Like most of our experiences on this trip, it's difficult to find the right words to describe the splendor and richness of the Bolivian side of Lake Titicaca.
But first, a little about how this part of our trip almost didn't happen, and the lesson we learned.
We left Puno, which is on the Peru side of Lake Titicaca, bound by bus for Copacabana, on the Bolivian side. Which means there's a border between the two, which means we should have known about what was in store for us.
Our guide book said we'd need 100 U.S. dollars each to get a visa for Bolivia. But our hotel in Puno said they did away with visas for Americans. Knowing how our ATM card is approved for use all over the world, we opted for the card over the cash.
Bad decision.
It turns out that neither our guide book nor our hotel was right: We needed 135 U.S. each. When we told the bus captain we didn't have the cash, he told us there's no ATM at the border crossing. It turns out that wasn't correct, either.
So here's how it went down at the border: Karen and the bus captain's assistant got off the bus about a mile before the actual crossing. They then made their way several blocks to the town square's only ATM, which rejected her withdrawal request twice. Someone inside the bank suggested she try doing two smaller withdrawals instead of one big one.
It worked, but she now had the equivalent of $270 in Peruvian soles, not U.S. dollars. And now she needed to catch up with Brad, who was snaking his way through two Peru offices with Karen's passport and paperwork in hand. Amazingly, the bus captain was able to convince the very stern officers to check Karen out of the country even though she wasn't there in person.
Meanwhile, Karen and the captain's assistant jumped in a motorized three-wheeled "cab," made their way to the crossing, and into a money exchange office, which turned the soles into dollars.
When we reunited, we were both okayed to exit Peru, and we had to run to the Bolivian immigration office, fill out our paperwork and fork over our $270 for our visas.
The lesson: Don't trust the guide books or hotel personnel. Do your own research and rely on official web sites.
So we got to Copacabana (definitely "not" the hottest place north of Havana) with enough time to buy boat tickets to Isla del Sol, hit the ATM for Bolivian currency, stroll the town's square and church, and get a bottle of Argentina malbec for the island.
The boat ride (we sat on the boat's roof with about 15 others from all over the world) to Isla del Sol is one of anticipation, as it is the Inkas' birthplace of the sun. Despite the centuries, it still retains its mystical attraction.
We landed at Yumani, on the island's south side, and our packs were loaded onto two donkeys to make the mile-long trek to our lodge. The trail starts with about 300 steep steps straight up the mountain. At about 13,000 feet, we were instantly winded.
Once we got to our lodge, we weren't sure if we were winded from the elevation or the breathtaking sight before our eyes: vast, deep-blue Lake Titicaca with the snow-capped, high-Andean peaks seemingly rising from its shores.
We checked in, grabbed the camera, and made our way straight up the mountain (no switchbacks) for sunset shots of both the lake and the Andean mountains.
At the lodge's dinner, we were joined at our table by a Salvadoran couple who used to live in Los Angeles, and an Argentine couple. The Salvadorans became the table's official interpreters, and we enjoyed big laughs about our travels and our lives (the Argentine couple -- married for 47 years -- made no bones about the Viagra that was in store for them that night, even showing us his purple pills).
At 8 the next morning, we were met by Edwin, our 21-year-old guide, who took us for one of our favorite hikes ever, four hours from the southern to the northern tips of the island, with those breathtaking sights around every turn.
At the northern-most point of the island, we had our picnic lunch on a deserted beach, and Brad took a dip in the bracing-cold water.
We caught a boat back to Yumani, made the same breathtaking climb to our lodge as yesterday, and settled into the lodge's "lobby," overlooking the lake with the wine from Copacabana, some cheese from the Puno marketplace, and a bowl of potato chips from the lodge manager.
We leave this paradise tomorrow morning, ferrying back to Copcabana in time to catch the afternoon bus to La Paz, where we'll have only one night before catching a flight back to Lima.
Here are some pics from the past couple of days. As usual, they don't do the sights justice.
When we arrived at Isla del Sol, our luggage was loaded on donkeys for the mile-long walk straight up the mountain to our lodge.
This is from our lodge.
That's the Cordillera Real, the Bolivian Andes that seemingly rise from the lake.
We don't know what they're called, but they are some of the most unique flowers we've ever seen.
Near the start of our hike on Isla del Sol. That's Edwin on the left, our guide.
We were the only ones on this beach.
Brad added Lake Titicaca to his list of polar bear swims. Others are Iceland, the Irish Sea and Sicily.
The perfect spot for a picnic.
A typical sight on the island.
Our room, overlooking the lake and the Cordillera Real.
While waiting for our ferry back to the mainland, the locals asked for a hand in relaunching another ferry that had just been refurbished. That's Brad, second from the left.
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