La Paz and Copacabana 12 - 23 April
La Paz and Copacabana 12 - 23 April
Wednesday 12 April Our first full day in La Paz. Last night we had a couple of drinks and dinner in the comfy 8th floor rooftop bar, overseen by a very friendly Brazilian chap who speaks excellent English.
Our bedroom, on the 4th floor, is less impressive - it's a big room with a tiny en suite bathroom (no towels or bath mat), it's chilly and the bed has a wierd headboard that creaks when you turn over. Limited clothes storage, and a lot of street noise once rush hour started at 7.00 am.
We have breakfast on 8th floor - there's a guest kitchen on 7th floor but a dearth of supermarkets/ food shops locally. Drop 4 kgs of laundry at reception and walk to the 'Witches Market'. John still hunting a local hat and is pleased to buy one with a smart orange band - very Terry Pratchett.
The road back to the hostel is mostly uphill so it's a short but slow trip. Read and hang out, and go out to the Lucky Llama again in the evening for dinner - John has a steak and I have a veggie curry. My taste buds are so excited! Get a taxi back to the hostel.
Thursday 13 April. Have breakfast at the rooftop bar but both feeling a bit below par today so don't do much apart from a planning session in the morning, then read and snooze - altitude altitude (3640 metres above sea level).
Friday 14 April To the bus station across the road to buy tickets for Copacabana on Sunday. The bus station was designed by M. Eiffel, of tower fame, and was originally built around the time of WW1 as a train station; became a bus station in 1980.
We pick a bus service (Vicuna travel) and buy return tickets. Outward journey is at 7.30 am and we have to turn up 15 minutes in advance.
Dinner on the rooftop - I order houmous which is green (with basil) and doesn't taste of anything very much.
Saturday 15 April. After breakfast we head to the nearest Teleferico (cable car) station which involves crossing several main roads with minimal pavements. The station itself is modern and well laid out. We buy a 'round trip' ticket for 11 bobs (about £1.50) each, mask up and set off on the red line changing when we get to El Alto, which is a city that adjoins but is above La Paz.
We ride in turn on the silver, yellow, light blue, white and orange lines going (roughly) anti clockwise. Great views of different aspects of the city. From above we can see the big difference between the smart down town area, with high rise apartments and offices, to the majority of the city.
People are very polite and most say buenas dias or buenas tardes when they get into a cable car. As there's only a few people per car (max eight at a push) that makes sense.
Get out one stop before the end of the full circuit and walk to Plaza Murillo which I remember visiting 22 years ago. It has some very elegant buildings, tho' some are definitely running to seed. The church and another handsome building have huge ugly sky scrapers built behind them which definitely spoils their look. There's a mariachi band playing outside the church and a new bride and groom dancing along.
Walk back to the hostel and do some initial packing prior to leaving tomorrow. Go to a nearby restaurant (Kaphiy) for dinner - the owner (I assume) is very friendly and speaks good English. Good vegetarian burger made with quinoa; John has llama steak which he describes as 'gamey'. To Rooftop for a whisky each and to bed.
Sunday 16 April. Up in the dark, finish packing, check out and walk to the bus station. We're way too early of course (who am I travelling with..?) so hang around until we can go to the bus platform. In Bolivian bus stations, where there are many bus companies competing for business to the same places, there are people shouting the destinations to try and get you to buy their tickets. A constant background noise.
Finally get under way about 7.40 am but it takes another 20 minutes queuing to get on the road as each passenger on each bus has to pay a 2.50 bob 'exit tax' as we leave the terminal. Why that can't be added on to your bus ticket I don't know …. but am guessing it's about make-work.
Trip to Copacabana is in several parts - firstly we climb up to the rim of the valley where La Paz sits, to El Alto city above La Paz. El Alto has a bigger population than La Paz and is very flat - its outskirts go on for miles. Gradually get to the countryside. After about 2 hours we arrive in Tiquina where we exit the bus, as we have to cross the Straits of Tequina, with passengers in a small boat and cars and buses in a large barge. Passenger crossing takes about 8 minutes and we have to wait a while in San Pedro de Tequina for the bus to arrive.
Back on the bus and it takes about another hour to get to Copacabana (3840 metres above sea level). Take a taxi to our hostel, the Piedra Andina, which is uphill on the edge of town, surrounded by half finished buildings. Taxi costs 10 bob (£1.15). Our room is … different. Hippy chic meets Christmas decorations with paper details, dolls, model llamas, dolphin design on the wall. The bed is huge, bathroom very green, terrace has hammocks and the view of Lake Titicaca is amazing.
