With Sorata’s main square still all dug up
there was a modicum of confusion at the minibus stand. Not surprisingly our directo bus turned out
not to exist but our ticket was promptly revised and the necessary change given. In the end it meant we had to jump down at
Huarani Junction where we would have to flag down a Copacabana bound mode of
transport. Within minutes a truck
stopped and offered to take us to Copa which is not to be confused with the
beach resort in Brazil by-the-way!
We thought things were going too smoothly when
he kicked us out at Tiquina after a rickety wooden mini ferry crossing over a
section of Lake Titicaca. Within 30mins
a minivan pulled up whose destination was Copacabana and this time we reached our
destination. Town appeared to be much
smaller and infinitely more manageable than we’d thought from promotional
photos we’d seen. Following a short
wander we decided to check into Hostel la Solar which is was basic but clean
and perfectly adequate for a night at only Bob70 (US$10).
Copacabana sees many tourists passing through
so there is a street thronged with tourist shops, ticket offices, travel
agents, internet cafes and restaurants.
On the lake shore, that is decidedly not beach like, there are pedal
boats for local tourists and a row of cheap eateries. Trucha (trout) is farmed in the lake and is
very much the local speciality so obviously Steve was keen to try it. Just by walking a couple of hundred yards
from the tourist strip you can save up to Bob20 on your fish dish; so we did!
The town square is dominated by a white and
colourfully tiled cathedral which is a very popular spot for people to get
their vehicles blessed. First of all
they decorate the windscreen and wing mirrors with brightly coloured paper
streamers, then they add a shiny cardboard top hat to the front of the roof,
get the padre to bless the vehicle (for a small donation of course!) and
finally douse the wheels and bonnet in local fizz. The town square stinks of wasted booze but
then the family drive off to one of those local eateries I was telling you
about and tuck into some beer.
There’s not a huge amount to do in Copa as
really it’s just a jumping off point between Bolivia and Peru or a visit to
Lake Titicaca. However, on the edge of
town there’s a small knoll people like to walk up to watch the sunset over said
body of water. You following the stages
of the cross to the top and there’s some sort of religious thing up there but
the whole place is disgustingly littered.
I thought the Asians were bad at looking after important and religious
buildings at times but this was the worse we’ve ever seen. That said we were glad we’d gone up there as
the sun looked magnificent sinking below the horizon.
