We stopped briefly in Puno to see the floating islands on Lake Titicaca and the local people who make their livelihood on these mud and cane constructed islands.
We then took a bus from Puno on the Peru side of Lake Titicaca to the Bolivian southern side of
the lake. It went across the high altiplano of Peru which reminded me a lot like the high plains of Tibet only with slightly more vegetation and trees. The people farm potatoes and whatever else they can coax from the earth and until you get to Copacabana, after the rigors of the Bolivian border crossing all you see is agrarian livelihoods, farming, raising cows, alpacas and llamas and construction of adobe brick homes with all the natural local grasses for thatching the roofs. It is a simple life close to the earth and is changed largely by the vagaries of the elements and the weather.
I find it interesting that so much of the world is tied to this agrarian-based livelihood and finds that life is simple: work hard, focus on food and warmth, family and the village, religion and faith, superstition and heritage. What changes all of this simple daily rhythm is the passage of the outside world with tourists with cameras, on tourist buses, TV, cellphones and the modern conveniences of electricity and the internet. These people are all exposed to the modern world and certainly, all the younger generation aspires to have and do the many things they see on TV. It is hard to say how much longer these indigenous peoples will be able to maintain their simple earthbound livelihoods as the next generation is not aspiring to fill these roles but rather to go to the city and wear jeans and listen to contemporary American music and watch Jessica Simpson and American movies.
Having crossed the Bolivian border and each paid our US $135 entry fee, an amazing amount of money in this one of the poorest countries in South America, ( due to reciprocity agreements and a way of getting back when the US tightened its borders in 2005 to outsiders), we rolled into a sweet little beach harbor town of about 5,000 people that is the site of Copacabana, known largely for being the jumping-off point to Isla del Sol and Isla Del Luna the birthplace of the Incan civilization. Through Jenny's well-versed use of TripAdvisor.com we found perhaps the best place we have stayed in all of our travels in South America...The Cupola, a 16 room hotel situated on top of the hill overlooking the town and the beach harbor, done in Mediterranean style by a German owner. The had 4 beautiful gardens you could hang out in a hammock or sit and play chess, or watch the kids on a hand made swing set and playhouse. The food was superb so we found ourselves not needing to find other dining options. We had fresh trucha ( trout) and Jen overdosed her cheese fondness with Fondue made from real Gruyere cheese and copious cups of hot chocolate made from the cocoa.
It was a great place to spend 3 nites and happen upon the big annual Copacabana town event of the blessing of the autobuses, autos. We wandered down into town on the morning of the first full day we were there to find all the vans and cars assembled around the plaza festooned with garlands of flowers and each had a top hat, while their owners poured beer, or for the wealthier few, champagne on their autos to bless them for the coming year and to keep the occupants and driver safe. Not a small equation on these roads that wind up and down the mountainside one of which is notoriously called the Death Road as it washes out so much and leaves the possibility of catapulting down the sides of thousands of feet drop-offs.
The other major blessing going on was in front of their cathedral where all the folks from the surrounding area had come in to receive blessings from the priest. Rob said the brown wool smocked priest with his flat woolen skullcap looked like someone directly out of central casting and indeed he stood there from the beginning of the day until the end of the festivities giving his blessings to the long line of supplicants who had come for his blessing.
The church, like most of those we have been in, was cathedral-like in traditional style with gold leaf altars and retablos of saints and the suffering of deities. The splendor of the gold-encrusted altar backdrops in these otherwise darker churches only light by clerestory windows has held sway over the faith of the locals for many generations. Typically the Catholic churches are set on top of prior Inca religious centers ( called superimposition) and overpower the square in the town as the main draw of local activity and tourism.
So in the morning off to Isla del Sol and the birthplace of the Incas. We take a 2-hour boat ride which Jen has determined is "the slowest boat she has ever been on" to the northern end of the Isla del Sol. We are given exactly 2 hours to scramble up the rock path to the top of the island and then along the ridgeline to its' far end to see the Inca ruins and return back to the boat. The hike up again is a puffer but we take the lead over the horde on the boat most of whom are not acclimatized or not conditioned to do so. Consequently, we have unobstructed views of all the Lake Titicaca surrounding us blue and shimmering on all sides when we reach the top and the ruins. It is easy to see why the Inca towns were placed here with a wealth of resources then ( certainly not now as deforestation is rampant everywhere in Peru and Bolivia) and a truly defensible position. It is a healthy scramble up and a fast walk down to meet the boat schedule but after Macchu Picchu, we figure we can conquer anything this Andean highland has to throw at us.
The southern part of the island is largely a "spread the wealth" stop for the tour boat and after a short hike up the side of the village we take the option most other travelers have chosen and look out over the lake tableside with a beer in hand. ( Rob choose not to hike up so he stayed below.) It was a lot like sitting overlooking the caldera at Santorini in Greece with the beautiful blue water shimmering below but no cruise ships just small little Bolivian tourist boats. In all Copacabana was our most favorite place to stay and a great choice to head south. Onto La Paz.
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