More Titicaca

---

We arrived after only a short bus trip from Puno (with a bus driver that would beep his horn at anything) and a quick immigration to the small town of Copacabana, Famous for the blessing of cars at the local cathedral, the town was set pleasantly between two hills on Lake Titicaca. At first it doesn't seem all that different to Peru, although we did notice that the women wear a different type of skirt here, more of a shimmery pleated skirt (they still do nothing for their figures so I am told). It is again high at 3800m but it wasn't as cold as we had expected, the sun was shining and it was quite pleasant to sit out in the cafes down the main street and relax once we had worked out again how to use a new exchange rate, this time the Boliviano.
We climbed Cerro Calvario close to sunset, for a lovely view of the lake again, we were joined by a few pilgrims doing the stations of the cross also. The next morning we awoke to a fantastic thunderstorm, hail and the lot, we had booked to go to the Isla del Sol but were reconsidering. We decided on going, but unlike Puno the boat here was more rough and ready as well as wet. The sun was shining by the time we arrived to the island of the Inca creation. We walked up to some ruins at Chincana to see the Puma rock. The island was very peaceful, lovely blue water, small houses dotted around and very relaxing. We started from the north on the ridge over the island and walked down to the south, you really feel close to the sky up there. We had a quick drink before descending down the Inca steps to just make our boat, well us along some friends we have met Rorie and Emer, the boys made the boat but we had to make it wait for the girls. Just a warning for those going, there seems to be many tolls on the footpath? or places along the path where you have to pay. Only small amounts but you wonder of the legitimacy of them all and they do not explain exactly what they are for. Especially when we encountered two only a couple of hundred metres apart! On the way back it stops at a floating island, but after seeing the floating islands of the Uros you really feel like they are just throwing a gimmick at you. We had a few drinks out that evening with Rorie and Emer and as I always enjoy in a new country I get to try some new beer. The bock will knock your socks off at 7% but the Huari is going down nicely. On to the capital of La Paz tomorrow.

---