Copacabana & ilsa del sol

slight hitch getting to Copacabana, we were half way there but the locals insisted we wouldn't be able to pick up a collectivo and we travelled all the way back to La Paz much to our protest and disgruntlement only to go straight back the way we´d come, oh well one thing we have is time. None the less we saw some amazing stars (they are so low because of the height and quite unrecognisable but have never seen so many and the milky way so pronounced) and our first glance of an upside down moon- so pleasing, but also had to cope with the constant meowing of a kitten in a box we never got to see or stroke, tough man.

Copacabana a festive kind of place in a sea side kind of way (lots of dogs living the high life), swan shaped pedalos across the lake side mostly used by Bolivians on the special blessing days which they flock to from far and wide. They eat massive bags of popcorn while buying tiny miniature replicas of bags of corn, cars, money etc... then climb the mount to have them blessed with the unshakable belief that they will receive the full size versions in good time. All the cars get decorated and beer is used to wash the wheels as a form of spiritual insurance and no vehicles have actual insurance, all rather loopy.

had some barking dreams: prince Charles taking off his size 9 shoes to show he really had size 4 feet. Ricky Gervais (2 dreams) both times he was putting on really crap events and I was going to tell him off. one where cartoon characters turned into tiny people that were being adopted. one family thought they had poo bear but it turned out to be pedantic snoopy and they were none pleased, felt very sorry for him,

anyway....

We did our first hike around the shore and up on the cliffs of Lake Titicaca is was muy lindo. Really beautiful and peaceful the only people we saw were farmers still using oxen and hand ploughs.

It was a 4 hour hike (among other things found an amazing echoing canyon & crazy shrine) and at the end we got a funny guy to take us over to the island. He was a cheerful soul how kept going on about how he was in the lonely planet guide. He took us on a traditional reed boat to get to his motor boat, looked like it was a few years old and very saggy but amazingly buoyant.

At the Island we didn't have much time to get to the other bay to get the last boat back and the Inca paths were so meandering that we had to off road it directly down the terraces. It was a fast, dirty and unnerving bit of spot and I was amazed we made it unscathed, just very dust and bright red. We were planning to come back the next day so more on the island soon.

Had fun on the boat back with some silly tourists. Caroline thought the terraced hillsides looked like her dads corduroy trousers (think she was homesick) we discussed tantric tortoises and inspector gadget, nice to meet some daft folk.

The next day was our last in one particular hostel, there was a ominous corrugated iron door in the bathroom but curiosity got the better of me and I decided to open it. Imagine my surprise when I came face to face with a very inquisitive alpaca (photo shortly), such a cutie.

Back to the Island:

we decided to camp wild on the western side which had sheltered beaches and no dwellings. Unlike clued up travellers we didn't think we could store most of our stuff and did a 4 hour hike up and down hills in the blazing sunshine with all our stuff, dope!

It was a bitch but every corner had a new view of a different bay and we constantly passed Shepard's and children on the winding paths with a managerie of animals, sheep, pigs, chickens, goats and cows and often a mix of all.

Went on some magnificent Inca roads and travelled through fragrant eucalyptus forrest's.

When we got to our bay sun was setting so we decided to camp on a peninsular right above the lake with 280 degree views so we could see the sun set and rise. After a hasty camp and rubbish soup (luckily we met a couple of travellers who sold us a screw on gas canister) we went to bed to be woken by lightening. Oh dear... we were in the worst possible place for being struck so spent a far bit of time outside wrapped up looking over at puru panicking about if ot was coming our way. Decided it was ok but had dreams of falling off the rock. At 5am the fear got the better of us and we took our trusty -10 sleeping bags found shelter and watched the sun rise, peachy.

more salty soup and packed up and moved down to the bay. it was perfect, the only person that came down all day was a pipe playing Shepard and his sheep. Dave and him swapped Spanish and English and he had a go on our bins to check out how far his flock had roamed. spent the day watching the birds and pottering about. Above us were some old Inca ruins called the maze that all the tourists were visiting. It was pleasing that they could see our tranquil spot but didn't have the balls to come down ofter the slog of getting there.

the lake wasn't that salty so we used our clever Ray Mears pump to make drinking water (2.99 from oxfam! should have been 30 pounds) looking forward to some food that isn't salty though.

went to sleep when the sun set after watching young seagulls endeavouring to catch fish and got up when the sun rose (Ive turned into a lark believe it or not!). trip back across the island was really nice as mostly downhill and so early not to warm. Got a boat back to Copacabana with a fisherman who stopped off to buy some more fish at another bay on the way. As with many indigenous all his front teeth were surrounded with gold, took a photo but too dark, we need a better camera, apparently they are half price in Argentina so photos should improve then.

Had a fantastic fish supper and a luxurious night in a very nice hotel overlooking the town.

more photos of Copacabana and Isla del Sol