her name was lola
copacabana was our first stop in bolivia, set at 3,800m above sea level on the banks of the vast lake titicaca. getting up to go the toilet set off bouts of breathlessness, and schlepping backpacks around was heart attack inducing. still it is a very attractive little town, albeit one that is very, very travellery. the plus side is nice, roots manuva playing, bars to enjoy relaxed drinks in (and humiliate vicki at connect 4), but the definite negative is the vast swathes of travellers that places like copacabana cater to and attract. a quick point; if you are white you look ridiculous in dreadlocks. fact. you can listen to as much bob marley as you like, and wear as many beads as you can muster, but if you are from surrey then a head full of dreads is not for you. to be honest the lonely planet, my trusty bible in all my previous travels, is partly to blame. the south east asia version is absolutely brilliant but the south american one is terrible, highlighting poor accommodations and harbouring under the illusions that the only people who want to travel around south america are vegetarians. we don't want a list of the only vegetarian restaurants in town you fools, just the best restaurants. honestly, improve the lp and we might just keep the ethno-poshys somewhere else.that rant is slightly disingenuous however because we actually had an excellent time in copacabana, from milling around the dusty markets up to the atypical moorish cathedral, fronted with flower bedecked cars and trucks ripe from a blessing, to paddling in a swanheaded pedalboat on the lake trying to steer into, elusive, seagulls.
we also spent a day trekking across the isla del sol, an island credited as the birthplace of the incas. the views were pretty stunning, with the snowcapped peaks of the cordilerra real on one side and the shimmering lake, dotted with exotic rocky outcrops, on the other. the trek itself, however, was absolutely deadly by virtue of being on or around 4,000m in the blazing midday sun. the incas must have had had lungs like elephants. i clearly have ones like a gerbil.
still copacabana was tiring but fun, and an excellent introduction to bolvia. we have just arrived in la paz, and will continue to sample the delights from here.
posted by bicrom @ 4:47 pm
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