October 21 & 22, 2006:
Over the weekend I had to cross over the Bolivian border to renew my visa. So with the help of the travel agent at my school I booked a trip to Copacabana, Bolivia. First, I took a bus late Friday night to the Peruvian town of Puno on the shores of Lake Titicaca. I arrived around 4AM but was able to sleep on the bus until 6AM. At that time I went into the bus station and waited for my bus to Copacabana which left at 8AM.
It was a beautiful ride around the lake...
...to the border where I went through the
formalities. I was in Bolivia!
It was then 8 kilometers to the town of
Copacobana nestled beneath the hills of the Andes and Lake Titicaca.
There was something exciting about being in a completely foreign country all by myself with no idea what I would do, where I would stay, what I would eat, etc. All I had was a return bus ticket for 1pm the next day. I even forgot to pack my guide book. So I set off first thing to find myself a place to sleep.
I found a hotel near the beach that looked nice. I asked how much it would be for one person for one night and they said 40 Bolivianos (less than $7) It included a nice room with a bit of a Lake view, a hot shower (with great pressure, it was the best shower I´ve had in weeks), and breakfast the next morning. They also said that check-out time was flexible which was a bonus. So I got my room, put down my stuff and headed off to explore. Copacabana isn´t a very big town but it was a little bit more laid back than Cusco and there were some fun things to see.
The first thing I did however was climb the gigantic hill right off to the side of the city. It was a steep climb but I got some beautiful views of the lakes with the jagged rocks of the hill.
When I got to the top there was an enormous shrine to some saint and a bunch of people selling religious paraphernalia and children´s toys.
There were people praying, lighting candles and doing other religious things. It was just a normal day in Bolivia and I realized it is true what they say about Bolivia being the folklore capital of South America.
After descending the hill I went for lunch at a restaurant overlooking the lake. I had fresh trout and it was excellent. I then went and browsed the shops and explored the town a little bit. I went back to my room and had a nap and then went back out to the town for some more strolling and looking for something interesting to buy.
I went for an evening walk along the beach at sunset and made it back into town for a Trout dinner (also excellent.) I was tired so I went back to my hotel and had a wonderful shower and read for a bit and then went to bed. I slept great.
The next day I slept in till 9Am and went down for breakfast. It was scrambled eggs, bread with jam, fresh banana juice and some chamomile tea. I then went out into town for a bit and wandered up to the enormous cathedral.
In front of the cathedral were a chaotic mass of cars all with rose pedals flung about them, wine being poured all over them, a priest blessing them and their owners and even some with a picture of some saint placed upon the engine block with rosaries being held over it. There was also all manner of Catholic paraphernalia being sold on the steps. It was crazy.
I was trying to think what part of the Bible this reminded me of.
I stepped inside the cathedral and found a great crowd there attending mass. I sat in for a few moments for a song and then left.
I found another great place for fresh trout for lunch (avoiding the first item on the menu)
...and then I went to where my bus would come and waited. It came and I had another pleasant ride over the border, around the lake, and back to Puno in Peru.
While on the bus one of the attendants asked me how long I´d be waiting in Puno. I told him that I would have a five hour layover there since we arrived at 3pm and my bus back to Cusco didn´t leave until 8pm. He suggested that I take a trip out to the famous floating islands of Lake Titicaca. For 25 soles I could get a taxi to the waterfront and back, passage on a small boat and an English speaking guide. Since the bus station isn´t very comfortable and there´s nothing else to do in Puno I decided to go.
So next thing I knew I was heading out to the Uros ¨Floating¨ Islands.
The indigenous people have been building them and living on them for hundreds of years. They are indeed floating islands made out of layers of moss and matted-down reeds.
Walking around on them felt almost like walking on a waterbed. We got off on one island and the guide explained to us more about the islands and their people. We got to then explore the tiny island and buy handicrafts from the residents.
One of the fun things about these islands were the birds. While the tour group was sitting around on reed "logs" listening to the tour guide a gregarious little heron jumped up on the log right beside me and started making a fuss.
He then hopped to the center of the group and squawked until the guide gave him some fish.
Also while exploring the island an over-aggressive seagull kept following me around pecking at my shoes and even my camera when I tried to get a closeup.
There were other birds hanging around as well...
Soon it began to rain and we headed back to Puno.
I got back to the bus station, had a bite to eat and then headed off on my bus to Cusco. I arrived at home at 3AM and slept. It had been a fun trip. Trout was eaten. Seagulls were photographed. A visa was renewed.
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