Tuesday, 02/19: Relocation to Copacabana. From the La Paz Valley we climbed up to the high, flat plateau. Again, there was no direct route. Modern civilization gradually fades to unpaved side streets and random obedience to traffic rules.
First stop was Tiwaniku, one of the oldest settlements in Bolivia, if not all of South America. The pyramid and surrounding structures were trashed by the Spanish in the effort to find gold and build other things, but some relics remain. There is an effort to rebuild, but it’s running up against strict UNESCO guidelines. Lots of things I never knew, such as an accent habit to reshape skulls of the young to conform with their perception of perfection. Ouch. There was a hill to the west that apparently blocked the sunset. It was removed. I can imagine the conversation, ruler to servants. Had Llama for lunch. Delicious.
Continued the drive to Copacabana. Finally came the much feared Bolivia rain. Then hail. Then thunder and lightning. The roads turned to mud and a stuck truck blocked the main(?!) road. Detoured to muddier roads. Several detours of the detour. Much discussion among drivers. Stops to check the depth of mud puddles/ponds. The rain stopped and we finally got back on the main road. The clearing skies provided incredibly clear views of the Andes.
Reached the ferry crossing. We took a passenger boat ahead of our van. The ferries are barges with 30 HP engines and a single crewman who poles the barge away from land and then poles to slow the barge. A short bridge would simplify things, but the two opposite villages would lose their sole source of income. Negotiations are ongoing.
Finally arrived in Copacabana several hours late. The hotel is incredible, thought their wifi is iffy. Pictures tomorrow. Had great pumpkin soup, excellent spaghetti, and cheese cake. Others had lake trout that looked just like salmon. They described it as a Canadien Salmon/trout hybrid. I have doubts. Terrific day.
Tomorrow I’m expected to climb from 12,000 feet to 13,500 feet. I’m still feeling the altitude.
