Lake Titicaca

I'm pretty sure the first time I heard about Lake Titicaca was while playing "Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego." I was probably 9 or 10 and was wholeheartedly amused by not only the name but also the idea of a giant lake, really really high up.

I left Arequipa mid-morning after attending mass at the Santa Catalina convent. The nuns were adorable but I couldn't remember any of the words in English, let alone in Spanish. So I just stood and knelt, doing whatever the people in front of me were doing, and tried to comprehend the really terrible songs and sermon. I sang along to the Hallelujah, becuase,well, when there's only one word in a song its kind of hard not to.

My hope was to get to Copacabana all in one day but I totally got stuck in the small border town of Yunguyo becuase immigration was closed. I got a box of a room for the night and ate some dinner. After a long day of bus riding (Arequipa to Puno, Puno to Yunguyo) all I wanted was to walk around a bit but it was dark and there were a few beligerantly drunk people around so I just walked across the square to buy some toilet paper (not a standard accomedation in hotels around here) and tried to sleep.

I got up hecka early the next day and took a bike taxi to the boarder, a collectivo (minibus) to Copacabana and then a boat to the Isla del Sol.

I got to the Isla del Sol, which is where the sun was born, and hiked, breathlessly, up up up until I found a hostel. I wandered around stunned and aching from the altitude all afternoon. And then this happened.


This is Bolivia. No really.

The full moon rises over the Isla de la Luna, which is where the moon was born. Those mountains are the Cordillera Real with layers of clouds above and below and then Lake Titicaca at the bottom.












The whole island is terraced with stone walls (courtesy of the Incas) holding the land in place. I saw a lot of fava beans, donkeys, pigs and cob homes. So indescribably beautiful.

How would you like to go to school here? That building there on the cliff is the elementary school. The secondary school is an hour walk or so away on dirt and stone paths. No roads, no cars, no bikes, no horses.













Besides the terraces, Incan ruins abound on the island. This is Pilko Kaina.













In case anyone thought I was just making this all up with the aid of google images, here I am. I doubt it was kosher but a nice Incan ruin window held my camera up for this shot.