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To Copacabana.
After breakfast we went out to get some money and for a last look round La Paz before heading off to Copacabana that afternoon. Whilst wandering around we found a stall where Andy managed to buy himself a new hoody at a reasonable price and we also got some empanadas for the journey later on. Back at the hostel we paid up and packed our bags which Andy found particularly diffcult with all his new things (hoody, 2 tops, shoes and ipod) compared to me where I only had to squeeze in an extra dress which conveniently folds up quite small. Eventually it was time to leave and we made our way slowly up the hill to the bus station, gasping for breath when we got there and collapsing onto the nearest bench before going to find the correct ticket office to check the bus was on schedule etc. While we waited for the bus we bought ourselves a coffee and sat drinking this whilst eating the empanadas we had bought earlier. They turned out to be really tasty but quite difficult to eat as they were full of gravy that was very runny so as soon as you bit into it you had to slurp your way through the rest, trying not to get it all over yourself! At 1.30 we went back to the ticket office as we'd been told to and stood amongst a large group of people for 20 mins not knowing what we were supposed to do, whether we had to change tickets (as has happened at other places) or just wait or what! Eventually a tiny bolivian woman shouted for people going to Copa to follow her, so we joined the procession and after paying the departure tax at the door, made it to the bus where everyone was trying to cram their bags into the storage locker at once. Finally we were all on board and we set off on the 3 ½ hour journey on this rather cramped, very bumpy bus which seemed to take forever to actually get out of the city, it almost felt like we were doing circles as we got higher and higher. Soon enough though we could start to appreciate the fantastic views of La Paz and we took some last minute photos before we entered a region that was largely unpaved and looked very run down, with people digging around in the mud and rubbish at the side of the road and half built houses abandoned and starting to decay! After a while we left this rather sorry scene behind and were lost once more in the Bolivian hills which were dotted with farms, small villages and llamas seemingly roaming free beside the road. After a couple of hours we finally saw part of Lake Titicaca, the southern and smallest part called Lago Menor which provides irrigation to many lush and fertile fields along its shores. We then played hide and seek as we alternatively switched back and forth between the hills, sometimes seeing it on our left, sometimes not until later when we came to the pass between the 2 lakes that make up Titicaca, the other being Lago Major. At this point we took it in turns as to which lake we could see depending on which side of the ridge we were, the larger lake on our right sparkling and shimmering a glorious azure blue in the sunshine. As we started to descend into the valley we noticed more life in the hills with donkeys grazing patiently whilst their masters worked the hills and at one point we even passed a brass band practising out on the hillside! Our final descent took us down into a colourful little town by the side of the lake, at this point we were told we all had to get off the bus, buy a ticket, get on a boat to the other side of this part of the lake that forms the divide between the two then get back on the bus for the last ½ hour to Copa. We hadnt been told about this when we bought the tickets and although it was quite cool going across the water we were still a little annoyed at the extra cost and even the sight of the bus floating along on a low, flat bottomed, half knackered barge didnt fully cheer us up especially as it was such a faff getting everyone back on again (of course people decided they'd go shopping and we had to wait for them). Another 30 mins or so on the bus over increasingly bumpy roads, though through amazing scenery beside the lake, then we were pulling up in Copa at a busy square where several other tour buses were loading and unloading passengers and touts were busy trying to get you to stay at their hostel or book their tours. We stuck with our usual approach which is, no thank you, we have one...regardless of what it is they are selling, it seems to work better than anything else and gives you a chance to get your bearings while sorting bags etc out. We had a quick look in the guide book and made our way to a hostel mentioned and luckily found they had a room free which we quickly got settled into before heading out to have a look around. The first thing we did was go to the tourist information to find out what time boats to Isla Del Sol left the next day and how much they were, this accomplished we headed down to the beach front to find dinner, it now being after 6.30. The guide book said the best (and cheapest) place for trout, which is the speciality here as it is all caught in the lake each day, was the small huts along the lake shore, so this is where we went and after walking the length of the 20 or so of them, finally settled on one that had a big table full of Bolivians inside. We both ordered trout, me con mantequilla (butter) and Andy del diablo (Devil trout!) for 20bs each which is about $3!! Our whole trouts came out on a plate heaped with rice, chips and salad and were utterly delicious, the best trout i've ever eaten, which is saying something as I used to eat it all the time when I lived at home with my Dad (who will be very jealous when he reads this I imagine!!). Feeling very full, we walked back towards the hostel, stopping to buy some supplies for the next day and a bottle of Bolivian wine to try before leaving the country in a few days time. We got back and spent the rest of the evening drinking our wine which was a rather sweet red, though very pleasant and watching a film on the computer.
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