We spent 10 amazing days in Bolivia.
Lake Titicaca 
29 August 2015
After a short stay in Puno, we left for Bolivia this morning at 7 a.m.! Namely, to the beautiful town of Copacabana on Lake Titicaca.
Lake Titicaca is the largest lake at this altitude, located 3,808 m.a.s.l. on the border of Peru and Bolivia and is 8,400 km² in size. The lake is considered sacred by the ancient Inca and is home to several indigenous communities, such as the Uros people who reside on floating islands made of totora reeds.
After a freezing cold morning, which was replaced by blazing sunbeams, we arrived at the border. We stamped out in Peru, crossed the border, stamped in Bolivia and went back on the bus.
When we arrived in Copacabana we checked into a hostal with a beautiful view of the lake. Then we went straight into town. Apart from the fact that it’s not exactly bathing temperature, you could almost think you’ve landed on the famous Copacabana Beach 😉 There is a beautiful cathedral not far from our accommodation.
At the moment it is the Alasitas festival, where people bless miniature versions of things they want to be big for next year (cars, houses…). There is also the “Bendiciones de Movilidades” where cars are lined up in front of the cathedral, decorated with flowers and also blessed.
After a detour to the hostal to get some warm clothes, we walked up Cerro Calvario, a hill north of town, in the late afternoon. Great view from there!! But at the height again really exhausting to get up there.
The way up (at 3,966 m.a.s.l.) is a Way of the Cross with 14 crosses, halfway you could have your miniature editions blessed (I guess), at the top you could set up candles. There were a lot of locals out and about.
At the top we sat down comfortably and enjoyed the sunset with Fanta and beer.
As soon as the sun disappeared, it got freezing cold again.
Tomorrow we’re off to one of the islands in Lake Titicaca – the Isla del Sol!
Good night 🙂
Isla del Sol
30 August 2015
Today at half past eight we took a boat to the Isla del Sol. After 2 hours, we got off at a village on the north side.
According to Inca legends, the Isla del Sol (Island of the Sun) is the birthplace of the sun god, Inti.
Challapampa village is really small, and it was hard to find a breakfast option. A somewhat unfriendly lady served us rolls with jam and tea.
After that, our hike started a bit to the north and then up the mountain ridge to the south of the island.
After a strenuous climb, you could see the Bolivian Cordillera in the distance. Great! And the beaches with crystal clear water – totally beautiful. We crossed by a couple of Inca ruins. A holy table, a holy stone and some kind of wall.
Now the real hike began. It was always along the ridge – up, down, up, down. With great views of Lake Titicaca! During a snack break, we got company from a dog, which then accompanied us for the rest of the day. The sun was burning all the time, but as soon as it got a bit windy it was cold.
Finally we arrived in the village in the south! Unfortunately, we didn’t know where to find accommodation. There was no signage and the plans we had were extremely tenuous. After a lot of asking around and lots of wrong directions, a mother with two children finally helped us. We followed her for a bit until she finally sent us in the right direction! It was already getting dark when we finally found a place to stay. With a hot shower and a great view of the lake.
Totally exhausted, we fought our way to a restaurant (run by a mother who also sold souvenirs outside and whose 12-year-old daughter helped out in the restaurant). There was a big pizza there (the only one you had on the menu :D). With no distractions like TV or WiFi, we went to sleep pretty early 🙂
31 August 2015
This morning, while we were half asleep, we saw a beautiful sunrise outside our window! fantastic! When we got up it was exceptionally cloudy. And therefore quite cool. We walked down to the harbor and had breakfast until our boat went back to Copacabana at 10:30 am.
Back on the mainland, we repacked our luggage (we had left the big backpacks at the hotel) and went to our bus, which left at half past one for La Paz. We had to get off at a “strait” and cross Lake Titicaca a short distance on a boat. The bus crossed over on a “ferry”. The journey continued to the capital. (Actually, Sucre is the capital of Bolivia, but the government is in La Paz).
After first standing in front of a closed hostel, we are now in a pretty cool hostel, which is a bit noisy but has nice warm showers and comfortable beds! Now it’s time to eat and drink at the in-house bar. Good night!
La Paz
01 September 2015
It’s already September!! Incredible, how time flies… 🙁
Today at 11 a.m. we took part in a free walking tour. La Paz is described as being so dangerous we thought it would be safest to take a tour.
There’s a prison here where the criminals’ families live in the prison, and it’s sort of like a small town. It’s in the middle of the city at Plaza San Pedro where we met. In the past (around 2012 or something?) there were tours in prison with overnight stays, but because women were raped and people were killed, these were soon abolished. You can still take tours inside the prison illegally, but the tour guides have said that some people can’t get out because they are mistaken for a prisoner.
In Bolivia, dried llamas hold cultural and historical significance, with this practice having its roots in the traditional Andean life.
