Blogs from Lake Titicaca, La Paz Department, Bolivia, South America - page 9

Invited to find accomidation with our new friends we trudged through the muddy unpaved streets of Copacabana. This is a small and ramshackle place nestleing in a steep cove and surrounded by rocky peaks. It was cold when we arrived and the place did not seem to offer us much. We found a very nice hostal with clean rooms and hot water and all at a very cheap price. After breakfast (under a pound) Eddie and I went on a wander. Passing through what can only be described as the rubbish dump quarter of town, complete with feral dogs, pigs, scruffy kids and even a bull tied to the burntout remainds of an upturned car we stumbled onto the beach. However we found that we had come around the back of one of the tow peaks ... read more

July 9 So, we are driving to Peru and of all things, it is snowing. Snowing! Not just flurries either, the treetops are covered. This has been a really surreal morning. Anyway I left off talking about El Alto. The three days that followed were good, we had fewer lectures and a little more free time, but not much. I spent most of it shopping, drinking (noninstant) coffee (hurrah!), and fighting with people in my program. This I am serious about, I think we have all had a little too much tgrness. Coupled with the long, exhaustive days filled with lectures in a language some of us can't understand at all much less well, and the majority of the group being sick (I am so completely amazed that I haven't been sick yet), I can't say ... read more

The first stop on our Lake Titicaca itinerary was Copacabana. We didn´t see any show girls called Lola, but there were a large number of hippies that must have arrived and never left. We took an instant liking to ´Copa´. It was small and beachy, the weather was warm (despite being at 3,800m above sea level), and there were lots of cheap places to gorge ourselves on trout. Ben was so excited, he went for his second run since we arrived in South America. He decided to race up the hill behind the town. It happened to be Corpus Christi - Picture the sight: Ben, in his stubbies and singlet, leaping past thousands of puffing pilgrims in their Sunday best trekking to see the virgin at the top of the hill. Ben was rewarded for his ... read more

On the way out of Bolivia towards Peru, there is a giant lake, the highest navigatable lake in the world called Lake Titicaca. It looks like the ocean as the other side is over the horizon. There is a lot of history around here with the Incas inhabiting the islands and surrounds untill the invasion of the Spanish. One of the more well known was Isle de Sol near the beautiful town of Copacabana. Copacabana is a great place, revolving around the lake and local water activities. There are many shops selling the local trout which is cheap and very nice. That was our meal of choice over our visit. Again we hired motorbikes and saw some nearby villages. There was a rally car race that we passed, and saw them come flying around a ... read more

written by Miss Wendy O Goodbye warm climate, And who is stealing my oxygen!!! After a cancelled bus, hanging out at a bus stations for several hours, a 7hr stinky bus to Puno then another 4hr bus ride across the border to Copacabana in Bolivia, we finally had a shower and de-shelled. At 3,800m above sea level, Copacabana altitude certainly made us all walk slow. It rests on the south tip of Lake Titicaca, the worlds highest navigable lake. Lake Titicaca is absolutely stunning. The morning sunrise gradually glistens in the massive lake, highlighting the tips of the surrounding mountains just as the village awakens and the bustling market opens. Most of the locals are indiginous and wear traditional Quecha gear. The chicas wear long, flowing, colourful skirts, bowler hats and carry their products to the ... read more