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Anna S. E. Lundberg

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At the Copa, Copacabana: Lake Titicaca, Bolivia style

1 July, 2013 By Anna S E Lundberg Leave a Comment

To cross the border from Peru into Bolivia, we needed to queue at two different places on the Peruvian side and then at a third place on the Bolivian side. To enter this new country, we had to pay a tax of… one Boliviano (7 BOBs = 1 USD). Well worth the admin costs, I’m sure.

In Copacabana, Lonely Planet recommends a “splurge” on Las Olas, an unusual hotel with cabins shaped like seashells and turtles. Unfortunately, this was already full when I emailed, but I got a room at neighbouring La Cupula, which had the same postcard views over the bay. I was joined by a Danish couple and an Italian guy who I’d met on the bus, and we had a nice relaxing lunch down by the lake.

The town itself is small, with not a lot to do. I followed the trail up to the Horca del Inca, supposedly an Incan astronomical observatory. As with the deserted ruins I’d visited in Peru, I grew nervous as I climbed further and further away from the town and its people. At one point I saw a man sitting on a rock above, talking into his phone as he observed me, and I almost turned back; when I got to that same rock, he was gone. I climbed and climbed, and eventually got right up to the top, where I met a couple of Americans and Canadians. They told me I’d gone way past the observatory; but the views were fabulous, so I wasn’t sorry to have made the extra effort. On the way down, Jeff from Chicago (who in fact was living in Copacabana since two years, sponsored by the Methodist Church to build greenhouses for the local community) showed me the observatory. He explained that it was not actually Incan, but dated back to the 14th century BC. It consisted of a man-made ‘window’ through which the sun’s rays would shine and hit another rock on the winter solstice of 21st June.

I decided on a day trip to Isla del Sol, said to have been the birthplace of the first Inca, Manco Cápac, who was the son of Inti, the sun god. It was a two-hour boat ride in the freezing cold and rain, but I had faith that the sky would clear, as it had done on the previous day. I fell asleep on the boat, to the dulcet tones of two attractive French men sitting opposite me, and when I woke up the sun had indeed emerged for our arrival to the island of the sun. The first place to visit was the Museo del Oro, a gold museum where I saw not an ounce of gold but just the usual bones and ceramics. Next, along the beach and up to the archaeological sites of the north end of the island. Then you could take the boat down to the south end of the island but I opted to walk, stopping to eat my packed lunch from the hostel and to enjoy the views. It was a three-hour walk with panoramic views over the lake and across to the mainland. Towards the end, I was joined by two local dogs who followed me all the way to the harbour.

The next morning in Copacabana, it was raining. Time to leave. The bus ticket office very cleverly had a sparkling new double decker bus permanently stationed out in front, while the actual bus we would be taking to La Paz was smaller and rather more rundown. The views as we went along the lake were incredible. Also quite incredible was the experience of crossing the lake: the passengers went in a little boat, while the bus was shipped across on a raft. While I worried about my backpack that was still aboard the bus, we all made it safely across in one piece, and continued on to the capital.20130630-224023.jpgFrom Peru to Bolivia
20130630-224213.jpgMusic and passion were always the fashion…
20130630-224314.jpgPosing after a tough climb up to, and beyond, the Horca del Inca
20130630-224637.jpgA lovely boat ride to the island of the sun

20130630-224821.jpg…but the Isla del Sol lived up to its name when we arrived

20130630-224929.jpgCommencing the walk to the northern part of the island

20130630-225119.jpgThe Stone Table, a place of sacrifice

20130630-225335.jpgThe Chicana ruins

20130630-225602.jpgThe Incan steps at the southern end of the island

20130630-225759.jpgWould you want to be the driver on that bus?

