Some of the crazy dancers in Copacabana Hola de Bolivia! (Hello from Bolivia). After our Gringo Trail adventure through Peru we headed across the border at Lake Titicaca to Bolivia. This was one of the easiest crossings we have done: we took a collectivo (shared van/taxi) from Puno to the border, walked across stopping in a shack part way through to get our stamps, and hopped into a tuk-tuk (motorized rickshaw) to Copacabana.
When we arrived there was a crazy Carnival celebration going on so we had to stop before the crowded centre and walk with our backpacks, pushing through crowds to a super shitty hostel (not much choice because of the celebration).
After settling in a bit we went back out to the streets to see what was goin' on. There were parades of people dancing and singing, dressed in all kinds of crazy costumes, some with masks. Almost everyone had a beer in their hand, even the dancers and musicians. The sides of the streets were lined with food and drink stands and there were huge speakers blaring what sounded like the same song over and over again for hours very late into the night.
When we arrived there was a crazy Carnival celebration going on so we had to stop before the crowded centre and walk with our backpacks, pushing through crowds to a super shitty hostel (not much choice because of the celebration).
After settling in a bit we went back out to the streets to see what was goin' on. There were parades of people dancing and singing, dressed in all kinds of crazy costumes, some with masks. Almost everyone had a beer in their hand, even the dancers and musicians. The sides of the streets were lined with food and drink stands and there were huge speakers blaring what sounded like the same song over and over again for hours very late into the night.
Isla del Sol - a quiet break after Carnival The next morning we headed off to Isla del Sol, the island that the Inkas believed gave birth to the sun. It was a 2.5 hour boat ride to the north end of the island where we explored for the day and a then slept at a little hostel. It was very pretty and quiet - a nice break from the insane nose and stench of Copacabana from the previous night. The next day we walked along an old Inka trail to the south end of the island, stopping to check out some ruins (some covered with graffiti or knocked down) and hung out until the last boat left for Copacabana. It was a very nice and peaceful couple days on the island, though the walk was pretty challenging because of the high elevation.
The mountain backdrop from Isla del Sol was breathtaking It was nice to experience both the Peruvian side and the Bolivian side of Lake Titicaca - approximately 60-40% share respectively. On the Peru side, Puno was very large and busy. The carnival festivities that we witnessed were somewhat limited to evening street foam attacks, which we enthusiastically participated in. The floating islands were really unique and really were the main attraction near Puno. Peru is very organized (by South American standards) and there is a lot of infrastructure in place for tourists. Copacabana, on the other hand, had a much more insane vibe - lots of drunk people, loud noises and really terrible smells. It might have been just the night that we happened to arrive that gave us this impression. When we returned from Isla del Sol a few days later the streets were still filthy but there were hardly any people around and things were much quieter and quaint. It is much smaller than Puno and the touristy street leading to the docks was very pretty and inviting. The bonus of the Bolivian side is that everything is half the price compared to in Peru.
I would say both sides had their bonuses, but I liked the Bolivian side a bit more, probably because Isla del Sol was so pretty - surrounded by the gigantic Lake Titicaca with snowcapped mountains framing the horizon.
Next stop, La Paz for the Death Road bikeride!
Keep bein' chili
-Chelsea
I would say both sides had their bonuses, but I liked the Bolivian side a bit more, probably because Isla del Sol was so pretty - surrounded by the gigantic Lake Titicaca with snowcapped mountains framing the horizon.
Next stop, La Paz for the Death Road bikeride!
Keep bein' chili
-Chelsea
Carnival Copacabana Photos
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Isla del Sol Photos
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