Copacabana, Easter and the birthplace of the Incas

Copacabana

The hoards of pilgrims are starting to leave Copacabana. They have walked here all the way from La Paz (a good four-hour bus ride away) and now are heading home, presumably by bus? The beach next to Lake Titicaca and the various squares and parks are starting to resemble the aftermath of the Glastonbury festival - covered in plastic bottles and toilet roll. It's been a good few days here in Copacabana.

All-in-all the Easter period has gone a lot easier than anticipated. We've managed to get transport and accommodation without any problem at all - particularly considering the crowds that have come here to celebrate Easter. Our fear was that everything would be booked up and we'd be joining everyone else camping by the lake!

It was a memorable Good Friday - a swan pedal boat on Lake Titicaca, a lung-bursting climb up the Cerro Calvario beside Copacabana (really felt the altitude at 3,800 metres above sea level) and a round-off with a mournful candle-lit procession of pilgrims through the streets in the evening. They were in their hundreds, some carrying effigies of the Virgin Mary and Jesus, others dressed simply in Klu-Klux-Klan outfits (I'm hoping there's some religious significance there)!

The top of Cerro Calvario was pretty crowded - full of people lighting candles, browsing the various stalls selling model cars and houses (a local good luck tradition) and admiring the scenery. There were also a lot of ladies melting down metal but I have no idea what this meant.

Isla Del Sol
The Sun Island (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isla_del_sol) is where the Inca god created the Inca people along with the sun and moon and everything else. It's also the setting of some of the most outstanding scenery in South America.

The island has a very laid back, morning Mediterranean feel - the smell of various herbs and grasses, the brown colour of the earth and the cool, dry air. The views of the lake from the island are amazing - the little uninhabited, rocky islands and the endless clear blue water stretching in all directions off into the horizon.

We took a boat to the north part and then walked 8 km south along a well trodden mountain path south passing by Inca ruins of houses, altars and temples. It was hard work, particularly considering the steep slopes and the altitude but definitely worth it. We followed a lady and son herding two alpacas along the way, passing through several checkpoints manned by elderly Bolivian men (with little / no change) who charge you a small fee for using the path.

Goodbye Bolivia - a beautiful end to a country that has had some memorable highlights but also a few lowlights!

PS - A general rule about South America: Just when you think a walk / road is finishing, you've likely got another 2 hours to go (the number of times we have thought - "just over this next hill and then we're there" only to find we are nowhere near our destination, has been countless).