The main activity in Bolivian Copacabana is probably a visit to Isla del Sol, the sun island. It’s named this way because according to Inca legend, the sun god Inti was born here. From here the first king and thus the Inca empire was created. The island is located in South America’s biggest lake and the highest navigable lake in the world, at 3812m. It’s believed to be over 3 million years old. I headed out to the island for a day trip.
The island has some rivalry between the North and South. At times they are in conflict and will not allow anyone to cross from one side of the island to the other. Although the entire island is now open to tourists, I could feel the divide. It started when I informed about options and prices for ferries. The boat man from the North had no interest in providing me with information when I said I wasn’t sure which side to visit. Eventually I bought a ride North, with the intention to walk South. The departure time had changed from 8.30am to 9am, but we actually left at 9.20. My hours on the island were shrinking.
After a 2 hour boat ride in the constant fumes of petrol, I teamed up with Paola from Buenos Aires and Nathalie from Amsterdam. Like me, Paola wanted to catch a boat back to the mainland, whereas Nathalie was sleeping on the island and had all the time in the world to walk to the South. At first we thought we’d just walk around the North and if we ran out of time, return from there at 2pm. I just wasn’t happy with such a short time on the island. The island is magical and I wish I would have spent the night there. The North is less touristy, but as soon as we arrived, I could see several restaurants and public toilets. Someone was waiting at the pier to charge us 15 bolivianos to enter the island. We walked through the town, not entirely sure where to go. On the other side was a gorgeous white beach. A donkey was walking alongside the water and a few tents were pitched on the sand. What a view! I was already happy to be here.
The island was very hilly and after the beach it went uphill alongside some houses and what seemed like a school. Some tiny pigs were rummaging in the bushes. There were many terraces where people could cultivate vegetables or grains. Beyond them the lake seemed to stretch to infinity, apart from the sides that had tall snow-covered mountains. Below we saw some white sand beaches. We ended up on a walking path that was clearly indicated by rows of stones on both sides. Alongside were some stalls that sold drinks and snacks, or at times souvenirs. It wasn’t nearly as busy as is usual though, due to the blockades in the country. The island was peaceful, tranquil. We visited some Inca ruins and saw a sacred rock, a table for sacrifices or rituals.
We kept walking, all uphill, and met a man asking for our tickets. When we showed them he said:”nooo, that is for the North. You are entering the South now.” We paid. It didn’t matter if we would loop back North or head all the way South. But the man said we had 1,5 hours to go to Yumani, so I was keen to keep going and catch the boat back from there. But when does the boat leave. Back in Copacabana I was told 4pm. The guy here said 4.30pm. Some others had gotten the time frame between 3 and 4pm. Well, worst case I’d sleep on the island. We had a long climb uphill, which was tough at this altitude. And every time we thought we were at the top, there would be another incline hidden outside of our view. I spread my arms in victory when I finally reached the top, to the amusement of two local men who were chilling in the grass.
As the path went downhill, the mood lifted again. Sure, there were still some short, tough sections, but the views were simply incredible. We saw some towns below, at the water’s edge. Then Yumani came into view. They’ve built some incredibly cute guest houses and restaurants. Because of the location on top of the hill, you get incredible views from their terraces. Unfortunately I didn’t have time to linger. On this car-free island there is only one way to get to the harbour: on foot. We descended down an Inca staircase. I felt bad for all the people who had to get up here. At the bottom we got a ticket and had time to spare for an ice cream. 4 o’clock passed and there was no boat yet. Then something came. All of us walked onto the pier, but they wouldn’t let us in. Because there had been few passengers from Copacabana, a small boat had shown up, not big enough for all of us. I’m not sure what happened to the others, but I managed to get onboard and safely returned to the mainland. The sun was setting and I got some dinner at a rooftop terrace while I watched nature’s show. Another day, another adventure.
