Copacabana

Day 136 – Co-pa, Co-pa-ca-baaa-na

After another all you can eat pancake breakfast, it was off to ring around for some last minute accommodation in Copacabana.  Today was Good Friday and pilgrims from all around Bolivia and Peru would be walking to Copacabana for a mixed Catholic / Cha’alla celebration.  We were aware of said pilgrimage, but actually thought it ended on Easter Sunday – wrong!

The 3 hour journey to Copacabana was nice and painless, although we were quite over like the discussion topics of our like young English co-minivan-inhabitants!  The journey also involved a trip on a ferry boat, van and all, to cross over part of Lake Titicaca.  We were also amused to see that many of the pilgrims had opted to cycle instead of walk, I can’t blame them given the altitude, hills, weather, etc.

Our first glimpse of the enormous Lake Titicaca.

Copacabana, was just as we had been warned, dirty and smelly, but a necessary stop if we wanted to visit nearby Isla del Sol.  Our accommodation was a bit nicer than usual (being all we could get) and after watching the pilgrims march into town singing and holding up huge Virgin Marys on platforms, we trotted up the hill to La Cúpula, a vegetarian restaurant with a great view over the town, to celebrate Hanneke’s birthday and also say goodbye to our Duchess travel mates as we would be heading in different directions in the morning.