twelve countries twelve months

True or False?  Lake Titicaca, which spreads across Peru and Bolivia, is the highest lake in the world?

Well we don´t seem to be able to get a straight answer – the Peru section of our lonely planet says that it is, while the Bolivia section says that it isn´t, but at 3920m above sea level it is definitely a contender for the Guinness book of world records, and probably only Norris McWerter can know for sure if it is number one.

A couple we met in Ecuador had recommended a hostel in the small village of Copacabana, on the Bolivian shores.  It was overlooking the lake and we had been looking forward to staying there ever since, so imagine our disappointment when we tried to book three days ahead only to find it was full.  Fortunately this turned out to be a blessing in disguise as they had availability in their sister hostel, where for only a little extra, we managed to get a two-story eco-cabin with a floor to ceiling stain-glass window looking out across Lake Titicaca.  After over three months of travelling we had been starting to miss some home comforts, so we took full advantage of the cabins facilities to enjoy a warming home cooked pasta dinner and a bottle of red wine, with a backdrop of the sunset over Lake Titicaca. 

The view from our room was all very well, but to really appreciate the lake we thought we should get out onto it.  Before arriving in Bolivia we had visited the Islas Flotantes on the Peruvian side of the lake.  These floating islands made of layers of buoyant totora reeds have been inhabited by Uros people for several centuries, after they fled there to avoid invasion by the Incas.  They are shockingly commercialised now – of the two islands we went to, one consisted only of a restaurant and gift shop!  But it was still interesting seeing the Uros unique way of life and walking on the spongy ground trying not to sink. 

Much more beautiful was the Isla del Sol in Bolivia.  The Incas believe the sun was born here, and as we trekked for four hours across the island there certainly was a lot of it!  To really appreciate the views of the lake and the sun we stayed the night on the island so that we could watch the sunset and the sunrise.  It was a close call with the sunrise though, since we had no idea what time it would happen, we randomly set our alarm for 5.15am and after a couple of snoozes we had to run up the hill to make it in time!

~ by robcheek on November 7, 2009.

Posted in travel
Tags: bolivia, lakes, peru