Copacabana

Many exciting things have been happening since my last blog post. Our project directors arrived and we have been having several meetings with the hospitals and important health professionals in La Paz and El Alto. I'll keep you updated on our work soon!

The med students (there are five of them) also arrived this past Thursday, and we have been having a lot of fun with them. This past weekend, our research group (minus one and plus a student's brother) took a trip to Copacabana, which is on Lake Titicaca. The city is about 3 hours away from La Paz by bus. At one point you have to take a ferry across a stretch of water and then get back on the bus to continue to Copacabana. The buses are ferried across on rafts made of 2x4s that look like they're about to sink.

When we got to Copacabana, we found a hostel for 20 Bolivianos a night (about $3). We then found the perfect place to eat lunch: a restaurant with outdoor seating, plenty of sunshine, and trout any way you like. We were in heaven.

In the afternoon, we climbed Mount Calvario, one of the hills bordering Copacabana. The views at the top were amazing. We watched the sunset listening to the languages of people from all over the world.

On our second day at Lake Titicaca, we decided to take a boat to Isla del Sol. It was about a 2-hour ride to the island, and it rained for part of the trip. On the island, a guide took us to a museum and then on a hike to some ruins. We then took about a 3-hour trek across the island to catch our boat on the other side.

I knew that I wanted to see Lake Titicaca while I was in Bolivia, but other than that I didn't have many expectations for this trip. Everything seemed to work out just perfectly, from our decisions on where to eat to our trek across Isla del Sol, and I was pleasantly surprised with how beautiful the views were. Below is a chronicle of our amazing weekend.

Day One

Going across the stretch of water on our way to Copacabana.

The view of Copacabana from the bus.

Basilica of Our Lady of Copacabana

Another memorial for Eduardo Abaroa, a hero in the War of the Pacific, when Bolivia lost their access to the sea.

Mount Calvario in the background. We climbed it in the afternoon.

You can order trout any way you like!

Beginning our trek up Mount Calvario.

On the way to the top of Mount Calvario, there are ten of these stations. People bring up ten rocks with them and place them at each of these stations to represent their sins.

View of Copacabana from Mount Calvario 

Watching the sunset at the largest lake in South America.

Day Two

In the morning, we ate at what has been my favorite breakfast joint in Bolivia so far. It was called El Condor & The Eagle, and was run by an Irishman. He made delicious oatmeal, soda bread, and french press coffee. 

We started our journey to Isla del Sol (Island of the Sun) early in the morning. It definitely didn't look very sunny. 

But when we arrived, the island lived up to its name.

Ruins on Isla del Sol dating to the Inca period. According to the Incan religion, the sun god was born on this island.

Ruins on Isla del Sol

On our trek across Isla del Sol. The views were absolutely amazing. 

Someone's house on Isla del Sol. There are about 800 families that live on the island. I kept having to remind myself that people actually live there, and that they have those views everyday. On the flip side, though, life on the island is very hard, and people there don't have access to many resources.