Our first stop in Bolivia, Copacabana is especially magical because it is also our first glimpse of water in far too long. Of course, that’s not entirely true, because we swam in waterfalls in the jungle, but they were puddles compared to the expanse of Lake Titicaca. Despite being at altitude (the highest lake in the world!), it’s also pleasantly warm here, which is a delightful surprise.
It’s been a disgustingly long time since we showered, so obviously that is stop one, but then we are out and about on one of the many rooftop restaurant/bars. The food leaves much to be desired, but the view makes it worthwhile.
We soon discover that there’s not a whole lot to do in Copacabana, actually. There’s the normal tourist market stalls and the rooftop eating, but we walk quite far back into town and discover surprisingly little street food or actual Bolivian culture. The highlight of our days in Copacabana is without a doubt the giant swan-shaped pedal boats you can rent for a few Bolivianos and take out onto the lake. They have an atrocious turning radius, so it quickly evolves into a game of bumper-boats with Bolivians in the neighbouring swans.
Eager to move on to something bigger and better, we are hopping to Isla del Sol, an island in Lake Titicaca that’s dotted with ruins and great trekking, via a very cheap (albeit confusing) ferry. Of course, the French passengers on the ferry have thought to bring wine and crackers and chocolate. It’s one baguette away from a cultural revolution on the top deck, and I whisper mean things about them to Aristo, but mostly just because I’m upset that I didn’t think to bring wine and crackers and chocolate.
