In search of the Sun God

We departed the hotel at 10am for the long drive to Copacabana, the main Bolivian town on the shore of Lake Titicaca. Decided to leave my mobile phone at the hotel for the duration of the trip – sometimes I find it best to get away from city life and ‘just be’ without any distractions. The road was very scenic, through small shanty towns on the outskirts of the city, then through a winding dirt path in the hills around Lake Titicaca. The lake shone bright blue in the midday sun and we finally reached a small port of Tiquina with a boat (Bs 2) to take us across to the Copacabana peninsular. Reached Copacabana at 2.30pm and spent the afternoon relaxing and exploring the town. It was surprisingly bright and busy, with plenty of craft shops and backpacker bars / hostels as well as a good selection of restaurants and cafes, some with rooftop views over the lake.

The next morning we had breakfast at 7.30am then met our guide Ivan who was to take us around Isla del Sol for the day. Isla del Sol ("Island of the Sun") is the largest island on Lake Titicaca, and an ancient holy site of the Inca. We got a boat from the harbour in Copacabana to the island, first stopping at the southern part (Yumani) after 1.5rhs and then onto the northern part (Challapampa) about 30 minutes later. Ivan told us that it is the largest lake in South America by volume of water, with a maximum length of 118 miles and a maximum width of 50 miles. The average depth is 351 feet, although some parts of the lake are over 900 feet deep!

At Challapampa we walked for 45minutes along stunning coastal views (and some donkeys and llamas!) to the Inca sites. Ivan explained the significance of the island in Andean culture, as this is where Inca legend says that Viracocha, the bearded god who created the universe, emerged from the waters of Lake Titicaca and created the sun. We saw the Rock of the Puma, or Titi Kharka, after which the lake is named and all made a wish by piling rocks. A short distance from the rock was the Inca Table, which was used for both animal and human sacrifices. Ivan explained that now Llama foetuses and candy were brunt and buried as an offering to the gods (and these could be bought in the markets in La Paz!). A little further on we went to a labyrinth where the Incas used to live, with winding corridors to confuse evil spirits. We explored the ruins then carried on along the path to the south of the island.

The walk wasn’t too strenuous, even though we were over 4000m as there were few inclines, and so it was a chance to take in the beautiful scenery and tranquil surroundings. As we reached the other side, around 3 hours later, some Inca Steps descend down to the water. At the bottom Ivan pointed out the Fountain of Youth (although it looked like drinking from it would more likely shorten your life than extend it!). He told us that the Incas were firmly against lying, thieving, and laziness and punishment for these were cutting off the tongue, hand, and heart respectively. Laziness was obviously the worst!

We had a trout lunch overlooking the lake then back on the boat to the mainland. As it was one of the team’s birthdays we celebrated in the evening with Pisco sours on a rooftop terrace then a pasta dinner with some local red wine. Shared mountaineering and expedition stories and an early night back at the hostel ready for our first day in the Condoriri mountains tomorrow.

#bolivia #laketiticaca #copacabana