Crossing The Frontier

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We left Cuzco on the 10pm nightbus, departing from the main bus terminal. This was a new experience. The bus was reasonably comfortable, although there was no toilet on board and it was very full.

I awoke at around 6am to the sight of a grey overcast sky and a light rain along the green shores of Lake Titicacca. At first glance the lake looks just like any other sea and you have to remind yourself that you are over 3500m above sea level and a long way from any ocean. The shoreline is heavily cultivated through an endless series of small farmsteads.

We had booked a 'straight through' bus from Cuzco in Peru to Copacabana in Bolivia so it came of something of a suprise that at around 7.30 the conductor came up stairs and told all passengers bound for Copacabana that they had 5 minutes to collect their things as they would be getting off shortly. Many of us, having just woken up, were a little dazed by the sudden prospect of being dumped on the roadside in the morning rain.

Moments later about 13 or 14 of us were standing around on the side of the road neat to what could opptimistically be called a village. A number of small mimi-buses were apparently ready and waiting for us- laid on by our lovely bus company. We were crammed on board along with a large group of english backpackers and their German-Austrian companions. In this environment Eddie and I met some really decent people.

We filled in Bolivian immigration papers (not easy crammed in the back of a minibus bumping along at 40 mph) and then found that we would have to switch buses again. We pulled up in a frontier town consisting of one street which led up to a stone archway, beyond which was Bolivia. Having had our visas stamped by surley Peruvian officials we walked, bags on our backs, through the cold morning rain, across the boarder and into Bolivia. Here we found a very similar border settlement, the only purpose of which seemed to be the housing of Bolivian border control and the fleecing of tired, confused travellers. Again we were herded onto mimibuses (again laid on by the bus company) which took us the rest of the way to Copacabana (about 15-20 minutes).

I have to say I really enjoyed this leg of our journey. Crossing an isolated frontier on foot has always been somthing I dreamed of doing and it made the experience that much more real.

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Comments

[Mum]

Crossing Frontier
I'm glad to hear you crossed the border safely without any hitches! Everything you do sounds so exciting! Keep sending the wonderful blogs.