and paradise it certainly is! After being welcomed by the glinting deep blue azure water of the world's highest navigatable lake at 3800m, I was further treated to bright sunny days, amazing cloud formations, pre-inca terraces and temples, tasty trucha (trout) and some of my most tranquil days for a long time.
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| Isla del Sol |
Copacabana sits just 8kms from the Peru/Bolivia border and although I had outstayed my visa, I couldn't resist enjoying the town with it's colourful car blessings, church services that were broadcast on loudspeaker, trout and kingfish on every market stand and restaurant, and gorgeous bay setting.
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| Cars lining up outside the cathedral in Copa to be blessed |
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Cerro Santa Barbara in Copa - with offerings to Pachamama
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Even more luring was the Isla del Sol, the island which the Incas and local indigenous believed was the birthplace of the sun and first Incas. I ended up on the Isla for 3 days; hiking north to south and around the bays, getting up pre sunrise to be treated to a magical morning, having quiet candlelit dinners after a glorious sunset, getting taken back to Australia with the scent of eucalyptus and learning about the local Aymara people and traditions. I also had loads of time to think, ponder where my travels were taking me and finally start reading a book in Spanish (Paulo Coelho's Once Minutos).
I don't think I can quite describe the wonderful experiences I had, so I'm going to revert to some pictures to relay the gloriousness of it all.
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| Northern part of Isla del Sol |
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| Ruins of Chincana |
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| Pre inca terraces - still used today |
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| Before sunrise... |
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| The quality of light just before sunrise was stunning - looking back to the mainland |
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| Ending with this glorious sunrise |
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| Let's go fly a kite... up to the ... |
I left Copa this morning, sad to leave the enigmatic owner of the hostal Mery - who I had great chats about Bolivian politics with, learnt about local remedies and mused about travelling. Crossing the border was surprisingly pain free - the Bolivian officials actually reduced! the overstaying visa fine and kindly ignored that I had actually overstayed my visa much more because I had previously been in Bolivia. The Peruvian officals were not quite as simpatico - but after trying to get a bribe for the fact I didn't have an international drivers licence (not that I need one!) shooed me out the door.
So now I'm in Puno - and had the BEST shower in 3 months... NO electric shower head meaning LOADS of hot hot water, decent pressure and.... da dah! a shower curtain! It was divine. Off to perhaps try the local speciality of guinea pig?? or perhpas not... but. Lago Titicaca, thank you! a most idyllic end to a wonderful 3 (ahem 3.5) months in Bolivia.
Hello Peru!
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| Romantic dinner of trucha for one |
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| Looking towards the township of Yumani |
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| Sooo cute! This little donkey hadn't quite got the hang of it's long legs yet |
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