Oblivion ??? ….. Bolivia !!!!

I´m really behind in my writing…. the trip is happening faster than I can keep up. I´m in Lima today for my final day in Peru (more about that later). I decided to take a “normal” day and try to get as caught up as I can. ( I’m now “home” in Cochabamba, finishing the draft I started in Lima.)

After a good night´s sleep after the bike ride, I was picked up at my hostal by my private guide and bus. I am living richer than I am, but enjoying the temporary luxury. Maybell ( or Mabel ¿¿ ) was my guide to Tiwanaku, but didn´t remember me until I showed her my photos of that trip.

Copacabana is a nice resort town on the shores of Lake Titicaca. Supposedly it has the only public beach in the country. We arrived at the hotel (4 Stars !!!) in time for lunch. I had trucha (trout) from the Lake… first time in my life that I have voluntarily ordered a fish from a menu. It was pretty good… I´ve had it again since.

The afternoon was spent touring the famous Cathedral of Virgen de Candelaria, built between 1605 and 1820. ….. It was decorated with lots of gold that the Spanish had looted from the Incas. This church houses a black Virgen de Candelaria statue carved by the Inca ruler Tupac Yupanqui’s grandson. The statue is never moved as superstition suggests a devastating flood of Lake Titicaca if it is disturbed.

Outside the Church we came across the Priest blessing the cars - Benediciones de Movilidades. The custom is to decorate a newly purchased car and take it to the Church for blessing. The Priest was splashing holy water on the engine, inside the passenger area and on the owners´heads. I asked Maybell how people deal with lemons and accidents ? She said that the owner in those cases is blamed for having an illicit love affair and is just receiving his/her just desserts. Single people having an accident, I guess are stigmatized for life ???

We continued to Cerro Calvario, a high hill that overlooks the Lake and the town. This was a very strenuous climb up stone steps that commemorated the 14 Stations of the Cross. At intervals on the climb were stone crosses to mark the significant points in Jesus´final walk through Jerusalem on that first Good Friday. I remember the actual route through the streets of the Old City of Jerusalem to be a lot easier to walk. After a lot of breath and knee stops, we reached the top (3966 meters in altitude) and were indeed treated to a spectacular view of the town and the Lake. At the top were the usual refreshment vendors, but here also were some most peculiar stands. Shelves of toy cars, miniature houses, play money, toy luggage, baby dolls and toy animals. Once you made the climb you could “ask” for your reward that would hopefully come to fruition. Had they sold Barbie dolls, I may have taken a chance. I was just glad that I had made the climb without suffering a heart attack - my Bolivian stress test.

Dinner that night was llama steak… tastes just like seasoned, grilled meat.

The next day Maybell and I took our private boat on Lake Titicaca to the Isla del Sol. An hour and a half cruise to Cha’llapampa, at the north end of the island. The number of tourist boats en route made it seem like a naval invasion.

Once on the island we proceeded along a gently climbing path to the Inca ruins at Chincana. There are no vehicles here and the ancient stone paths are the only routes for all the tourist & livestock traffic. The entire island is covered with ancient terraces that are still cultivated. The main feature at Chincana is the Palacio del Inca, a maze of stone walls and tiny doorways known as Inkanakan Utapa - said to be built by the Inca Emperor, Tupac Yupanqui. Within the labyrinth there is a small well, believed to contain sacred water with which the Incas would purify themselves. It is said that this was an Inca monastery and seminary. On the way we stopped at a huge concave shaped rock - Tiki Khar’ka (Rock of the Puma) - which is significant in the Inca creation legend as the birthplace of the Sun and the Moon. There the god-king Viracocha and the first Incas, Manco Capac and his sister/wife (???) Mama Ocllo, mystically appeared under direct orders from the Sun, and founded the Inca Empire. Across the way is the Mesa Ceremonica, which is thought to have been the site of human and animal sacrifices.

(I’m relying on the Lonely Planet tour book for most of the historical background.)

We hiked back to the boat for box lunches and the trip to the southern port at Yumani. Along the way I did see a home equiped with solar panels on the roof. That seemed perfectly appropriate for the Isla del Sol.

Back on land we climbed the Escalera del Inca - Inca staircase (not escalator). This path parallels the flow of a natural spring, which the early Spaniards thought to be the Fountain of Youth; and, which today is vital to the residents who carry jugs up to their homes. I had to stop every 20 steps, or so, to catch my breath. The locals must have incredible lung capacity. At the top we hiked to the Templo del Inca. Although little remains of this temple, it contains the only Bolivian examples of the expert stonework comparable to the famous walls found in Cuzco.

I passed on the trip over to the Ilsa de la Luna, and enjoyed the hourlong cruise back to Copacabana. With all climbing of the paths and staircases, at an altitude over 3,800 meters, I couldn’t think of doing any more that day. Once back, I walked around the beachfront tourist area and found the Internet cafe du jour. I had the llama kebobs and a couple glasses of wine for dinner, and a great night’s sleep.

I had a free morning to wander some more before catching my bus to Cuzco.