Lake Titicaca

Copacabana

On Wednesday, we (Carley, Garry, Nate, Matias, Kasia, Lisa and I) got up rather early and took a seemingly very nice tour bus to Copacabana, which is on the southwest shore of Lake Titicaca. We sort of got fumigated but La Paz pollution and/or bus exhaust fumes for the entire ride, but other than that, I really enjoyed it because we got an excellent view of the La Paz and the countryside. The city is HUGE and incredibly hilly because it's in a very steep valley, with several beautiful mountain peaks in the distance, so it was enjoyable to look at as long as you don't look at the ground or any water features, which are covered in trash. Once we got out of the city, the landscape became pretty flat and very dry. There is not a lot of green here since it's the middle of “winter.” (I wish Seattle winters were this warm!) At one point in the drive, we had to get off the bus and take a boat across a strait (we were also fumigated on this trip from the two-stroke motor) while our bus was ferried across by a long, low boat. Very sketchy. The rest of the bus ride was absolutely beautiful because we could see the lake, which I am in love with. I could spend an entire vacation just sitting and watching the water throughout the day as the sky/sun reflections gradually change. I highly recommend that if you're ever in Bolivia, you come here.
Copacabana, our destination, was far more touristy than anywhere else we'd been thus far in Bolivia, so it was really weird to see so many other white people and permenant hippies who sit on the road and try to sell weird foods and jelwerly that they made while working our growing out the dreadlocks. There were also a ton of small booths with beautiful textiles and I've had to exerise significant self control to not purchase anything yet because I absolutely do not have room in the backpack I brought with me (I think 40 liters would be perfect for traveling; 30 is just a bit too small). We spend some time wandering around the town and then climbed up one of the large hills/small mountains on the edge of town, which had stunning views of the water. I probably would have spent the rest of the day sitting at the top but I was with other people who eventually suggested we continue exploring and get food, which are certainly reasonable options. We had an absolutely fantastic dinner based on Lonely Planet's suggestion (that is my guidebook), and although it took about three hours, plus an hour wait outside playing cards since the restaurant wasn't open yet, it was definitely worth it. A typically meal (and by typical, I mean the standard meal that you have to work pretty hard to avoid) is soup, probably quinoa with carrots, beans, and salt, and then a meat (trout, chicken, or beef), with rice, french fries, and a few vegetables. This is fine but it does get a bit old and I can't wait to come home and eat delicious and healthy salads!! Anyway, this restaurant had better food so I had a top-notch quinoa/veggie side and excellent trout (trout is definitely a specialty for the lake region) and as a group we also had great hot chocolate, wine, pasta, and cognac-soaked bananas drenched in chocolate sauce. Normally, one puts just a bit of alcohol on the bananas and it cooks out, but not these ones. This was definitely our most expensive meal thus far, but so worth it. The next morning we fulfilled one of Garry's goals, which was to go swimming in Lake Titicaca. It actually wasn't as cold as I was expecting, even though we're at about 12,000 feet. It wasn't bathwater by any means, but I did enjoy it (for the 30 seconds I was in the water). We also met another one of Garry's goals, which was to buy a charango, a small 12-stringed guitar-like traditional instrument. I took a video of the guy playing it but it would take a year to upload it from here, so you'll have to wait until I come home to see it! I'm really tempted to buy one for myself. They are sweet.
Carley and Garry then left for La Paz, since they had the first tickets back home, and the rest of us climbed up a different hill/mountain to what was supposedly a pre-Incan astronomical observatory; we didn't find any ruins but we did have another great view and we spend an hour or two just relaxing in the sun and enjoying the lake. Food did eventually call to us, though and we had dinner where we had lunch, at a Mexican-ish Bolivian restaurant which served higher-quality versions of the boring tradition meals as well as other food. They took a liking to us since we came back in the same day, so we got a free plate of nachos, made with Doritos (Oh, Bolivia). They were still good, though. We also enjoyed a DVD of a George Michaels concert in London and all walked out of the restaurant thinking we might buy a CD of his. The food was, as we expected, excellent; I had vegetarian tacos with guacamole for lunch and dinner and was quite pleased, and everyone else's food that I sampled was equally as good.

Isla del Sol

On Friday morning we took a boat to the Island of the Sun, which is the main destination from Copacabana. It was a somewhat chilly ride at 8:30am, but quite beautiful. We also got a fantastic view of the Cordilleras, which are a mountain range that runs through Bolivia (and maybe farther?) I've taken about a million pictures of the biggest peaks, so hopefully a few turn out well. The island is about an hour away from Copacabana, so by the time we left a bit late, made a stop at the other end of the island, and then got off on the north end, it had warmed up outside, which I appreciated. We had our basic lunch and marveled at the number of tourists who all arrived at the same time we did, as the boats seem to run on a regular schedule. So many gringos. Then we spend much of the rest of the day walking across the island. First, we went to the northern tip and saw several Incan ruins. I don't really need to see any more ruins for at least 10 years after seeing so many in Greece, but I did enjoy being outside and taking pictures of the lake framed by various window and door frames. I was also completely surprised by the number of incredible beaches on the island. Most of the Isla del Sol is, at the moment, very sunny and very dry. There are some plants, but most of what we had seen thus far was rock/sand/dirt and hardy plants which like arid weather. The beaches, though, were more like what I saw in Greece (not quite as good though so don't worry). We walked from the north to the south end which we think was about 8km, and somehow I still do not feel acclimated at all. It was very enjoyable, though, and I was really happy to be moving around instead of sitting at either a restaurant or in a vehicle all the time. Also, my backpack's mesh back/frame did a good job of keeping me cool, which I was pleased by. Eventually we made it to the south end, where the town sits on and spills over the crest of the island, so there were spectacular view of water on both sides, and the Cordillera mountains in the late afternoon light. We stayed at a hotel which costs B$25 a night, which is under $4 USD, so it's not exactly fancy, but that's basically free so I'm not complaining. I might splurge more for the next hotel though. I would like to have soap and a wall outlet, for example. Still, we have a killer view which is fantastic.
We were all starving so we picked the first restaurant with a good view of the mountains and had our typically Bolivian meal, which satisfied my expectations. I was so hungry that I even ate the french fries and some of the rice. I should note that for this kind of meal, the french fries and really thick cuts, extremely greasy, and often undercooked. Luckily, they were find tonight. We had panqueques for dessert, which seem to vary between thick crepes and thin-medium pancakes. We waited probably 30 minutes after ordering dessert to actually receive it, which was excruciating, but so worth it because they were delicious and had chocolate and banana inside. My diet is absolutely atrocious here (Karstin, you would be soo proud). I have eaten a ton of dessert/candy, even more gross starchy food, and very few vegetables. Eating real food (with flavors other than salt!) will be nice.