Day 25 - Transfer to Copacabana

Today was really just a transit day. After having our flights delayed from Rurrenabaque to La Paz we were a little under the pump to get all our other connections, but we made it. After a few hours running around the hilly streets of La Paz, huffing and puffing, we hopped on the bus to Copacabana and could relax. Brendan bought his first 15c ice-cream cone from a well timed man who came onto the bus just as all the waiting passenger's were settled and ready to go. It even had sprinkles so Brendan was happy.

After an interesting few hours on the bus, some mystery street food at a ferry stop and finding my new best friend, maiz tostados (very large pop corn,) we arrived into Copacabana on Lake Titicaca.

The sun was setting and it looked beautiful, completely different scene from crazy La Paz and one that we both welcomed. We checked into our very nice hostel and got ready for the adventure on Isla Del Sol the next day.

Day 26 - Isla del Sol

We began our day by meeting our guide, Juan Carlos, who impressed us from the word go with his fantastic English and knowledge of the area. We were in for a great day of history and culture. We caught the 2 and a half hour ferry to the north of Isla del Sol, one of the many islands in Lake Titicaca. The boat was slow but we were enjoying the scenery and the sun.We arrived and the tour began.

We walked passed beautiful crystal clear bays that tempted us for a swim until we were told it was about 10 degrees in the water. We walked further north for approx 45 minutes until we reached the origin of the Incas. The history here was just amazing. Some of the stone statues, houses and other ceremonial areas were just beautiful and all overlooking this enormous clear blue lake. We tried our luck drinking from the fountain of youth, learnt about Pachamama (Mother Earth), saw the famous footprints of the Sun God and just enjoyed being out and about. The altitude was still high, around 4,500 metres so the legs were feeling it but the walk was beautiful. The lake itself is situated at approx 3,800 m above sea level

After a tour of the north we started our trek to the south of the island which was where we were staying for the night. The 3 hour trek allowed us to see some of the beautiful island, hear more about the culture of the Incas and get a surprising slice of home. At one point we suddenly became surrounded by Eucalyptus trees. The smell was a little sweet reminder of home and strange to experience this far away. They had been introduced in the 1950's by the British for building and to reduce erosion on the mountain sides. We finally got to our hostel and had an amazing late lunch of the famouslocal trout. Our legs were tired but we still had a little more in them to trek back up the hill for sunset and a beer. The water was so blue which was a change from the murky colours of the jungle, it was like being at the ocean. We enjoyed the sunset and then headed back to our hostel for a well earned sleep. Isla Del Sol did not disappoint, it's a beautiful place and full of amazing history.