Lago Titicaca

Lago Titicaca

Getting out of La Paz was diabolical. After weaving through the narrow downtown streets and picking up everyone and their dog along the way, we slowly rambled up to El Alto. From there, ten lines (not lanes) of traffic turned into one exit lane in the middle of an intersection and oddly enough a market. We listened to blaring horns for the next thirty minutes on the way through one “decorative” traffic light. After some more anger and disorganization from all directions we finally broke free from the masses and found ourselves on a fairly decent road. 

En route to Copacabana

The rural route to Copacabana was quite scenic. The first half of our drive featured snow-capped mountains to our right and farmland dotted with huts, livestock and more mountains to our left. The second half was mostly spent hugging the shores of the beautiful Lake Titicaca.    

Copacabana Cathedral

We arrived in Copacabana in the afternoon and had little trouble finding a place to stay. There was no shortage of accommodation in this tourist ready town. After some haggling, we dropped our gear at option number four.

Isla transporte

The next day we took Transporte Lacustre to Isla del Sol. Our "lackluster" craft creaked and groaned and fed us a steady diet of gas fumes, but it eventually got us to our destination.

Terrazas del Inca

Our hike started at the north end of Isla del Sol. We headed down the beach, past the hippies to the trail head. Within a few minutes we were weaving around donkeys, pigs and sheep as the trail meandered along the water and through a few small farms. We enjoyed the unique surroundings of Inca terrace farming combined with great views of the lake as we worked our way to the first Archaeological site.          

Isla del Sol

Chuletas de puerco

Traversing Isla del Sol is like driving down route 5 in Chile. Each time you get up to speed you have to pull over and pay a toll. After entering the "central territory", the trail took us along a high ridgeline that gave us the perfect vantage point to see all that was happening around us. Similarly to the mainland, tending to livestock is also part of life for many on the island.        

Escaleras del Inca

$7 got us a rustic, but private room in Yumani. We had a decent meal with friends from England and Spain before returning to our hostel to play cards. The next day started with us knocking on random doors in an attempt to pay someone for the lodging. We eventually succeeded and set out to visit the remainder of the island. The southern attractions included a handful of ruins, a fountain and the Inca steps which descend to the water.