Copacabana and the Island of the Sun

Copacabana is a small Bolivian community right on Lake Titicaca. We spent 5 days enjoying this quaint, picturesque village and its' people. The corner room we rented in our hotel had two huge picture windows looking over the lake and was warmed by the afternoon sun. The room felt like a suite to us with two large sitting chairs, wonderful blankets and a really well done mural painting on the wall. It was super great for relaxing in, especially since there wasn`t much else to do.

One day we took a slow boat over to the legendary Island of the Sun. Depending on which myth you believe, this maybe where the first Inca king and other gods emerged from. Regardless of what you believe there are some ruins to be seen. The island is small with about 3000 inhabitants and no cars on it. There is a walking path from the north end connecting villages together all the way to the south. It took us about 3 hrs to make our way from one side to the other. Of course there was lots of ups and downs which meant great views of the bays as well as the Corderilla Real, a extensive mountain range with snow capped mountains.

At the ruins there was the usual hypothesis about animal images in stones but the real gem was the extensive labirynth of rooms. It didn`t take long to feel like you were a mouse in a maze trying to find your way out. Along with tunnels the building was constructed on several planes so you were constantly changing levels with out even realizing it.

The surroundings made it a wonderful place to be. Sparkling, deep blue water as far as you can see bordered by snow capped mountains. At the south end there was also a sequence of water pumps and an original set of Incan stairs. Unfortunately we were stopped three times to pay an entrance fee as we made our way along the path. We weren`t certain the money actually was invested back into the community or used for maintenance of the trail. It was a really interesting experience. The walk was worth it!