Dried llamas are often used in various ceremonies and rituals, including offerings to the Pachamama (Mother Earth) and as a symbol of prosperity and abundance. They are also sometimes given as gifts during weddings or important social events. Our guide told us that anyone who builds a new house buys a dried llama baby or a llama fetus on the market and buries it under the foundation walls.
He also told us about a legend that large structures don’t bury llamas, they bury people! In addition, homeless people (whom nobody misses) are sought and invited to a drink. There they are then stunned and buried alive (!), since Patchamama has to fetch the soul herself. Who knows if that’s true. I found it gruel.
Cholitas are a significant cultural symbol in Bolivia, particularly among the Aymara and Quechua indigenous communities. The term “cholita” originated as a derogatory term for indigenous women but has been reclaimed and embraced with pride.
Cholitas are known for their distinctive traditional attire, which includes vibrant multilayered skirts (polleras), colorful shawls (mantas), and bowler hats (bombín) perched atop their heads.
Cholitas have challenged stereotypes and broken barriers by asserting their presence in various spheres of society. They have become prominent figures in politics, fashion, sports, and even wrestling. The “Cholitas Wrestlers,” or Lucha Libre, is a popular attraction where cholitas showcase their strength, skill, and resilience in the wrestling ring.
These empowered women have played a vital role in promoting indigenous identity, cultural preservation, and gender equality in Bolivia. They have become an emblem of strength, cultural pride, and social progress, challenging traditional notions of beauty and defying discrimination.
At a market we bought fruit juices and smoothies..
The government building is on the Plaza Murillo. The president doesn’t live here anymore though, after a few years ago a president was forcibly taken out of the house and hanged right in front of it.
After the tour, we started looking for warm jackets and sleeping bags. Since we are planning to drive quite south in Chile, we want to dress warmly. Unfortunately, we haven’t found anything yet. There are thousands of fake branded jackets from North Face, Columbia, Nike etc that look pretty good, but we’re not sure how warm they are :/
Tomorrow we will start looking again…
02 September 2015
During the day, we were out and about in the city today. I absolutely needed smart, new shoes because my feet didn’t like the new cheap shoes that much. In a shop there were reduced, original (!) Adidas shoes. It’s true that these are men’s shoes, since the women here have such small feet, but they are great!
After that, we decided to wear warm jackets ! And after a little research we also know that we can even take them home with us 😛 They are wonderfully counterfeit branded jackets :-D. But who can say no to 500 Bolivianos (= 65€) for two winter jackets?
On the further way we got some giant popcorn to nibble (there are sooo many on the streets here and so far we haven’t dared, because of dust and dirt). Delicious!!
Our destination was one of the brand new gondolas in town. And the red one. So far there are already three gondolas (opened in 2014), which are to be expanded by 2020 and supplemented by additional colors. They connect downtown “La Paz” (down in the valley – 3,200m altitude) with the outer districts “El Alto” (now an independent city – 4,100m altitude).
For 3 bolivianos (<0.50€) you can get from one end to the other end of the city quickly and cheaply. We think the idea is absolutely brilliant!
The view was terrific! It went through a huge (really HUGE) cemetery with thousands of urn graves all the way up. When we got to the top, we went straight back down. Somehow, we didn’t know how safe it is in the area…
On the way back to the hostel we had pizza and at nine in the evening our overnight bus drove to Uyuni. Not particularly luxurious and with bumpy off-road track towards the end of the ride.
Salar de Uyuni Tour
03 – 05 September 2015
Uyuni
06 September 2015
Today is Pedestrian Day throughout Bolivia: From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. no cars are allowed to drive (unless you have a special permit). In Uyuni there was a lot going on around the main square. Speeches, military parades, markets and boys carrying football goals and starting to play football in the middle of the street.
We walked through the tumult out of town – through deserted streets. Creepy as a ghost town! And then the wind kept whirling up tornadoes and small sandstorms… Anyway, we went back to the Cemeterio de Trenes to be able to take photos again – without as many tourists as at the beginning of the tour.
Tonight at 4 a.m. our bus leaves for Chile! Finally 🙂
07 September 2015
At 4 in the morning, we drove towards the Chilean border. We got there at half past seven, in the middle of nowhere. Since we still had to wait for the border post to open (around 8 a.m.), all Bolivians ate breakfast with relish. That was almost everyone from our bus, we two Chileans were the only “non-natives”. For breakfast, we had chicken thighs, fries, potatoes… a nice and light breakfast 😉
The border post then opened just after eight and we “clocked out of Bolivia”. Then we drove a little further and switched passengers with a Chilean bus. We continued to the Chilean part of the border, where everyone’s luggage was searched and we “stamped it in”.
Unfortunately, we had an idiot among our passengers who had problems crossing the border. We had to wait a full hour and a half for him! He also had bags of stuff with him. For example, another woman had a HUGE bag (1m x 80cm x 50cm or so) of popcorn (!) with her 😀
When it started with a long delay, everyone was a little annoyed.
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