A dash for water bottle refill over, found us driving slowly (tourist transfers tracked by GPS) to the Bolivian border through the wet rainy countryside beside lake Tititacca; reed beds, and farming similar to the peninsula, towns like Juliaca! Passing an onion farm, we heard Peruvian’s celebrate the day of the dead as in Mexico but using the purple onion flowers not marigolds.
Lots of unfinished graffitied buildings; families save for the plot buliding up in stages, the ground floor for storage, next for living and top open to the elements for laundry. The concrete ties are left optimistically for additional floors or room enclosure as funds allow. Elections looming, its compulsory to vote; not graffiti but campaign slogans!
Border reached, Bolivianos exchanged (for the bathroom), ahead of the line, officials breakfast break over, finally passport stamped, we walked under the arch in Khasani to Bolivia. (Our suitcases tricycled across! All a bit odd)
Good bye Peru Hello Bolivia
A windy short drive later we arrived at Copacabana, the original, Brazil being the pretender! Always an Aymaran speaking settlement, despite Incan enslavement and the Spanish. Walking down market filled cobbled streets we reached the main square, with the massive cathedral to the (crowned?) Virgin Mary. A major local pilgrimage site, with Moorish domes, a massively ornate silver alter and a separate candeliera, it was blessed by the helicoptered pope in ‘90s. Joining the throng, I lit a candle writing on the wall, wishing well for my family! Traditionally pilgrims journey to pray, asking for health, a family, cars, houses, anything and if granted, return with thanks and said object bedecked in flowers!
Escorted on the hydrofoil, oddly, alarmingly we stopped wallowing in the wind whipped waves. Propellor issues resolved we flew, well lurched and bounced across the windy wavy lake to Sun island. Odd a whole foil for us, despite strewn backpacks!
Living up to its name, the sun finally shone as we climbed the famous steps to the site of the reconstructed 3 holed Incan fountain! Portrayed as the Spanish described, water always flowing. Supposedly from an everflowing spring allegedly, but one hole was dry! Sadly the massive sun temple has succumbed to time (the Spanish? ) and vanished! Descending to a beautiful terrace we dined al fresco overlooking the sunlit tiny harbour; beautiful if chilly.
Watching a stream of Shaolin monks cross the pier; we were hastily hurried onto the hydrofoil. Can’t keep the Chinese embassador waiting! (Not the Andean dressed gentleman but the proudly “China” backed track suited one in front). So not for us after all!
A short choppy ride later we docked, precariously boat hopped to land on moon island. There we visited the surprisingly intact remains of the large moon temple; dedicated to fertility, run only by females. Pre-Incan families came to sacrifice and pray for fertility; the Inca usurping the temple sent his best elite young girls for education, those rejected remained becoming priestesses! (Traditions continue with over looking hostels providing ladies places to stay)
Back on board, oxygen administered to an older revered monk in front, we flew across the now extremely choppy lake to Hustajata via the Tiquina straits, site of the Bolivian navy training base. (Bolivia making do with lake tititacca until they can wrest their coast back from Chile)
Docked, somehow we lost the Chinese delegation, possibly heading for the monks display in La Paz at the joint cultural school? Instead confusingly at first, we listened to a potted history of the area, and toured a Uros boatyard complete with mud huts. The Bolivian Uros escaped down river from the lake onto the altiplano eventually settling on land; hence huts (still families remain today). However the Reed boat builders remained drafted in to build the Kontiki's successors Ra I & II (and more) for the famous demonstration of early discovery & ocean navigation. We met an old man (one of Jose, Demetrio, Juan Limachi, not Paulino Esteban as he’s dead) who crafted the boat and his grandson, who is currently crafting and sailing the world. Reed boat ocean voyages continue, the next one due to start shortly. Of course, I succumbed to buying his signed dusty miniature model of Ra II!
Back on four wheels, we drove across the altiplano to La Paz. Open, flat desert, now familiar farms flashed by on good toll roads. Education supposedly for all in their native language, plus better roads legacy of the current possibly corrupt government, now possibly heading for dictatorship! (Voting is again mandatory.)
Slowly the flat wide plain dissolved, populated with brick enclosures, mutating to half built properties, then precarious sky scrapers, then urban chaos; traffic at a standstill! We’d reached El Alto the city on the edge of the Altiplano above La Paz. Totally overwhelming! Red brick as far as you can see.
Stopping dangerously atop the highway edge we looked down on La Paz sprawled, more red brick coating the whole sweeping valleys below; cable cars linking the two cities. People; traffic; buildings; chaos; the vast city just totally overwhelming!
Apparently locals stake their claim to land, if uncontested 11 years later it’s theirs! Starting slow they build upwards, fortunes established elaborate penthouses constructed, the lower floors are then rented out! El Alto expanding rapidly in the last last 30 years is now a vast separate city.
Finally valiantly safely negotiating the traffic through downtown La Paz we were dropped at our modern hotel 1000m lower in the newer commercial district. What a contrast to rural Llachon the other night!
Overwhelmed, a lovely unusual dinner over, we grabbed some sleep before our impending city tour tomorrow.
Border with Peru & preceding drive.
Copacabana Cathedral town & Candelaria
(My message; plaques of thanks; carved doors by local priest after independence and treasures being taken for taxes, that's when pilgrimage started as locals repopulated their cathedral)
Sun island, Spanish steps & lunch al fresco
Hydrofoil ride with Shaolin monks & Moon temple stoppoff
(Ladies hostel overlooking moon temple; rainy window Tiquina straits; elderly revered monk right; embassador left)
Museum
(The hydrofoil's co first boat; mud hut replica; Reed boat replica; Bolivian national flower (fake!))
Altiplano & chaotic El Alto
(Yellow one of those crazy penthouse buildings)
Overwhelming La Paz and celebratory Beer
Video to follow if technology back home allows.
We stayed at Atix Hotel La Paz, Bolivia.
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