More Journeys

Five of the six of us were taking an overnight bus back to La Paz after being dropped off in the heart of Uyuni, so even though we were cold, tired and shower-deprived, we headed to an elegant restaurant with flush toilets and a sink with running water! It’s amazing what you begin to take for granted. We had elegantly prepared and presented meals, and no dish surpassed the $10 mark.

We settled into the buses that feel like luxury with wide, reclining seats and blankets. But sleeping on a rattling bus that makes frequent stops at bright toll booths is not a restful night, but more like trying to sleep in a hospital room.

Thankfully, our bus arrived on time in La Paz. 6 am is cold and dark in the winter, and so our bodies took time to remember that it was in fact morning. We walked a few blocks to a hotel where our next bus, a bit more of a tourist bus, was to pick us up.

I was a bit anxious about meeting this bus, and especially since they showed up two minutes after the allotted 20 minute window, my nerves were on edge, but as everything else has so far, it worked out. 

This bus, operating a bit more for tourists was a nice relief. While the bus was not quite as nice, they held our hands and told us what to do. Otherwise, we would have had to make three connecting buses to get to our next stop. Instead, our guide escorted us off the bus into a ferry, back on the bus, out at a viewpoint and then to Copachabana. 

This is not the Copachabana you sing about, but rather a small town on the edge of Lake Titicaca. We didn’t really have much we wanted to see in the town, so settled on an upstairs balcony where we could watch the few boats come and go, a cat playing with a mouse, men painting their boats and a crew working on some sort of pipe work in the street. Lake Titicaca is known for trout and the trout tacos did not disappoint! 

Perhaps at warmer times, these would be fun, but with the cloud cover and chill in the air, we had no desire!

Our hand-holding guide led us to a small ferry boat after lunch that would take us to our next destination. The Island of the Sun is not far from Copachabana, but the small boats travel at a lovely rock-a-by-baby sort of pace.

So, a little over an hour later, we arrived at our new island home where we will remain for the next few days. There are no cars here and the island is a mountain, which means that you arrive at water-level and must go up to find your accommodations. Although it was not very far, at an altitude of well over 12,000 feet, it only takes a few stair steps before you are out of breath. So thankful for our backpacks instead of rolling suitcases! And so thankful for a gracious host who met us on the pathway and greeted us by name! This is going to be a lovely place to rejuvenate for the next few days!