20130630-225925.jpgA first glimpse of La Paz, the highest capital city in the world

Filed Under: Bolivia, Travel Tagged With: Bolivia, Isla del Sol, La Cupula, La Paz, Lake Titicaca, South America, travel

From Cusco to Puno: The Peruvian side of Lake Titicaca

30 June, 2013 By Anna S E Lundberg 2 Comments

From Cusco, I took the Inka Express bus for tourists, recommended by the Swiss man on my Galapagos cruise and by Lonely Planet. This meant that I wasn’t allowed to sleep on the journey as I would have liked, but instead we were herded off to see some church or ruin every hour or so. The guide was a charming man who looked like the French guy who lures Liam Neeson’s daughter into human trafficking in the movie Taken. “Mi nombre es Hugo. Cómo Hugo Boss. O Hugo Chávez. Jajaja.” He gave the exact same spiel in English as in Spanish.

On the way, we saw many of the non-native eucalyptus trees, imported from Australia to stop soil erosion but now planted everywhere as a cheap and profitable crop. Unfortunately in disregard of the fact that these thirsty trees are sucking the soil dry and in a few years time they won’t be biologically or economically feasible anymore. It was snowing at the highest point on the route, and the unfortunate souls who were bravely manning the artisan stalls had to cover them up and, I’m sure, did not do good business that day. In the communities at this high altitude, we were told, life expectancy is very low. This is due to the climate, their poor diet (they kept livestock but only to sell, while they stick to a very monotonous vegetarian diet), and the use of lama dung as fuel in houses with no windows. Community properties (previously under a feudal system) lack the titles to prove ownership, so the government could take the resources of these areas whenever they want to. The most important promise, therefore, that a politician in this area can make is to award these titles; but the inhabitants have been waiting 30 years for these promises to be fulfilled. Families have 4-6 children, as they need the labour, and education is limited though legally compulsory up to the age of 16. Education, as I’ve been repeatedly told by earnest locals, is the key to economic development and equality.

As we approached our destination, we passed through the commercial centre of Juliaca, strategically located between Cusco, Puno, and Arequipa, and close to the Bolivian border, and as such a centre of contraband trade. Puno, in fact, wasn’t a whole lot nicer, though more geared towards tourists. The main attraction is a visit to one of the islands, and in particular the unusual Islas de los Uros. The Uros are a pre-Incan people who live on manmade islands created from totora reed, originally built as a defensive measure against their aggressive neighbours.

The boat I took had some rather serious engineering problems but eventually we arrived at the island of Chumi. Five families make this island their home, with a president to lead them. In total, there are 2,000 Aymara-speaking inhabitants on 80 different islands. There is a small hospital and there are three primary schools, but for secondary education the children must travel to the mainland. On the capital island, there are even hotels. “No hay discoteca. No hay internet.” The principal activity is fishing; on the mainland, 1kg of fish can be exchanged for 2kg of potatoes. The people here also hunt birds and eat the meat – better than chicken, apparently. For entertainment, they play football and volleyball – but not basketball. And their weddings last for two days, with people coming all the way from Cusco and Arequipa to get married here.

From the small island of Chumi, we were told that we could also make a special visit to the capital island, for an additional, but apparently not optional, cost. As we left Chumi in one of the traditional boats (less traditionally powered by a small boat behind us with an engine), three women said their goodbyes. They sang a local song, followed by Row, row, row your boat, and finally Vamos a la playa. No commercialism here. We had a lovely boat ride after which we were dumped on a small patch of totora reed with an artisan shop, a restaurant, and a toilet. This must have been the ghetto of the capital. We all stood around there for an hour until the captain decided we would be allowed back to Puno.

The next day, I left Peru for the Bolivian side of Lake Titicaca.

20130629-200243.jpgPhoto opportunity at the highest point on the journey from Cusco to Puno

20130629-200548.jpgOn the boat to the Islas de los Uros

20130629-200628.jpgShould the engine be smoking like that?

20130629-200831.jpgThe island of Chimu

20130629-201221.jpg“Bang! Bang! This is how we shoot the tourists.” Haha.

20130629-201415.jpgOur boat to the capital

20130629-201737.jpgAdiós Peru!

Filed Under: Peru, Travel Tagged With: Aymara, Cusco, Lake Titicaca, Peru, Puno, South America, travel, Uros

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