Category: Bolivia

Quick facts: Main Bolivian town on Lake Titicaca; GPS: -16.165433, -69.085385; GMT-4; Altitude: 12671′

Copacabana – After coffee, packing and heading out to wait for the Bolivia Hop bus at 07:00 it finally came and we were back on our way to Copacabana. The drive back out of La Paz was long and slow as we wound up the crowded city streets. This time there was more to look at because on the way in it was too dark to see anything.

We arrived back at the Strait of Tiquina after a couple of hours and crossed on a ferry again. While we waited for the bus to cross we had about 15 minutes to find something to eat from one of the street vendors. I got a couple empanadas to try and waited for the bus. We were herded back on the bus and were on our way to Copacabana. After about an hour we arrived at Copacabana and disembarked.

With a little over an hour to kill I went back to the restaurant near the drop off point and had a llama sandwich for an early lunch. At 13:00 the group got together to board the boat for the Isla del Sol tour. The boat ride takes about 1.5 hours to get over to the island so it isn’t a quick ride but it is a scenic trip.

Once we arrived at the island almost everyone got off to do the hike as there wasn’t much else to do for such a short tour. The hike was pretty straightforward but it was nice. About half way through there was a small restaurant where I got a lemonade and relaxed while I enjoyed the view of Lake Titicaca. After the rest stop I continued on with the hike which at this point was all down hill. Luckily at the end I got done right before a mule train was heading up to take supplies to the locals and didn’t have to wait for them to pass. Within 10 minutes or so we were called to board the boat and head back to the main land. The ride back was the same route with not much new to see.

Once we got back to town there was not much time before we had to board the bus and make our way to the border. Fifteen minutes later we were at the border where we had to grab our stuff and go through customs. Once I had my exit stamp, which was much easier to get than the entry stamp, we had to walk over the border to get back into Peru. After everyone had been processed they called our names off to tell us which bus we were supposed to get on since one was heading to Arequipa and one was heading to Cusco (which was mine).

After I got my bus assignment and got my seat we were headed north. Almost three hours later we stopped in Puno. This stop for dinner is a little late in my opinion but there may have been a reason for this even though a later start out of Copacabana seems like it would’ve been a better way to go. I wasn’t really hungry so I skipped dinner and just hung out with a few of the people that were eating.

The guides gave us an hour for dinner which wasn’t enough and along with my group there were quite a few people also not done eating just in the same restaurant by the time we were all supposed to be back at the bus. Needless to say we weren’t at the bus on time. It may have been more like 45 mins later that we were on the road.

I was once again able to get the lower section of the bus which has better seating allowing for more reclining and spacious seats. Even with the additional comfort it still isn’t great and although I was able to fall asleep I can’t say that I slept well.

Quick facts: The seat of the government of Bolivia, but not the capital; GPS: -16.49572, -68.13355; GMT-4; Altitude: 11975′

I woke up and had breakfast at the hotel. After getting ready I headed out to catch the walking tour I had arranged. We met our guide in front of the San Francisco Church for the 10:00 tour. The first stop on the tour was the Witches Market (Mercado de Las Brujas). We went into a store where the guide told us about the significance of the mummified baby alpacas that could be seen in the store. They all died from natural causes and are sold so that people can burn them which they believe will release their souls back to pacha mama. The store sold spells, potions, and other oddities. It was interesting to see but only as a curiosity.

From there we walked through the city until we got to the next big stop. This was San Pedro prison. This is a prison that is a rarity on its own. There are no guards inside the prison and only the exterior is patrolled by police. It’s essentially anarchy but somehow it apparently works as the prisoners have established a working system to take of themselves and their needs. At one point there were even tours that were conducted until some tourists were stuck inside and embassies were involved.

The next stop we walked to was Plaza Murillo. This plaza is surrounded by several of the governmental buildings. Even though La Paz is not the capital of the country it is the seat of the government. The President also used to live in one of the building but no longer does due to safety concerns. We left the plaza and walked towards Jaen Street (Calle Jaén). This is a cobble stoned street that is representative of historic La Paz. It is also where the tour office is and the end of the tour.