Walk into town to check out where to buy tickets for Isla del Sol and other destinations and then go to a well reviewed restaurant the Restaurant La Fortaleza del Sabor. Good food, excellent WiFi (unlike the hostel) friendly service - this is our go to while in Copacabana. To the market to buy some veggies (cheap as can be) and some sausages, where we get ripped off when the stall holder palms 5 bob and says we only gave her a lesser amount. Our Spanish not up to making a fuss.
Monday 17 April. Quiet day - we buy tickets for a boat trip tomorrow to the so called 'floating islands' and explore the town a bit more. There's plenty of opportunity to buy floating island tickets but we see none for reed islands. Agree we won't walk up the hill to the 12 stations of the Cross as even a small slope is hard work.
Tuesday 18 April on our boat trip to a Floating Island (Isla Flotante - not to be confused with the meringue/ crème anglais pudding of the same name) which takes about 40 minutes puttering across the bay. The 'island' is a large moored wooden raft strewn with reeds and with huts; they farm trout here so there's several cages of fish alongside.
John nets two trout for our lunch and we go to explore a nearby island.
Back at the hostel we pack as are off to Isla del Sol tomorrow - travelling light as it's only one night and the hostel will keep our rucksacks. Make dinner in the kitchen - there are other guests there but they're not very sociable (apart from the hostel cat who gets super excited whenever the fridge is opened).
Wednesday 19 April catch the 1.30 pm ferry to Isla del Sol - other passengers are mostly backpackers. Takes about two hours to get there - when we arrive we pay a modest entry fee and then have to face a 1 in 3 climb up to the village of Yumani. There are donkeys for hire but they're for goods and bags and not for people.
Check in to our room in our hostel, Wara Uta, which has a great view of the lake, the Isla del Luna and mountains beyond. Very smart bathroom as well.
About 6.00 pm we start to head for our dinner destination, Las Velas, which is said to have fantastic sunset views and vegetarian food. It's not very far on the map but it's a lot of uphill, followed by a walk through a wood (at this altitude the trees are mostly eucalyptus) and then a bit more up…. But the welcome is great, we get the sunset view and the food (pizza) is delicious.
Thursday 20 April. Disappointed that the shower in the smart bathroom failed to deliver - the water started hot, then went cold and then stopped altogether. Not even enough time to get wet.
After breakfast we go for a walk along the contour of the island until we can see the Temple of the Sun in the next bay - to visit is all down hill but that means coming back UP hill so we pass on that.
Walk back to the village and stop for a drink, then walk down to the port by a different route, the Inca Stairs, which are much easier going than the donkey trail we walked up yesterday.
And of course there's a Fuente Inca (de la Eterna Juventud) (fountain of eternal youth) to sample half way down.
The ferry we thought ran at 3.00 pm doesn't exist so we wait around for the 4.00 pm. There's coffee and soft drinks available, our books to read and boats to watch so we're fine. Get back to Copacabana about 6.00 pm, taxi to the hostel, pick up our bags and check back in to room 7. A different design of 70s or 80s patterned sheets today.
Friday 21 April. Today we spend sightseeing in Copacabana eg Mirador del Inca and the Basilica of Our Lady of Copacabana.
Plus a meal at our favourite restaurant and chatting to the hostel cat who makes himself at home in our room. And packing (not the cat).
Saturday 22 April, have breakfast, finish packing and kill time ...
... before walking to the bus office at 1.00 pm for the trip back to La Paz. When we travelled here on Sunday the bus was full but today there's no more than half a dozen people on board. A lot of people travel from Copacabana to Peru which may be why.
Safely back to La Paz and check in to the Rooftop Hostal. We're on the 5th floor today with a smaller and much nicer room than before. A heater! A bed that doesn't creak! A telly (that we don't watch)!
Sunday 23 April - failed to find a museum that's open this morning, whatever Google Maps says.
Check out of the hostel and get a taxi to La Paz airport around lunchtime as today we are flying to Tarija a city a long way south east of La Paz and at a much lower altitude.
Arrive safely in Tarija and get a taxi to our apartment - I think I get ripped off with the fare by 5 or 10 bobs but too difficult to query it.
Settle into the apartment which is huge, modern and clean - three beds, two bathrooms and a loo, kitchen, living room and balcony all for not very much. Nip round the corner to a small supermarket for provisions and relax.
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