Bolivia’s Isla del Sol in photos
I’ve never been much of a tranquility-hunter on my travels. I like bustling cities, heaving markets, heaving surf, sweaty crowded clubs with a pounding beat. I enjoy museums and galleries, grand old libraries with green desk lights and the smell of polished wood and musty, dusty old books; but I enjoy them for the mental stimulation, the thought, the overwhelming sense of history and genius and all those good things pressing down on me.
But every once in a while I pass through a place where the silence rings in my ears and I finally stop and the relaxation seeps in and I forget about what I’m reading and what’s next and how I feel about the people around me; what I’m learning, what I should be learning, what I should have said to that rude guy in the hostel this morning, what’s for dinner…
The 4,000 Islands, Laos; the hillside cemetery in Sarajevo; the peak of Mount Kinabalu in Borneo for a chilly sunset.
And the Isla del Sol, Lake Titicaca, Bolivia.
The island is dotted by ruins of the Tiwanaku culture, who were around before the Incas. This is the remains of “the Labyrinth”, their shamans’ quarters.
I walked across the spine of the island from north to south, and met Naomí on my descent back down to meet the boat. She was taking the family llama to the water to drink. We talked, and she insisted I take a photo. I was wary; canny kids often ask for a coin after a photo is taken, and we had been asked not to give money to any of the island children. But she was sweet, and when she asked a second time I snapped a pic. She smiled, admired the photo, giggled nervously when I told her how pretty she looked in the shot, and we kept on walking.
Back on the mainland, a late afternoon climb up the Cerro Calvario, and the view over Copacabana.
You can enjoy more photos of Copacabana and the Isla del Sol (facebook). If you plan on going yourself, it’s about 3.5 hours each by bus from La Paz, Bolivia or Puno, Peru. I stayed at Alojamiento San Jose, right by the Plaza Sucre; very basic but for US$1.50 a night who’s complaining? This gets you a tiny room, bed, shared bathroom with hot water, and no perks. You can also spend the night on the island, for around (I’m told) B.30 (US$3). I wish I had and will be doing so next visit. Boat trips to the island will set you back between B.20 and B.30. Travel agencies are a dime a dozen and all concentrated in the centre of town by Plaza Sucre. You can also grab a ticket down by the shore. Shop around.
and yes, meeting up for a drink would be awesome! And I know!! I’m such a...
Thanks Suzy. I love that one too – I inherited a weird thing for doors from Mum. Something very intriguing about them.
Gorgeous photos. I love the one of the hut and the little girl. I wonder who lives/has lived in a home like that. The landscape looks quite tempting.
Gorgeous photos! What a tranquil place.
I'm with you…I'm a city girl through and through and being outside cities makes me uneasy. But every now and then…it's perfect!
Breathtaking photos of such a special place! I was so sick from altitude sickness when I was there, that I really couldn't fully appreciate it. Such a shame! But, you took me back there with your post.
Thanks Kate! And Andi, you poor thing. That altitude sickness is a
killer… I can't imagine trying to trek all over that island feeling the
way I did when I first got to the Andes, ouch. I guess you can consider it
a great excuse to go back, though
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VERY well written! I was there a few months ago; didn't get to do the hike. Wish I did now. Your pictures are amazing!
You and me both! I was literally, out of breath!
Thanks! It's definitely worth doing, so pretty. Although the gorgeous photos don't really capture the fact that I was hurrying too much to REALLY enjoy it. The boats don't give you much time, I wasn't wearing a watch, and wandered away from my group. Spent the bulk of the hike alternating between rushing and thinking, well, missing the boat would be an AWESOME excuse for spending the night here!
Thanks! It's definitely worth doing, so pretty. Although the gorgeous photos don't really capture the fact that I was hurrying too much to REALLY enjoy it. The boats don't give you much time, I wasn't wearing a watch, and wandered away from my group. Spent the bulk of the hike alternating between rushing and thinking, well, missing the boat would be an AWESOME excuse for spending the night here!
Thanks! It's definitely worth doing, so pretty. Although the gorgeous photos don't really capture the fact that I was hurrying too much to REALLY enjoy it. The boats don't give you much time, I wasn't wearing a watch, and wandered away from my group. Spent the bulk of the hike alternating between rushing and thinking, well, missing the boat would be an AWESOME excuse for spending the night here!
Thanks! It's definitely worth doing, so pretty. Although the gorgeous photos don't really capture the fact that I was hurrying too much to REALLY enjoy it. The boats don't give you much time, I wasn't wearing a watch, and wandered away from my group. Spent the bulk of the hike alternating between rushing and thinking, well, missing the boat would be an AWESOME excuse for spending the night here!
Thanks! It's definitely worth doing, so pretty. Although the gorgeous photos don't really capture the fact that I was hurrying too much to REALLY enjoy it. The boats don't give you much time, I wasn't wearing a watch, and wandered away from my group. Spent the bulk of the hike alternating between rushing and thinking, well, missing the boat would be an AWESOME excuse for spending the night here!
Thanks! It's definitely worth doing, so pretty. Although the gorgeous photos don't really capture the fact that I was hurrying too much to REALLY enjoy it. The boats don't give you much time, I wasn't wearing a watch, and wandered away from my group. Spent the bulk of the hike alternating between rushing and thinking, well, missing the boat would be an AWESOME excuse for spending the night here!
Thanks! It's definitely worth doing, so pretty. Although the gorgeous photos don't really capture the fact that I was hurrying too much to REALLY enjoy it. The boats don't give you much time, I wasn't wearing a watch, and wandered away from my group. Spent the bulk of the hike alternating between rushing and thinking, well, missing the boat would be an AWESOME excuse for spending the night here!
Just found your blog and can't wait to dig into it..
http://savvyroundtheworld.wordpress.com
Thanks Jon