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Bless that Bus with a Bottle of Beer
Entry 62 of 83 | show all | print this entry |
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Copacabana
Our first introduction to Bolivia was in the beautiful town on the shores of Lake Titicaca. Weekenders eating food from street stalls near the shore, paddle-boating, picnicking, religious ceremonies; it seemed like a very festive culture. One Sunday morning, we passed by the Cathedral in town, and witnessed a strange Bolivian custom or ritual. Once a month, people from surrounding areas come to this highly respected Cathedral not to bless there babies, souls, or dead...but instead, they wait in line outside the church in their cars, cueing up to secure a blessing for their vehicles! Families in their buses, minivans, taxis, trucks, all wait their turn for a chance to get to the front of the line and have a priest praise their auto while the owner and the family crack open "holy" bottles of beer and pour the suds all around the body and tires. The whole affair was quite hilarious to us, but to the believers, it marks the difference between a fate less write-off from an accident, or safe passage for many kilometers to come.
Expecting warmth and sunny breaks, we were infuriated to find a huge thunderstorm roll in that cut out the power in the entire town for 2 days! We had rented a gorgeous room in which to relax and recuperate, and when the electricity went out, we still found a way to make some tea, by holding the kettle over the propane gas heater for 15 minutes.
NOTES FOR THE TRAVELLER: - Transport: Kastani border to Copacabana, (Combivan, 2.5 Bolivianos, 8km, 15 minutes) - Hotel: Hostal Las Olas, lasolascopa@hotmail.com, 00592-71914650, Reservations needed for this highly recommended place, one of the best places we've stayed! $ 32 USD, full bee hive all to yourself, including kitchen, living room with full bay windows with a view of the Lake, two floors with hammocks, and a gigantic circular bed.
- Restaurant: Hotel La Cupula, adjacent to Las Olas, has a wonderful restaurant, with amazing meals. Reservations are required. Hotel Utama has an amazing breakfast, and can be purchased for 15 Bolivianos even if you are not staying there.
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