Copacabana and Isle del Sol and Lake Titicaca

From La Paz, we made our last stop in Bolivia at Copacabana which is basically a peninsula in Lake Titicaca. The lake is huge, with the dividing line between Bolivia and Peru going through the middle. To get to Copacabana from mainland Bolivia, we had to go over a strip of water on a ferry....I guess building a bridge is just too much to ask. Keep in mind, we are still in Bolivia, so here's the catch: the bus and the people go over separately. We had to exit our bus, take a small boat and wait on the other side. Sure enough, our bus came over on a slightly (note, just slightly) larger boat. It's a strange thing.

Fast facts on Lake Titicaca: 3800 meters above sea level, highest navitagable water in the world, completely fresh water, many islands including Isle del Sol (Island of the Sun) and Isle de la Luna (Island of the Moon).

Our first day, we decided to check out the local Inca ruins close to the town. The first was a steep climb to some rocks, but apparently the statues had been destroyed by the Spanish. Great views though! The next was supposed to be several throne-looking structures carved out of rock. Some legends say they assisted in the viewing of the stars. We walked by the "entrance" twice and finally asked. We realized there was a path behind a gas station to a sorry looking gate and old barbwire. Yup, the great Inca structures from 600 years ago were locked safely within, under overgrown grass. Oh, Bolivia! haha
 

Perspective pic of Copacabana...

Right before sunset...

Sunset from atop the hill with the Stations of the Cross...it was a really steep hill and a challenging little walk, but well worth the views as you can see...

Isle del Sol was a bit different. We took a 2 hour boat ride to the island (which could have been about 30 min in a motor boat) but it was nice and gave a good chance to take in the blue water and beautiful surroundings. There we hiked from the northern tip of the island to the south part, visiting various Inca structures on the way, including 206 steps leading to a fountain (the fountain of youth perhaps), labyrinth, ceremonial table and more. According to legend, Isle del Sol is where the sun god created the first 2 humans, the Inca equivilant of Adam and Eve.

The pretty Lake Titicaca

Some old Inca ruins that resembled a maze, we had a hard time finding our way out once we got in...

A little Inca break at the ceremonial table...

Crystal blue water of Lake Titicaca....

Original Inca steps...

Also in Copacabana is the Virgin of Copacabana. The Virgin appeared to an average man in his dreams and he was so moved, that he went to Potosi (then the artistic capital of South America) and learned to sculpt and created a small statue of the Virgin as he saw her. He then walked on foot from Potosi back to Copacabana, which is very far (about 12 hours by bus) - check back on the number of meters or feet. The Virgin was placed in an adobe chapel and honored. The Spanish were so taken by the Virgin that they built an elaborate church and complex to house the Virgin. Apparently thousands of people visit and donate lots of money and jewels to the Virgin. The Virgin herself is surprisingly small after reading the story but then again we are American - we think everything should be big.