Olivia in Bolivia!
Trip Start
Jun 16, 2008
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33
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Trip End
Sep 18, 2008
Copacabana, Bolivia
Saturday, July 19, 2008
After a little confusion at the bus terminal, our bus arrived and we were off! We were sitting on the left hand side of the bus which gave us great views of Lake Titicaca. Just before reaching the border, the bus conductor came through the bus and explained the border formalities which was really helpful. Upon arrival at the Peruvian side of the border, we jumped out and changed our Peruvian Soles to Bolivianos. We then crossed the road to the immigration office where we got our exit stamps.
With the excitement building, we began trekking towards Bolivia (only about 200m away). Once we had crossed the border, we could officially say Olivia... was in... Bolivia! Hoorah!!
After receiving our Bolivian entry stamps, we were back on the bus for the 8km trip to Copacabana.
On arrival, we set about finding somewhere to stay. We also organised a trip to Isla del Sol for the following day. (Island on Lake Titicaca - in the Incan religion it was the birthplace of the sun)
We had a nice leisurely lunch of trout and hamburger...not together. It was then time to explore Copacabana. First stop was the town's cathedral which has Moorish architectural influences. We also caught the daily ceremony of blessing automobiles. Seems like there was some sort of symbolic pouring of alcohol over the cars and vans...and then a drink for everyone else. Oh yes, it is great to be a vehicle in Bolivia!
Then it was time to head down to the shore of Lake Titicaca for a stroll. It kind of looked like a mini-mini Brighton. After a quick look around, we began making our way to the top of Cerro Calvario, a hill overlooking Copacabana and Lake Titicaca. We climbed for about 30 minutes, finally making it to the top just as the sun was setting over the lake... awesome! Lined with crosses along its summit, Cerro Calvario was a great place to take loads of photos.
After a leisurely walk back down to the city, we stopped in at a restaurant along the tourist strip heading towards the lake. The spot was really popular because in no time at all it was full of tourists. It had a "hippie" theme going on and the guys who served us were pretty hardcase!
After dinner and some vino tinto, we headed back to our hostel for a bit of spanish TV and sleep.
