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Published: August 31st 2006
Master and Comander Ian
"David! scub the decks you lowlife scum"We finally left La Paz behind us, on the 17th of August, as I was feeling much better after being prescribed to take 6 different tablets a day by the doctor. We left El Solairio which we have agreed is the worst hostel we have stayed in so far, mainly due to the very unhelpful and unfriendly staff.
We got to the bus station and booked a bus to Copacabana. We then later turned up to the bus station 15 minutes prier to the bus leaving. The staff looked at us dodgely and then rushed us into a taxi that took us across town to the bus. Which wasn’t there so the taxi driver paid a minibus to take us to Copacabana. The Bolivian way always amazes me.
Driving out of La Paz was great finally getting away from the city and out to the country around. As we went we could see the snow capped mountains of the Cordillia Real, with the fresh snow from a recent storm laid across there flanks. At the southern end stood Hauyna Potosi, looking at it hard to believe that only 8 or so days before we were standing on the summit.
About one and a half hours into the trip we stopped to take a small ferry across the straights that cut off the spit of land Copacabana is on. Watching the minibus go across on a small barge was funny as we all got out and were made to pay to cross on a little boat. The cheek of it.
We got to Copacabana in the dark so quickly found a hostel and retired to bed after a quick meal.
Early the next morning we set off to find a sailing boat to hire. We found one in the beach and hired it for the next day as the wind was against us at that time of day and we needed to leave early in the morning to get the offshore breeze.
So with that sorted we set to explore the town a little, one strange thing that happens here is the blessing of cars out side the cathedral in the main plaza. Here a whole host of cars and trucks turn up and buy colourful paper banners which they hang on the vehicles. They then bless the car and spray alcohol all over
Titicacan girl
With extreemly messy hands who insisted on wiping them on us it. Seems to work though judging by the condition of most of the cars that are still on the road out here.
In the afternoon we set of to go up to the small peak with a cemetery shrine thing on top. From here we sat and watched the sunset over the lake which was really cool, we were also offered allot of random crap by the vendors spoiling the mood at the top.
Early the next morning we made down to the boats and we met by our trusty sales man. He told us that we needed to row out a little bit and then we would find the breeze to the island.
So we took to the oars and rowed started to row out. Being Bolivia the oars were very heavy and the continioulsy slipped out of there rollicks making it pretty difficult to row out. But we kept at it and soon found we were about a half a mile offshore. Here we were out of the lea of all the mountains, but still there was no wind.
So we took to reading our book quietly in the sun and waiting for
Copacabana
Sun set over the small town. the wind to pick up. We waited and waited; several hours passed and still no wind.
Then finally our Union Jacks started to flutter in a growing breeze. But to our dismay the wind way coming from the Isla del Sol. This would mean a very tiring 10km of beating up wind.
We hoisted the sail and set a heading as best as the boat would make upwind. This however was at about 80 degrees to the wind and was more like a reach than a beat. The sail of the boat was also pretty rubbish, there was a huge amount of sail bag, and the boom didn’t actually fix on to the mast our any other point on the boat. We managed to fix it to the leeward gunnel, however this made little difference and we sailed along at an incredibly slow pace. The lake is huge and whips up some quite large waves and a small current in the direction of the breeze. This is where I can mention that the boat had no centre board, therefore had no resistance to lateral movement due to the wind save the rudder. This isn’t good when trying to
Sunset
Sinking sun over Lake Titicaca. go upwind! We made a tack and headed out into the lake to try and find some stronger wind.
After going on this heading for an hour we found that we were indeed in some stronger wind, which meant we zipped along a bit faster. It also meant that we drifted a lot faster. After another hour cruising along we decided to tack and see if we had made any progress. To our dismay we hadn’t, and were only pointing a little bit higher than where we had been before. We resolved to the fact that we were not going to make it to the island and headed back to Copacabana. The sailing was really good fun though it was just unlucky that we didn’t make it all the way, damn wind.
We decided to take the more conventional motor boat out to the Island with our tent and cooking equipment with the intention of camping in some bay on the island.
