Adventures in Copacabana...

August 9, 2007

I woke up around 7 am. It was cold. I was dog tired. But, I had to be by the lakeshore by 8:15 to depart on un barco to the island of the sun – la isla del sol. I would return by 4 or 5 on the same boat. I hurried myself up, skipped a shower, though, it was too cold to get wet and would require too much energy. I packed up my gear and headed downstairs to check out and get a quick breakfast. I stayed at Hotel Utama for 10 US per night, which is actually steep for the area. The most expensive hotel in Copa costs 38 US per night. At the time, however, I was so jet lagged I just wanted a bed and this was the first place I spotted. Breakfast was buenisimo and included so era muy buenisimo. I arrived at the shore by 8:10 and spotted Katerine, my German friend from the day before. She was also headed to la isla, but to a different part of the island and was to stay 2 nights there. I boarded the top of the platform of the barco “Titicaca” along with many other tourists. I think, in fact, there were only tourists aboard. Copacabana is a very touristy location. The last thing I wanted was to be in the midst of a group of gringos hiking, but it all worked out.

The boat ride was 1.5 hours and only covered a portion of the massive Lake Titicaca. The views were magnificent – mini islands popping up everywhere and the grand snow covered Andes in the far background. Our boat ride took us only several hundred feet from Peru as well. The boat was filled with mostly Europeans – some English lads and ladies, a group of private school kids, some Germans, some stinky Frenchmen – and 2 other Americans. One, an undergrad from Duke, whose name I didn’t catch, was working for the summer in Santiago, Chile. The other lad – Bill – was a newly retired linguistic professor from Indiana University. He was originally from the boogie down Bronx, holla! He was a talker though. Very interesting, but a talker. He speaks like 5 languages, had lived in Bulgaria, France, Mali, Russia, and extensively traveled throughout Spanish speaking countries. For the last 5 years he has traveled for 2 months (every 6 months) in 2 Spanish speaking countries. This was his second trip to Bolivia in as many years.

We finally arrived to la isla del sol and there were a couple of options. 1) there was a tour guided hike – NO. 2) you could check out the museum and Incan ruins with a guide – NO. 3) or, you could high tail it on your own on the hiking trails and hope to make it back to the pick up point by 3:45. Now, that’s more like it, I thought. Okay, I didn’t have a real map or a watch, but I figured I’d be miserable with the first two options. It’s cool meetin’ folk, but I dig just hiking solo. You know it’s that time I acquire my deep thoughts. HA! I joke with Jazzy that sometimes my thoughts are so deep you need a life vest so you don’t drown (which is complete rubbish). Here’s one I recently came up with. Hand sanitizer is so great. You can literally blow your nose in your hands and simply apply the sanitizer. You are not only keeping clean, but helping the planet by saving excess paper use. Don’t drown…

I wasn’t sure quite where to go, but I just continued to ask people on the island, “donde esta el paseo a Yumani,” and I was able to find my way. Que bonito paseo. The day was warming up. The cool thing is that even though it’s chilly, you’re so high and closer to the sun that being in the sun warms you up. Yes, Ma, I wore sunscreen. It was a beautiful journey. It took me along the shore for a bit, which had crystal clear water, frigid, yes, but beautiful. The trail then ascended to an area where there were more Incan ruins. It supposedly cost money, but at this point I slowed my roll and joined the large tour group and with them evaded the entry fee. I felt bad about it later though and paid a senorita dressed in traditional Incan garb to take her photo. The ruins were cool, but nothing compared to the scene at Peru’s Machu Picchu, so I have heard. The ruins were of an old ancient market overlooking mountains and the lake. There was also a large stone table that was used for various ceremonies, though it’s uncertain what ceremonies exactly. Some claim it was to behead wrongdoers while others claim it was an area to offer a sacrifice to the gods.

One very interesting aspect about Copacabana and the areas surrounding the lake is the religion of the people. Most are Catholic due to the spread of the religion in the 16th century. Supposedly in 1583 un hombre named Tito Yupanqui had a dream that a new belief in God was going to arrive and vuala, a couple of years later the Catholic priests arrived. There’s a huge statue of Yupanqui at the town’s Cathedral and story plates on the door depicting the events of the arrival of Christianity. But, Catholicism really began to flourish when the cathedral elected the Virgen Calandaria as the patron saint. After this, in the early 17th century, there were numerous claims of miraculous happenings. Despite the conversion, however, much of the Incan religious traditions remained in the lake region. It’s a sacred place to many people and la isla del sol is to many Incans the location of the creation story. Incan tradition believes the sun was born there and from that life was. This, however, is not solely an Incan history, it’s an Ayamara history, which is another tribe and is somehow connected to the Incans though I’m not quite sure how. There are other Incan idols in this part as well – the moon, who is married to the sun, and the earth mother Pachamama. There’s somehow a connection between the 2 religions in this region, though it’s not exactly clear as of yet how. It’s very interesting and intriguing, however, to learn more about.

Bueno, pues, vamos. After stopping briefly at the Incan ruins I continued on the trek. It began to get difficult because of the increased altitude. This island is above 4000 m and the air began to get thin. It’s a weird feeling. Your mind says go, but your body says no, not enough O2. I walked at a much slower pace than usual. It was okay though, because the views were spectacular. The view to the Andes was crystal clear. It must have been a view of several hundred miles. I continued along this trail for a good 2 hours and began to get a bit worried when at a stop point a Bolivian senorita selling gloves and such said my destination was another 2.5 hours! I wasn’t expecting this long a hike and didn’t want to miss the boat pick up for I would be stuck on the island por la noche. I was relieved though when minutes later 3 Bostonians passed me and said I had an hour more to walk.

I finally arrived to the beginning of Yumani and a small Bolivian girl comes up to me. “Sacar mi foto, por favor.” This meant take my picture and pay me money. The problem was, though, I didn’t have any change. I told her so and she said, “chachabamba.” I didn’t understand. “Bombo.” I still didn’t get it. “Dulce.” Sweets, oh! I didn’t have any. This conversation was going nowhere. Finally, I went New York on her. I said, all right, chica, I ain’t got no change, no candy, but an American quarter and 2 Mexican pesos with your name written all over it. Esta bien, she said. I took the photo of Gabriela and she was all smiles. I continued through Yumani and ate at a restaurant on a cliff overlooking the beach and the Andes. I made it to the 3:45 boat ride just in time.

On the ride home I sat next to a group of high school English kids who were all adolescent giggles. They raved about Ali G and Monty Python and we talked trash about Bush.

The boat returned to Copa by 5:30. I went back to my hotel to grab my bag to check into a less expensive place. I found a hostel on the main street – 6 de Agosto – for 15 bolivianos, which is 2 US dollars. I was tired, but wanted to stay up a bit. I found this little Bohemian coffee shop and sat down to do some writing and more deep thinking. I think I hurt myself trying to deep think. Don’t try it without a parachute or larium.