Copacabana and Puno

After recovering from my unplanned drinking in La Paz I made it to Copacabana on the Bolivian edge of Lake Titicaca the highest fresh water lake in he world at an altitude of just shy of 4000 meters!

I was unsure of how long I would spend here because ongoing boarder issues so I planned a few activities to keep me occupied.

Copacabana has he feel of a small seaside town with a rustic beach side, again it had a chilled out Bolivian vibe. The Bolivians are certainly relaxed and friendly people it must be all the coca they chew!

I spent the first day climbing up a hill (mountain!) to view, what turned out to be, very limited Inca ruins!

The next day I planned the first day of two on the Isle del Sol... an island on Lake Titicaca which is, in legend, the birthplace of the Inca religion and empire. I took the early boat to the north of the island. My plan was to trek along the mountain ridge to the south, stay overnight and return the next day. As it turned out by the time I'd viewed the Inca ruins and trekked the (exhausting at altitude) 4km to the South I was in time for the afternoon boat back to Copacabana and so didn't actually end up staying. Was still a cracking day though.

I'd heard a rumor that the Bolivia Peru boarder was closed (again!) due to ongoing protests my indigenous people in the Peru side over mining contracts. I found out all buses were canceled until further notice so book a boat to Puno. Little did I know what I had in store for the next day!!!

No buses were going from Copacabana to Puno (according to the 11 agencies I trawled around). On the 16th June buses were attacked by protesters throwing rocks so all companies suspended buses until further notice.

I took a boat but this was equally difficult.

The 8.00am boats were massively oversold with those travelling to the border being packed onto rowing boats and taken to the boats only to be sent back due to overcrowding.. I was not even taken to the border before being told my boat was cancelled.

I then booked onto the (more expensive) fast boat at 11am. We got to the Yunguyu/Kasani border but just as we were stamped out of Bolivia the protesters showed up at the Yunguyu/Kasani border and closed that. We waited 3 hours for them to disperse before we could stamp into Peru.

We were then taken to the boat through fields to avoid the protesters. Unluckily they spotted us on the way and confronted us. Luckily a Colombian traveller negotiated with them and eventually once we each paid them 10 soles they let us get to the boats.

The boats we were on then ran out of fuel 30mins from Puno so we drifted for an hour until another boat brought us some extra fuel. I eventually arrived in Puno an 8.30pm. Some journey!!

But hey I arrived so it could have been worse.

After all of that fun Puno was quite relaxed. Unlike Copacabana Puno is a city. I spent weekend wandering around looking at the great markets and trying (unsuccessfully) to find some football to watch.

I also managed to visit the floating islands. A community of people who live and man made reed islands on Lake Titicaca. Fascinating to see but way too geared up to tourists.

Surprise surprise the road to Cusco was blocked by protesters and so I had to book a 12 hour night bus (it normally takes 6) but hey, at least there were buses going....