Copacabana (15 - 20 May 2008)
‘Her name was Lola, she was a dancer…’ Unfortunately, the Copacabana is not the one in Brazil from this famous song. This Copacabana is a Bolivian border town at Lake Titicaca, known for delicious trout dishes and trips to the lake’s islands.
It was a mission to get from Sorata to Copacabana. We had to get a minibus from Sorata to Huarina, wait next to the road for a bus to Tiquina, take a boat over the lake and at last, take a taxi to Copacabana. Luckily we met Lester (UK) and Camilla (Sweden) in Sorata who were going the same way and we hooked up to share the transportation cost.
We arrived around 13:00 and went on a hostel search. I love arriving in a new town; we kind of follow the same ‘itinerary’ every time - find accommodation, venture into town to see the main sights and familiarise ourselves with the surroundings and then relax the rest of the day. We settled in a sunny room in Hostal Colonial and then head to the main plaza, 2 de Febrero to see the impressive Catedral. Later that afternoon, we set out to Cerro Calvario to watch the sun set over Lake Titicaca.
We were planning to stay in Copacabana for about three days, just enough time to visit Isla del Sol. There are many historic Inka sites scattered over the island and the views are said to be amazing, so we decided to do a two-day hike on the island. So on day two we worked our way to the island with a taxi and then a boat. I had developed a cold and struggled up the hills to the point where I just did not want to punish myself anymore. I decided to return to mainland Copacabana in the afternoon, while Eon, Lester and Camilla continued as planned.
We started the trek at Yumani, on the Southern end of the island, working our way up the eastern side. When I returned, Eon and co continued trekking. They returned the next day, Eon also with a nasty cold. I can only say that the pictures looked interesting and the views did look amazing
Now what is nicer than taking a few days off, stay in bed and watch cable TV? I know, doing it without a blocked nose and aching throat! We were really ‘out of play’ for about three days with the cold. The most exciting part of the three days (except for the hours of Two and a Half Men episodes) was the trip to the pharmacy. On the way, we came across the ‘Blessing of the Cars’ ceremony in the main plaza. This is a ritual that happens one weekend a month where the priests bless the vehicles (mostly taxis) to keep them safe on the road. The cars, covered in flowers and all kinds of glittery paraphernalia, all line up in front of the cathedral. The priest does some kind of prayer/blessing and then the car gets sprayed with champagne, beer or Coke - probably depending on the owner’s budget. You probably wonder why I take my camera with to the pharmacy? Because you always need to be prepared… in these countries the best things happen when you do not have your camera at hand!
Another interesting happening was when I discovered a big screw in my rice at dinner. I was stunned, how does this happen? Of all the weird and wonderful things we had in our food (ants, cockroaches, flies, unknown bugs, hair, toilet paper…) the screw puzzles me the most because I just cannot understand how it got there!
When we finally felt up to it, we booked a bus to Peru. I was sad to leave Bolivia, I really enjoyed it here. But knowing that lower altitudes and many adventure activities awaited us in Peru lifted my spirits and it was off to country number 13!
Click on the image below to view the gallery for Copacabana: