island since it was only 15 bolivianos each (about 1gbp) we agreed the destination (Yumani, the main town on the island) and price and set off with a Bolivian guy rowing. About half way he stopped rowing and asked where we were going, i said that I’d told him we were going to Yumani and that it was 30b´s, he said "oh 30 each" I said no, we agreed 15 each, 30 in total, (i didn’t know what "chancer" was in Spanish). He said that was fine and we continued on. The water was really choppy and it was hard work for the guy so we gave him our water and I figured we’d give him 40b´s if he got us there in one piece. Did I mention that the boat was called Titanic? Not very reassuring with our past experience with boats! After about another 20mins he pulled up to a rock at the side of the island and said ok, this is where you get off. It was in the middle of nowhere, there was no path leading anywhere and it was getting late in the day. I told him there was no way we were getting off the boat and he had to take us all the way to the town. He said that this was the stop and that the town was just over the mountain! He said it was very far to row round to the town and it would be another 10b´s! What a cheeky sod! I was furious so I shouted at him saying he cant leave two young girls on a rock in the middle of nowhere and we had agreed the destination and price twice before. He refused to go any further until I agreed to pay more so I said that we would pay thinking that we’d give him 30 and run when we arrived at the town. So off we set again, he then had the cheek to say "oh, you don’t like walking then” so I said We had just walked 17km to get the boat and he had already agreed to take us to Yumani. However Laura (sitting at the other end of the boat) hadn’t understood what had happened and when we arrived at the port I gave the guy 30 and said what he did was wrong and we’d give him 30 and no more but then she handed him another 20! So I took 10 back quickly and walked away fuming! I know it’s less than 1gbp but it’s totally the principal. He was going to ditch us in the middle of nowhere. Git. So not the best arrival but we were there safe and sound at least!

We found a pretty decent hostel in the tiny town that overlooked the lake, The Isla del Luna (another sacred Inca site) and the mountains beyond which is La Paz) the views were stunning and the sunset was beautiful. There was a guy from UCSB staying there as well! They’re everywhere! So he taught us a new card game and we sat and watched the sunset and played cards and drank Bolivian beer. Heaven. The next day I got up for the sunrise but it was totally freezing and there were trees in the way so I went back to bed! Although what I did see was very beautiful. So later on that morning we set off for the North part of the island where we were able to catch a boat back to Copacabana. Lonely planet described it as a "moderately strenuous three hour walk” but after the day before´s fiasco i wasn’t too confident with their judgment. There are no roads on the island and the Inca paths are pretty clear so I felt confident we couldn’t go wrong. To be sure i asked a couple of locals which was the best way and they were delighted to help. The path took us through the national park and the landscape was sparse and beautiful with the odd eucalyptus tree and the immense Lake Titicaca as a backdrop. We were heading for a town in the North called Santiago Pampa and when we reached the summit of the mountain that overhangs the town we couldn’t see a path leading down but we were used to scaling mountainsides by now, so we set off down the slope. We past a huge rock about 30ft high perched on the mountainside so stopped to climb it and take photos. Later on we learned that it was a sacred Inca site and they believed it to be in the shape of a cat. I didn’t see the cat, but it was a nice rock. There were meant to be other Inca sites and ruins along the way but we didn’t see any. Santiago Pampa was about the same size as Yumani, just a few houses and hostels with a couple of restaurants in between. Unfortunately it was too windy to visit the Isla Del Luna and the only other boat returning to Copacabana stopped in Yumani for 3 hours! Not having much choice we took the boat back to Yumani and met some really nice Brazilians. They spoke excellent English. One guy Omar was disgusted with our tale of our evil row boat man and he taught me how to say a few things in Spanish that would have come in handy and I´m sure still will in the future! He was hilarious. A Fashion Design student from San Paulo. He told us his entire family were doctors, his parents, brothers, uncles, cousins and he is the only fashion designer! So with three hours to kill in Yumani we sat and had coffee and admired the view. So all in all, a pretty good trip!

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Photos

View of Copacabana
We had to scale a mountain in the baking sun but the view kept be going!!