Bolivia

Bolivia: Copacabana, La Paz, Paso Chungara

21.04

T: Cuzco Copacabana 22:30 8:30 (+1)San Cristobal, 50 S

22.04
S: Copacabana, El Cerro Calvario

T: Copacabana La Paz 10:30 Manco Capac 20 BOB

H: Isidoros

23.04

B: Arica bus ticket

S: La Paz

S: Valle de la Luna

H: Isidoros

24.04

T: La Paz Arica 6:15 Bus Cali 80 BOB 11h

F: Chile Chungara

 1 Boliviano (BOB) = 0.13 EUR

Copacabana

Bolivia was a gray spot in my itinerary as I only got the visa in Cuzco. Bolivia has of course embassies in all South American countries, but many conditions have to be met: be in the capital, working day, have free time. If I could not obtain it I would still venture to the border for a visa on arrival, plan B was to go back to Puno and then on to Arika in Chile through Arequipa. But everything clapped in place in Cuzco, even the San Cristobal bus was very convenient as it took us directly across the border into Copacabana, there was no need to change in Puno.

The bus travels along the shores of Titicaca for quite a while. The border checkpoint was not very busy, but we had to wait until all passengers got through. I used the time to take some photos, including one of Isabel perched on a post. She was from Argentina, spending several months in Peru and was only going to Copacabana to renew her visa.

Isabel

Copacabana is a small border town on the lake Titicaca, another magical word from my youthful dreams. The lake is the largest in South America with an area over 8,000 sq.km. At an altitude of  3800 m it is the highest navigable lake in the world. The border between Peru and Bolivia runs through the lake so that Copacabana is cut off from the Bolivian mainland and you need to take a ferry. As usual, first thing I tried to book the next bus to La Paz and there was one in about an hour and a half. I dropped my backpack in their office and hurried to the Cerro Calvario, a peak rising some 200 m above Copacabana, as I guessed the view of the lake would be worth the climbing. 

Copacabana: Lake Titicaca 3812 m and Cerro Calvario 4005 m

Lake Titicaca from Cerro Calvario

The peak does look pretty near Copacabana, but at this altitude and only an hour available I had to hurry. Fortunately by now I was used to the altitude and this was my first climb to over 4000 meters. I gained the top and the view was indeed breathtaking. The lake was deep blue with the white yachts in the bay below, and in the distance one could see the Isla del Sol, the mythical birthplace of the first Inkas. Once again I regretted I could not stay for at least a day. The bus crossed the narrow Strait of Tiquina in a kind of ferry, but the passengers sailed in a speedboat with seagulls flying above the boat. On the other side of the strait there were ladies selling artisan papyrus dolls and ships, I remembered the Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl had built his Ra II boat on the lake Titicaca and sailed with it from Morocco to Barbados to prove Egyptian mariners could have reached the West Indies in papyrus boats.

Crossing the Strait of Taquina

There were only 150 km to La Paz, but with the ferry and all we took like 4 hours. The bus wormed through the El Alto part of La Paz and we had to descend at a local market before the city proper. I took a collectivo to the bus terminal, but with the crowds, traffic and narrow streets I think I could have made it earlier on foot. I stayed at Isidoros, a hostel very conveniently located only a hundred meters from the bus terminal. It was not very crowded and the personnel let me have a room all to myself and took care of my washing. I went to the terminal to change money and book my ticket to Arika.

Next morning I took a collectivo from the Church of San Francisco all the way to Mallasa to visit the Valle de la Luna. The urban legend is that US astronaut Neil Armstrong first remarked the landscape is similar to the lunar one. It is a maze of eroded canyons and spires, but the footpaths are clearly marked and there are some dramatic formations.

Valle de la Luna: With Roberto, geologist from Brazil

I met a group of Brazilians with their local guide - an Aymara, who explained about the Espiritu de los Andes stele and the Muela del Diablo peak visible on the mountain ridge. Then they went to do some hiking and I went on to the La Paz Zoo. They let me in for free as there was the 65+ privilege announced at the cashiers but as a rule such privileges apply only to locals, as if travelers have no age. The Zoo was a bit barren and the sun scorching despite the altitude. I managed to catch a puma and I had to wait for 20 minutes with my camera held inside the huge condor wire cage to catch a condor flying directly at me.

I had lunch at a restaurant outside the zoo and took a bus towards the center. Talking about "downtown" in La Paz does not make much sense. El Alto is at an altitude of 4100 m, the bus terminal at 3700 and Mallasa at 3250.  My target was the Mirador Killi Killi which offers an excellent view of La Paz and surrounding mountains.

La Paz from Killi Killi

Next morning was April 24th  and exactly one month after I started the journey and I was still going further and farther on to Arica in Chile. Bolivia feels badly about its lost outlet to the ocean after a lost war against Chile at the end of 19th century and this is where I was heading to. At Isidoros they were kind enough to serve me breakfast at 5:45. The Cali bus was quite empty when we departed from the terminal, but a lot of people mounted in the El Alto. The border crossing point with Chile is at Chungara - Tambo Quemado, a pass in the Andes at 4700m from which one views the twin volcanoes towering at 6300 m. And then we descended all the way to sea level.

Pomerape and Tarinacota Volcanoes