Te boat ride took about and hour and we arrived around 10 am to the south town on the island, which is the main settlement and is packed with hostels and little restaurants. Here
a small child decided to follow us for some reason, not sure why. We went up the steep steps of the Inca terracing with this boy following by our side at first we though may just a coincidence but after an hour of walking with him still there decided that he was just stalking Dave, who loved it.
The south of the island is very lush with a lot of vegetation on the terracing, and small little streams running down the hill.
We ventured northwards along the mountain path and met up with two other Brits and an Israeli. coming down from a hill top we managed to somehow to lose the path and were scrambling down some steep banks on scrub land vegetation when out of the blue a small plump man came running too us. Saying that we needed to go back to the path and buy a ticket, it was clear he had seen us and run the half km to get to us.
We wandered back, and hit the main path taking the mountain root. Getting to the top of the hill we could see the whole snow-capped Cordilia Real which looked stunning
Dave rowing out
He assured us that in the morning the wind blows to the isla del sol. phurr over the glistening waters of the lake.
We made it up to the northern tip of the Island where the ruins are meant to be. He the ticket man pointed to a rock and said that it was believed to be the shape of a Puma. We stood back and looked at it. The puma was not too be seen, it felt like looking at modern art and being told its a masterpiece when its actually just a spot on a large canvas. We decided that the Inca’s had some odd ideas and must have been on Coca when they spotted the puma. Crazy people.
From there we looked through some old houses and spotted a really nice bay that would make the perfect camping spot. By this time we famished so grabbed some lunch in the north town which is about half an hour walk from the ruins along the coastal path. Here there is a nice beach and local children were playing in the sand in the nude with pigs rooting around in the sand next to them.
Here we left the others and headed back to the ruins and down to the bay where
we wanted to camp. To get there we had to go through the ruins and scramble down a bank to the waters edge. The water here was so clear and blue that you could see the stones on the lake bed tens of meters out. With the waves gently lapping at the shore we set up our tent on a small level bit of ground we found. Then as the sun was sinking fast went to go for a little dip in the water. It took a while to actually take the plunge as at 3800 metres up the water is pretty damn freezing, eventually though I went in and had a small swim while Dave wet his toes in the shallows.
As we did this we left the water to boil for our nice dinner of pasta with no sauce. Needless to say this meal wasn’t the best I’ve ever cooked but we forced it down the made a fire with some of the remaining fuel and some charcoal that we found. It blazed well for several minutes then died down so we crawled in the tent as was now dark at 7pm and read. Then later watch
Inca terracing
Just above the south town. the stars as they we crystal clear hear due to the lake of surrounding lights. After seeing many shooting stars and a couple of satellites we hit the sack.
Half way through the night I was awoken to the sound of thunder, rain, and wind along with the tent being lit up by lightning. Sitting there in the dark listening to the waves seeming to get ever larger and nearer was fun, but eventually it all died down and we were left in the silence once more.
We got up at seven the next morning and had packed up camp by 7:30 wanting to make the 8 o’clock boat back from the north town. Unfortunately we hadn’t included the walk up the bank in our timings and so got to the north town ten minutes too late with the boat already gone. So sitting by the dock on the bay, watching the tide roll away, just sitting on the dock of the bay wasting time. Until a group of French tourist turned up who had hired a boat. We talked to the group leader and he let us get on the boat down to the south town
More inca terracing
Up the steps we go, harder than it looks at 4000 meters. where the boats back to Copacabana leave a lot more regularly. The French people were in a tour group travelling round Bolivia for three weeks. The island rises very steeply out of the water with its slopes covered in small shrubs that seem to cling impossibly to he rock. It reminded me a lot of the scenery in Italy’s Amalfi coast.
We got safely to the south town and booked a boat out, which cost five Bols more on the return trip.
We got back to Copacabana and booked a bus to La Paz. On the bus we meet a group of people doing the world challenge expeditions who came from Banbury school. Small world.
We got back to La Paz and booked into a different hostel, then headed out to book the cycling for the next day, and had a meal in the English pub.
-Ian
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