After the walking tour I went to this place called, Sillpichs, for lunch that the tour guide suggested. I had the trancapecho special which is a sandwich with beef and fried eggs. It was pretty good. After lunch I walked around a mall that was nearby to kill some time before the next tour I had scheduled to go on.

Back at the San Francisco Church I met up with the next tour guide for the 15:00 cable car (Mi Teleférico) tour of the city. This was a pretty cool tour. Even though the walking tour wasn’t very physically challenging, the cable car tour allowed us to cover a lot of area of the city without any issues. The guide told us that they chose the most efficient route to cover as much as possible with the fewest lines taken.

We started at the central station and took the red line up over the cemetery to the ridge over the city. From there we walked over to another witches market which is supposedly more authentic and where the locals go unlike the one this morning which is very touristy. Afterwards we went to the silver line and rode that along the ridge down to the yellow line. This line goes over a military training area that is also nearby the new presidential residence. We connected to the sky blue line briefly before getting onto the white line. That took us to the orange line which brought us back to the central station where the tour ended. This cable car system is pretty cool and there are only a few of these in use around the world. Considering how long it takes to get around the city by car this is definitely a great alternative.

After the tour was finished I took a car to this place called, Restaurant Alaya, which was recommended by the tour guide. I ordered the fritanga per the recommendation of the guide also. The food was good, and the place looked like a spot for locals, so I was happy with the recommendation.

After dinner I got a car to go back to the hotel but there was a lot of traffic and it took him a while to arrive. After getting picked up he deviated from the suggested route and the traffic kept getting worse so after a while he said he thought it would be faster to just walk. Since it wasn’t really that far to begin with I figured that was the best option since if I had walked from dinner I would’ve been to the hotel already. It took maybe another 10-15 minutes to walk to the hotel from where I got out. It was interesting to see how busy it was getting as it got later into the night.

At the hotel I hung out, got ready for bed and fell asleep watching some animal show on TV.

Quick facts: UNESCO site; GPS: -16.557655, -68.676141; GMT-4; Altitude: 12675′

Tiahuanacu – I woke up and had breakfast and coffee up on the roof of the building. It had a nice view of the city and some mountains. After eating I got ready and walked to the central cemetery where I had read I could catch the bus to my destination, Tiwanaku. Google said it was only 15 minutes or so but what it didn’t tell me was it was all up hill. Fortunately I have been in higher altitudes for the last several days and it wasn’t so bad. I got to the cemetery and found the so called bus station. This really is just a gaggle of minivans that display their destination on a sign on the front window.

I walked around until I found one with Tiwanaku on it and got a ticket which cost 15 bolivianos. The only other people people waiting were a German couple and we talked a little bit while we waited for more people to show up as the driver wanted 10 people before he would leave. This was about 10:00 and had I been there an hour or two before it probably wouldn’t have been a very long wait. After some time we all decided to just pay the difference so we could go which turned out to maybe less than $15USD for me to get there. More than I was planning on paying but still not much considering I didn’t want to waste all morning waiting for no one possibly.

The drive out of the city was about the same as it was in and it look us almost an hour just to get out back up to the altiplano. Another 30-45 minutes later we finally arrived at the ruins. Turning off the highway we drove past Pumu Pumku on the left as the driver headed to the center. Upon getting dropped off we all headed to the ticket window and got tickets. The ticket includes all of the ruins and museums. While the weather was nice and sunny I decided to get right to it and headed for the ruins while the German couple went to the museum.

I spent the next couple hours walking around the pyramid, the ruins before it started to get cloudy and then rain a little. I didn’t want to miss Pumu Punku so while the rain picked up I hurriedly made my way back over there. By the time I got there it was coming down more and quite windy. I started to walk around the area, taking pictures and then the lightning started. I got some pictures of the “H” blocks I had seen on Ancient Aliens and figured that was enough. I headed back as it started to hail a little and went to see the museums inside where it was dry. After going through both of the museums it was clearing up again and the sun was coming out.

By this time the site center was almost dead I was a little concerned that every had bailed and it would hard to get a ride back into La Paz. I grabbed a coke and waited for one of those vans to come by. Before too long I flagged one down and got a seat. He told me we was going to wait for more passengers and that I had more time to see things. He showed me a shortcut back to Pumu Punku so I went back.

