Lake Titicaca, Bolivian side

Our trip to Copacabana was quite an ordeal, but we scored a page full of stamps in our passport! The blockade was not lifted, so we bought bus tickets to Puno, Peru, instead. However, when we got to the bus station, ticket sellers were telling us we could get to Copacabana. However, the bus had to first enter Peru, then cross back into Boliva, taking at least twice as long as normal. However, we did really want to go to Copacabana (as it is the hottest spot north of Havana), so we ate the cost of our Puno tickets and bought new ones to Copacabana.

I also asked what the reason for the blockade is. As it stands, the road to Copacabana crosses a river. There is no bridge, so the villagers ferry people and vehicles across on wooden rafts. The government wants to build a bridge, but the raft captains don´t want to lose their livelihood, so they have blocked the road for more than a week now.

Anyway, it was totally worth the hassle. Our bus driver phoned ahead, so the ferry from Copacabana to the beautiful Isla del Sol waited for us, and we hopped on the boat as soon as we got off our bus. The Island is amazing. From the heights of the Island, you can see spectacular views of the the lake and surrounding Islands, as well as the carless villages located on it. Our hotel room had windows on three sides and was awesome! However, walking around was not easy. It is very hilly, and climbing up and down at 4000m tires you out quickly. We walked for three hours from the south side to the north side, and then I walked back by a different route while Evelyn took a boat. The funny thing about the Island is that, because of the blockade, there are not nearly as many tourists as usual. As a result, alot of the restaurants were closed, and those that were open don´t start preparing and food until you order it, and in some cases go out to buy the ingredients. The second night, we had to wait over an hour for our food, partially due to this, and partially due to a blackout. However, the cook perservered through the darkness and cooked us a delicious meal of corn soup and fresh fish.

After two days on the Island, we went back to the mainland yesterday, and caught a bus to Puno, Peru today. We have crossed over to our third country! It is Sunday, so everything is closed. However, we caught the tail end of a parade when we arrived, and are doing a tour of Lake Titicaca´s floating villages in an hour.