High in the Andes at over 12,000 ft sits the highest navigable lake in the world, lake Titicaca. Our adventure on the lake started on the Peruvian city of Puno. We hopped off the PeruHop bus and hopped onto a small boat. The boat took us to Isla los Uros. These islands are actually floating islands that started as reed boats and evolved into larger and larger islands as more reeds were added. We stopped at one island where a lady was fishing and our tour guide explained how the island was built and how the locals still live on the islands.
Back on land a short bus ride took us across the border into Bolivia. In the city of Copacabana we hopped on another boat that was taking us to a real island this time: Isla del Sol. Our hostel wasn’t too far from the docks, but I didn’t realize how hilly the island was going to be! At 12,500 ft carrying all our gear up step after step was a grueling endeavor. I was envious of how easy the locals seemed to manage the altitude. Soon enough we arrived at Willka Wat’a Hostel. There was a lovely terrace overlooking the lake where we could rest and enjoy the views. Before dinner I decided to try and shower. While washing I kept feeling a tingling sensation… It took me way too long to realize that the electric hot water heater was the likely culprit. I saw some sketchy wiring coming out the heater! Cold showers after that!
It was a very small island with only a few options for food. We decided on Pachamama Restaurant for dinner. There were beautiful views of the lake as the sun slowly set on the horizon. The local menu was Quinoa soup, Grilled trout, breaded chicken and banana with chocolate.
The next morning we hiked to the island summit at 13,350ft. Along the way there were beautiful views thanks to the lack of trees and terraced farms that covered the island. We even made friends with several donkeys and alpacas! On the island there are no motor vehicles or roads, all the transportation is by animals. This made the island a very quiet place!
After exploring more of the island we went to Inti Jalanta Restaurant for lunch. We had more Quinoa soup, grilled trout and chicken – with a view! Our short stay on the island was coming to an end so we picked up our bags at the hostel and easily took the steps down to the docks. We had a relatively short bus ride ahead of us to La Paz.
