Chau Chau Bolivia

After Potosi I made my way to lake titicaca - on the border with peru. I arrived at the bus station from Potosi at 6 in the morning. It was downright freezing, I curled up into my little, blue sleeping bag in the terminal and tried to divert my attention. I bought a ticket for a small colectivo to Copacabana, about 3.5 hours from La Paz. I was astounded at the landscape when we arrived there. Copa is small - maybe 50,000 people and nestled between two massive hills and set on the sapphire-blue waters of the lake.
Stunningly beautiful - one of the seven wonders of the natural world. I found a cheap place to stay and wondered to the cathedral where the clergy was blessing newly purchased cars. Afterwards, I walked up one of the large hills where catholics have built tributes to the virgin mary. They were spraying beer on one another and lighting candles.
Copa is a neo-hippie hangout - plush with dredlocked, hemp-braiding folk. A pleasant change from the rest of Bolivia.
Next day was July 4th, I tried to conjure the spirit of the holiday, but had no luck. I hiked to Yampupata - a small town the almost touches Isla del Sol.

Isla is where Incan mythology places the birth of the sun god. It's a small little island and stuninngly beautiful and without motorized vehicles. I met two Belgian girls on the hike and we all rented a rowboat with a guide to take us to the island. We weren't aware that part of the deal included us rowing with him. Difficult work at 4000 meters, but we managed.

We arrived at the small town of Yumani and found a cheap hostel perched on a hillside and remarked again and again at the beauty of the surroundings. We drank alot and I got food poisoning again. The stars were unbelievable - possible to see the thick band of the milky-way. The next day we hiked to the temple of the sun and soaked up the atmosphere.

I was meditating next to the ruins when some English arrived. I could hear them guessing as to what I was doing sitting so still. They correctly surmised I was meditating and guessed I was soaking up the energy from the Incan power centers. Huh? Dude, I only energy-bathe when I'm wearing my geode-power satchel.

We trekked for what seemed like an endless amount of time - things made complicated by the triple whammy of hangover, food poisoning, and severe altitude. But the scenery overpowered all and we arrived at the northern end of the island at the pueblo of Cha'llapampa. We hopped a boat back to Copa and I bought a bus ticket to Cusco for the next day.
Goodbye Bolivia. It's been nice, but I will not miss the women pissing in the streets, the bitterly cold nights, or the gastrointestinal war I've waged here.
I arrive in Cusco tommorow and soon thereafter will meet my friend Pilar from Spain. Pilar lives in Madrid and is skipping out on some flamenco dancing opportunities to come explore the continent. It will be nice to no longer travel alone, especially with a native spanish speaker.
So many foreigners I meet here have a similiar story to Pilar's and mine. Work sucked or wasn't what they wanted - so they quit and went travelling. No one seems to have regrets. Talking to all these well-to-do foreigners and seeing the Bolivian lifestyle has once again reminded me of how much opportunity I have back in the States. I hope I have the clear sight when I return and choose to do something worthwhile. There's always H-E-B!