This past weekend, we journeyed 11 hours by a combination of bus and ferry in the bitter cold to reach Lake Titicaca. The excursion was off to a rough start when Bolivianos kept trying to oust us from our assigned seats on the bus at the first stop outside Cochabamba. We decided to pretend to be asleep to get them to go away, only to have them bring the conductor up to move us. And then we discovered that we were stupid and had gotten on the wrong bus. No worries, though. It was the correct company and destination, so we had made an honest mistake. Luckily the bus we were supposed to be on was right behind us, so we moved without a problem.
After a sleepless night on the bus, we were met upon arrival to the lake by our tour guide and immediately began our long list of activities. We enjoyed a typical Bolivian lunch in the center of Copacabana, followed by a boat trip (yes…more traveling) to Sun Island. The Aymara people, natives of Sun Island, greeted us by charging us to use the bathroom and take pictures of their llamas. We then climbed what seemed like a million stairs, which was no easy feat considering the fact that we were 12,000 feet above sea level. The hike was worth the effort, though, for the gorgeous view of the lake and other islands. Plus, now our lungs are so conditioned we could probably return to South Carolina and run a marathon with minimal effort. Our tour guide took us across the island explaining how the lake got its name, the history of the Aymara people, and the ancient Incan culture of the island. Along our trek, we passed countless donkeys, sheep, and llamas (who thankfully did not spit at us). Our guide explained that the donkeys are used to transport water, food, and other products up and down the mountain. He said that the llamas are less plentiful on the island because they are not as useful. “You cannot give the llamas more than 20 kilos. If you do, they sit, don’t walk, and spit everywhere.” At the end of our hike, we reached the summer palace of the Incan king; Henry and Paige had a bit of trouble trying to fit through the short doorways. After our tour, we hopped back on the boat to head back to Copacabana. Our guide took us to our totally awesome hotel, which was far from city center but overlooked the entire city and the lake. Plus, the hotel room had hammocks and a loft, where Rachel happily volunteered to sleep. We spent the evening exploring the city and buying souvenirs, followed by an early night back to the hotel to sleep off the countless hours of travel.
On Sunday morning, we ate the biggest breakfast known to man and then met with our tour guide to go see the Catholic Church. Bolivianos travel from all over the country to pray to the Saint Copacabana. Outside of the church, cars, trucks, and busses lined up to be blessed by the priest. They all decorate their cars with flowers and ribbons, and the priest comes around and splashes water on the cars and their passengers, blessing them for safe journeys. Finally, we wandered up and down the streets, which turn into a gigantic outdoor market during the day, haggling for the best price on Alpaca goods. In the afternoon, we started our long, uncomfortable, and exceptionally smelly voyage back to Cochabamba, arriving home at 1 a.m….exhausted.
We’ll fill you in on our latest hospital adventures tomorrow.
After a sleepless night on the bus, we were met upon arrival to the lake by our tour guide and immediately began our long list of activities. We enjoyed a typical Bolivian lunch in the center of Copacabana, followed by a boat trip (yes…more traveling) to Sun Island. The Aymara people, natives of Sun Island, greeted us by charging us to use the bathroom and take pictures of their llamas. We then climbed what seemed like a million stairs, which was no easy feat considering the fact that we were 12,000 feet above sea level. The hike was worth the effort, though, for the gorgeous view of the lake and other islands. Plus, now our lungs are so conditioned we could probably return to South Carolina and run a marathon with minimal effort. Our tour guide took us across the island explaining how the lake got its name, the history of the Aymara people, and the ancient Incan culture of the island. Along our trek, we passed countless donkeys, sheep, and llamas (who thankfully did not spit at us). Our guide explained that the donkeys are used to transport water, food, and other products up and down the mountain. He said that the llamas are less plentiful on the island because they are not as useful. “You cannot give the llamas more than 20 kilos. If you do, they sit, don’t walk, and spit everywhere.” At the end of our hike, we reached the summer palace of the Incan king; Henry and Paige had a bit of trouble trying to fit through the short doorways. After our tour, we hopped back on the boat to head back to Copacabana. Our guide took us to our totally awesome hotel, which was far from city center but overlooked the entire city and the lake. Plus, the hotel room had hammocks and a loft, where Rachel happily volunteered to sleep. We spent the evening exploring the city and buying souvenirs, followed by an early night back to the hotel to sleep off the countless hours of travel.
On Sunday morning, we ate the biggest breakfast known to man and then met with our tour guide to go see the Catholic Church. Bolivianos travel from all over the country to pray to the Saint Copacabana. Outside of the church, cars, trucks, and busses lined up to be blessed by the priest. They all decorate their cars with flowers and ribbons, and the priest comes around and splashes water on the cars and their passengers, blessing them for safe journeys. Finally, we wandered up and down the streets, which turn into a gigantic outdoor market during the day, haggling for the best price on Alpaca goods. In the afternoon, we started our long, uncomfortable, and exceptionally smelly voyage back to Cochabamba, arriving home at 1 a.m….exhausted.
We’ll fill you in on our latest hospital adventures tomorrow.
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