Copacabana

It's hard to believe, but Copacabana, Bolivia (population 6,000, elevation 12,500 feet) was the inspiration for the famed Copacabana Beach in Rio.

We rolled into the original yesterday morning after a 3 hour bus ride from Puno, Peru.  The dreaded border crossing was fine.  We had heard that the Bolivians go out of their way to hassle Americans.  They treated us just fine!  Maybe our crisp dollars had something to do with it.  While everybody else goes through quickly without a need for money or much paperwork, we had to photocopy our passports, fill out a visa application form, and hand over $540 in impeccable bills.  That's the famed "reciprocity fee" many South American countries have started charging US citizens, since we charge their citizens so much to apply to enter our country.  I suppose there's a certain logic there.  At least we were certain we'd get in.

This looks like photoshop, but it's actually us at the border

Not only is Copacabana firmly on the gringo trail as a base for exploring Lake Titicaca (that means grey puma in Quechua!), but it is a huge destination for Bolivians on Good Friday.  Yes, our timing was perfect.  We also arrived on Good Friday.  Thousands of people make the two day pilgrimage from La Paz to Copacabana to visit the twelve stations of the cross and then the cathedral.  As our bus rounded the bend on the hill overlooking town, we saw tents, colorful stalls, and what can only be described as Coney Island-type crowds in a small beach town.  Oh my.  

The most incredible feat of the day was our bus stopping in the middle of Copacabana's biggest intersection (which is not that big, but still), and managing to turn 180 degrees to double park next to the terminal terrestre.  It was like a 30-point turn that took 15 minutes to execute in front of an audience of hundreds.  Hats off to Bolivian bus drivers.  

The hardest thing we did yesterday was loading ourselves up with all our luggage and walking 4 short blocks uphill to our hotel.  We can easily carry our stuff under normal circumstances, but the altitude here makes you gasp for breath at the merest exertion, plus poor Oscar was running a slight fever.  Even though we spent a lot of time at high altitude in Ecuador, Oscar has developed a sensitivity to it in Peru and Bolivia.  He's a good sport but it's no fun feeling headachy, nauseated, listless and feverish, especially when on the move.  

After settling into our hostal, which provides coca tea and snacks round the clock, we felt ready to explore Copacabana.  (Oscar stayed in bed -- we have some common sense!).  We secured a lunch spot outside on 6 de Agosto, the main drag leading downhill from the Cathedral to the beach.  A three course menu del día with delicious quinoa soup and trout cost a mere 20 bolivianos ($3).  

We then proceeded to enjoy the most diverse street parade imaginable.  I read that 60% of Bolivia's population is indigenous.  Lake Titicaca is home to Quechua and Amarya people, many of whom were out for a stroll.  We also saw middle class Bolivians (I haven't seen so many dogs on leashes since Ecuador), the ubiquitous Argentinian backpackers, and gringos of all shapes and sizes.  The pilgrims were easy to spot -- most carried wooden staffs and carried backpacks with sleeping pads.  It was nice to see so many Bolivians in the crowd and to see the gringos and hippies outnumbered for once.

Neil, Ruby and I also wandered up to the Cathedral, which was surrounded by indigenous ladies selling Easter stuff -- intricate flower arrangements, crosses etc. woven out of reeds, and what I can only describe as shiny Catholic tchotchkes.  

Two smurfs

Vendors had also set up carnival games for the pilgrims and tourists.  The funniest thing that happened to us was our very public and humiliating turn at a soccer carnival game (see below).  Ruby almost won by kicking over 4 out of 6 metal cups.  Neil missed them completely.  I got one on the rebound.  We have found Bolivians to be more reserved than Peruvians.  But our inept athletic display elicited huge laughs from the vendors and the friendly crowd.  

It's harder than it looks!

We also played pinball on an ingenious homemade board decorated with rapper stickers, a bike bell, and other obstacles sized for marbles.  It was much more challenging than a regular pinball machine. The other carnival games were impossible to decipher.  

Despite our dismal performance at the carnival games, I really loved exploring Copacabana on Good Friday.  Imagine Occupy Wall Street-like tents overtaking an entire small beach town.  There was a festive family atmosphere.  Every business in town was selling baño access and a few entrepreneurs were selling mattress space.  Street vendors were selling sopa de gallina, salchipapas, chicha, and my favorite -- the biggest assortment of puffy, crunchy snacks (chicharrones, yuca, etc.) you could imagine.  

Vendors near the bus station

Due to Oscar's illness, we skipped the day-long excursion to Isla del Sol in order to push onto La Paz.  I'm sorry to miss out on the biggest attraction here, but it just gives us a reason to return.  Besides, we hadn't booked the fancy hydrofoil tour, and I read that the regular boats don't usually have enough life jackets for the 3-4 hour ride.  I'm not generally an uptight person, but, really?  Why take any chances?  Besides, I can only imagine what it would be like to go on the lake today with the Easter crowds.

Onto La Paz -- the 2,000 foot descent will hopefully do Oscar some good.  The hotel we booked for tomorrow can't take us tonight, so we booked the nicest hotel we could find as a special treat.  The staff at the hostal in Cococabana could not have been more helpful to us.  They've arranged a taxi and are not even charging us the extra night.  We're off, plastic bags and Imodium in hand.  

Bolivia is landlocked but maintains a navy on Lake Titicaca.  Here's a member of the Bolivian Armada directing traffic at the ferry crossing.