Trip to Bolivia

Wow; six months already!  The time has flown by!

In order to update my maximum six month tourist visa, I needed to leave the country and re-enter.  Bolivia is the closest, and by far the cheapest place to go.  So I took a week to head to La Paz, Bolivia, getting to see some of the main attractions along the way. 

The first leg was from Cusco to Puno, a 9 hour bus ride, which stopped at four main attractions including a tour of a huge cathedral in Andahuaylillas (which I have seen previously), the Inca ruins of Raqchi, buffet lunch inclusive at Sicuani, and a museum in Pukara, a town that specializes in ceramics and its origins that date back to 1600 years BC .

Ancient ruins of an Inca temple in Raqchi, 118 kms from Cusco

Buffet place in Sicuani (which did not serve alpaca meat)

Lake Titicaca

Lake Titicaca is a huge lake on the border, a length of 190 kms or 58 000 squared kms, 60% of which is in Peru and 40% in Bolivia.  There are 35 islands on the lake, as well as 60 man-made floating islands.  The floating islands were first constructed in defense of or to hide from the invading Spaniards.  I found it really interesting that although the islands are all on the same Lake, some of them traditionally speak the Quechua language and others the Aymara language.  Although similar, culture varies from island to island and from surrounding community to community.

The floating island of Uros is supported by 5 families, as is general for each floating community.  We were greeted by the families in their traditional attire (still generally worn all the time) and with a mini-demonstration and explanation of how the islands are created and maintained, which I found fascinating.  The islands are made from reeds that float on square meter blocks of earth that the reeds grow on.  Fresh layers of reeds are placed over the island every week in order to keep it floating and maintained.  Most of the islands have a little fishing pond in the center where they can catch a variety of 5 different fish from the lake.  The white part of the reeds which they use to build their islands and homes can also be eaten, and is still quite a staple, having a consistancy somewhat like celery but tasting distinct from anything I've ever had.  Drinking water is gathered from the lake and purified with tablets.  The islands are held in place by anchors and are possible to be cut and separated, which has happened due to family disputes.  Some of the islands, such as Uros, have small solar panels for their homes, which have been donated in recent years, so that they can have light after dark, watch tv or listen to the radio.   They do have toilets, which are flushed back into the lake below.    The island people are still quite traditional, and rely to a huge degree on tourism, selling their hand-made products, tours of their islands and rides in the reed-built boats. There are schools and even seventh day Adventist, evangelical churches and mormonism on the islands.

UROS ISLAND

Typical community on a floating island

Miniature replica of an artifical island, sitting above a square meter block they use for keeping their islands afloat

Kitchen stove and pans

The women sending us off with a traditional song

Island of Amantani

Part of the tour was an overnight family stay on Amantani Island, including a good hike up the mountain to some ancient ruins and a beautiful view of the island and Titicaca Lake before sundown.  It is a beautiful island with rock fences bordering all of the pathways, homes and fields.  The family I stayed with have been hosting tourists in their home since the 80's.  The food was simple and meatless, the rooms also simply decorated but with normal mattresses and sheets and adorned with their traditional blankets.  All agriculture is still done by hand, and their are no machines or vehicles on the island.

The family home I stayed in for the night

Home-stay private room

Island of Amantani

Bolivia

The closest main stop across the border from Puno is Copacabana, a quaint little touristy-type town with a street lined with great restaraunts and little gift shops.  I had the best fried trout there!   From Copacabana traffic is routed across a channel and it's another five hours or so by bus to La Paz, a huge city, very underdeveloped and disorganized.  They still do not have bus stop signs and there were long line-ups of locals waiting for the buses up and down the streets, especially at night.   But, because the Boliviano currency is so low, (right now one Canadian dollar is 6.91 Bolivianos) it's a great place for outsiders to shop for good deals on electronics, clothes, and musical instruments. 

Transporting our bus accross the channel

Near Copacabana

Copacabana, Bolivia

La Paz, Bolivia

Before heading back over the border and getting an update on my visa, I got to see one more attraction along the way.  Also on Titicaca Lake, Island of the Sun is a quaint island also saturated in history and culture dating back to as early as 3rd millenium BC.  The terrain is very rocky, but pretty with rock pathways, terraced fields and the view of the waterfront.  The whole way from Puno to La Paz there were kids working in the tourism sector, operating the boats, or trying to sell homemade wares on the islands.  The kids on Isle del Sol were very insistant to get 'tips' of any photos taken of their island animals, and I was swarmed for a photo under a rock archway by a group of little kids.
Throughout all of this area, the people seem very industrious and work hard for their living, yet are content with the little they have.

Island of the Sun

A shot of Island of the Moon
from Isle del Sol

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The boy in this photo was quick to insist I pay after taking photos of his baby donkey

The kids who looked so casual prior, all swarmed in for this photo and then had hands out asking for 'tips'.  My 20 centimos for each one wasn't enough apparently, as they asked for 1 dollar each, or, since I didn't have any more change, bills would be okay too!

Our very casual, young boat operator from Isle del Sol back to Copacabana