March 30-31 Tranquility

This wee island would have been absolute bliss but for the altitude which left me with no energy, a baffling sense of ennui, strange pains and a feeling of helplessness. Around our lodge, Tacana Lodge, were terraced vegetable gardens creeping up the slopes of this mountainous island. So beautiful. The silence or rather the absence of human sounds was heavenly. 

Beautiful donkeys grazed on herbs, grass and flowers outside our cabin

This little vegie patch almost at water's edge had many different species of fava beans and potatoes

This second day we took a boat ride along part of the coastline. Our guide was very keen for us to climb to the ruins which I know would have been very special but neither of us had the oomph to take the steep climbs. Instead we wandered through a little village and along the shore meeting up with some very friendly pigs. We also watched a couple of the local men untangled their fish nets in preparation for setting nets in the evening. 

This big sow had a couple of youngsters rooting around through the seaweed

The Island's hillsides bore the sign of the industriousIncas culture,- every slope was terraced.

We only had a precious few days on the shores of the island gazing out in Wifi-less silence at the snow-capped Cordillera Real that cradles the lake on the eastern aspect as we nursed our breathless aching  bodies - at around 4000m and after many days of rough travel we were rather ragged. Sadly the next day we had to return to La Paz. Juan organised an alternative return trip via the Copacabana Peninsula. A short boat trip then more waiting around ~40 mins  or more while our guide negotiated with the locals leaving us cooling our heels (not something we have experienced with any other travel guides - fortunately). Finally after a little 'prompting', we hopped into a car (which smelled like there was a fuel leak) and wove our way around the rocky peninsula. It was a little like being back in Australia – we were driving through forests of eucalypts. It seems our Aussie trees were imported to help stop erosion and I’m assuming for other reasons as well. 

We stopped at an inlet amongst dense reed beds to inspect a traditional reed boat.  The proud owner was old before his time, the sweet man, but so delighted to show us his craft. These boats are called Balsa de Totora and evidently are built in various sizes from small fishing canoes to thirty metres long boats. They are still used on Lake Titicaca, but I suspect they are more of a tradition than a practical reality as they need to be rebuilt every year because the reeds rot.  

We arrived back in Copacabana in time to visit the Basilica of Our Lady of Copacabana before it closed for the day. It was of special significance to our guide who had never managed to visit it. It is a C17th Spanish colonial shrine that houses the image of the Virgen de Copacabana. I don’t remember more beyond that.  A special service was in progress when we arrived so we only had a brief and respectful visit (with no photographs).

The sun was reaching its zenith and our tummies were grumbling so we headed back down through the village to find food. Lots of street stalls caught our eye plus a produce market which was a bit of an eye-opener. We were told there are no flies in the region .... hmmmm we saw lots buzzing around bowls of meat and tripe and other ‘things’ sitting out for all to ‘admire’ as well as showing a keen interest in the ‘fresh’ fish spread out on the ground. It’s an interesting different world.

That's a bowl of tripe in front. It's a popular dish and one can buy it on the streets cooked with onion and potato in big 'washing up' bowls.

I think our guts have become a little fragile and sensitive living in our refrigerated/sanitised world. Sadly our constitutions can't handle many 'little beasties' that live in 'local' food. Lunch was a hamburger and chips which our guide thought might be safe, but over-sensitive me couldn’t eat mine because the smells from the meat market still lingered in my mind.  So Lindsay finished off his and well as mine. Unfortunately that evening poor Lindsay suffered a bad case of ‘Bali’ belly. I had meds for him but he was still poorly the next day when we were flying off to Lima. Poor darling. 

Another very early start @ 3am - I mean really?! Lindsay was feeling pretty rotten but today was the day we were to commence the next leg of our South American 'adventure' so he soldiered on and we made it safe and sound into the chaos of Lima.