This time it took 1/3 of the time and I walked the site again more leisurely taking more pictures and also got to see the rest of the area I thought I was going to miss the first time around. I got lucky and I’m glad I had a second chance. There wasn’t a ton more to see there but I got to look at the “H” blocks more closely and that was cool. It’s amazing to me that those people could do such precise work with limited tools in the time they built this complex. I’m no expert but do have a limited knowledge of manufacturing and I’m not sure how I would do it today with modern tools easily.

After walking back to the center and waiting a little while longer he collected enough people and we were on our way back to the city. Being as it was later in the day, by the time we got close there was already even more traffic and the driver suggested to those of us wanting to get back into the center of town to take the Teleferico, or cable car, as it would be quicker. He dropped us off at the station and for 3 bolivianos I got a ticket. Two quick stops later and I was back in the center. This cable car system they have here is pretty cool, and I’ll get to see more tomorrow as I have a tour of the city on it.

Back in town I grabbed a car to the restaurant I found online, La Casona, for dinner. Here I ordered one of the local specials although I don’t remember what it was called it was really good. It was a cut of pork with some fat, potatoes, and a half cobb of the large corn they have down here. The corn by itself was filling but the pork was delicious!

After dinner I walked back to the hotel and called it a night. I don’t have an early morning tomorrow but its been go go go and its been exhausting!

Quick facts: The seat of the government of Bolivia, but not the capital; GPS: -16.49572, -68.13355; GMT-4; Altitude: 11975′

Nuestra Señora de La Paz – Today was more about getting things done than any sightseeing. Although I did manage to get a few things in along the way. I woke up and had breakfast and some coffee and then the alpaca hand took me over to see them in their pen. It was pretty funny to see them all corralled together and watch me as I got closer and closer. I took a bunch of photos and even got to see a vicuna that was roaming around outside. I then headed back to my room, got ready and then met the driver as he pulled up. He drove me to the meeting point in Puno and I waited for the bus to get us all who were waiting there.

From Puno we drove to the Bolivian border which took several hours. This is one of those times I knew was going to be difficult but luckily I was prepared for it more or less. I got my exit stamp from Peru and walked across the border to the Bolivian side and that’s when the fun began. In order for an American to get a visa at the border one has to provide these papers: itinerary while in Bolivia (in English and Spanish), hotel reservation confirmation, bank statement, passport photo, $160USD for the fee, and the one thing I either didn’t see or thought they would provide us with on Peru Hop was the proof of transportation. I had to print the bus info off and luckily it was easy to do and only cost S/5. I had read some bad stories of people getting to the border and not being prepared and spending a lot of money to get what they needed to I tried to have everything and a backup copy just in case to make it go as quickly as possible.

Once I got the visa, which is good for 10 years, I grabbed my stuff and Peru Hop turned into Bolivia Hop and they took me and a few others to Copacabana. This is a little town on the coast of the Bolivian side of Lake Titicaca. We had several hours there as they schedule a large chunk of the trip to stop there for people to do a day tour of a nearby island or like me to have enough time to get through immigration. I missed the tour so I’ll do it on the way back when I won’t have to mess with the paperwork. I had a late lunch at a restaurant right where we were dropped off before going for a walk around the town since I had plenty of time to kill. While I was walking around I got a Bolivian SIM card for internet and got to see some sights. It’s a nice little town but I don’t think I would want to spend too much time here.

The meeting time for the bus was at 18:00, we loaded and we were off to La Paz. From Copacabana it was a really bumpy ride with nothing to see really as it was dark most of the ride. We did stop along the way to get off the bus and take a boat across the strait as they have no bridge to connect to the two sides. That was interesting, and something I haven’t done in a while. My boat’s name was Titanic. Haha.

After more bumpy roads and nothing to see we got into the La Paz area. This is when I first got to experience traffic in La Paz. Let’s just say that it is not fun. It took us more than an hour to get from the outskirts to the center of town at 22:00 at night. When we finally arrived at the end of the journey the ones that were left got out and they walked us to our hotels. Mine was close but luckily I was checking things myself because they tried to drop me off at another hotel with a similar name. Mine was around the corner a little and I got there on my own. I checked in, went to my room and hit the rack.