Isla del Sol

Day 137 – Island of Sun… and no sunscreen

After saying our goodbyes to the girls (although it’s highly likely we will bump into them again in Colombia) we high-tailed it to the ferry dock to catch the morning ferry to Isla del Sol (Island of Sun).  We were alone again for only two minutes, before we bumped into Canadian couple, Peter and Jacqui, who we had met before in Púcon (the same hostel as we met the Dutch girls!) on the ferry.

The two hour ferry ride to Isla del Sol was long and uncomfortable, especially given I still wasn’t feeling well, although once we were on the island the sun and scenery (and Eucalypt trees!) were enough to cheer me up.

We were dropped at the North side of the island and walked toward the South almost down the middle, taking in the scenery Incan Ruins, passing through three “checkpoints” set up by locals to slog you another 10 Bolivianos ($1.50) to pass and catching up on what the Canadians had been up to over the last 6 weeks.  Lake Titicaca stretched as far as the eye could see and it was difficult to appreciate the fact it was a lake, given it looked just like the sea.  Three steps up each hill though and we were quickly reminded that we were nearly 4,000m above sea level!

The dock at Copacabana.

 
Lake Titicaca and the terraced farming technique adopted on Isla del Sol.

The view from Santuario ruins.

Matt and Peter walk ahead past some Eucalypt trees.

 
We follow a boy and his donkeys into town to find a well earned beer.

 
Church in Yumani on the South side of the island.

On the ferry boat on the way back we bumped into two more familiar faces, Nicki and Dane from the Salt Flats Tour, only to learn that Dane had lost all of his photos and that they are running out of money and so cutting their trip short by one month. 

Upon arrival back in Copacabana we quickly organised bus tickets to Puno (over the border into Peru) as, apart from being Easter Sunday tomorrow, it was also Election Day in Bolivia.  We were warned that all shops would be closed, bus services not running and even the borders would be closed.  Not wanting to be stuck in Copacabana until Monday or later, we high tailed it over the border and arrived in Puno late that evening.

Oh! And the sunscreen… we forgot ours and borrowed some too little too late… some extra special tan lines were found in the morning.