No showgirls or cigars here!
Trip Start
Dec 14, 2007
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172
187
Trip End
Mar 16, 2009
Copacabana,
Bolivia
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
The Bolivian boarder post was a short walk from the Peruvian side and was really just a small little office in the middle of nowhere. We got in the queue with the rest of the bus passenger who were almost entirely western travellers and waited to see what would happen. Before we got to the front desk our passports were checked by an official looking rather unofficial and when he saw we had South African passports I'm sure I saw a little grin on his face when we were escorted from the line and led to the corner of the office
Boarder crossing
. There we stood like two naughty little children while all the other travellers had their passports stamped.The unofficial looking official then began flipping through a printout listing counties that apparently needed visas to enter Bolivia. For a brief second we began to get a little worried until the unofficial looking official found what he was looking for and said we needed to pay B700 (bolivianos) the equivalent of US$ 110, as easy as that. We could only pay in local currency which we exchanged outside for a less than desirable rate but nevertheless bought us visas and we were granted entry. We had budgeted US$50 each for either a bribe or fees so were satisfied that we were on our way.
Thirty minutes from the boarder was the Bolivian lake side town of Copacabana, not to be confused with the Brazilian beach or the Cuban town. The town itself like Puno was nothing spectacular but had amazing views over Lake Titicaca and was a convenient access point to the famed Isla del Sol, Island of the Sun.
Since we hadn't bargained on getting into Bolivia we hadn't booked any accommodation so started browsing around once we arrived
Copacabana
. We found dragging our bags around in the heat of the day was exhausting so I left the bags with Inge-Marie and left on foot to find us some suitable accommodation. Using the Lonely Planets splurge recommendation I managed to get a beautiful double room overlooking the lake and town for a reasonable price. Just the treat we need after the previous few nights of budget accommodation.Since the town is geared towards tourism there was no shortage of restaurants, cafes and bars. The usual fare of Mexican and Italian was on offer with a few restaurants offering some Bolivian specialities and locally caught fish.
Since Copacabana is nestled between two hills one of which containing a series crosses containing stories of Jesus' life and is frequently visited by pilgrims. The peak is reached via a set of steep stone stairs and offers spectacular views of the lake and makes for a perfect spot to watch the sunset.
On my way down from the hill I spotted a little Italian restaurant away from the crowded tourist street and after browsing through the menu and chatting to the Italian owner decided to return for dinner. The restaurant had a great selection of Chilean and Argentinian wine and with the help of the owner we selected a lovely Argentinian pinot noir. The menu was quite simple with a selection of various homemade risottos, gnocchi, ravioli and pastas. Inge-Marie selected the penne bolognaise which she thoroughly enjoyed and I ordered what turned out to be an absolutely delicious trout filled ravioli smothered in a creamy white sauce garnished with crunchy almonds. Although a little rich we both enjoyed every morsel and savoured ever sip of the fantastic pinot noir.
We only planned to spend two nights in Copacabana in order to get to spend a little extra time in the countries capital La Paz but before leaving we had to make a stop at the legendry Isla del Sol, the birthplace of the sun according to Inca mythology.
