yellow feathers in my hair and a dress cut down to there

Everything in Bolivia is huge. Including; the mountains, the lakes, the hills, the plains, the distance that we could fall off a cliff if our bus doesn´t make this next turn, the time it takes to get 10 miles on a ferry. Except the alpacas. They are small and cute. So are the old ladies.

We went to see Lake Titicaca. Luckily it was only a four hour bus ride away, which was divided by a ferry crossing that we had to get off the bus for. The scenery was incredible. Giant hillsides, expansive plains, and a lake that you can´t see across. I loved seeing the people in the countryside. There were kids spending theiSaturdayay laying in the grass or racing boats down the creek while their parents milked the cows or weeded the rows of crops. Arrival in Copacabana had us in a hotel room with a view of the lake and the seashore below that had a paved boardwalk and paddle boats for rent. It was really neat to see the Bolivians on vacation. We checked out the town, and the bright white cathedral at the top of the hill. In this town, the priests bless cars in front of the church and they are decorated with flowers and ribbons. Everyone was so excited to have their cars blessed. It was quite a scene to take in.

The next day we took a passenger ferry to the Isla del Sol. This is an island where the first Inca was born, where the sun jumped into the sky, and where ancient people from Mexico to Chile traveled to make sacrifices. The ferry boat was a wooden boat with a single, small engine, and 50 passengers. I estimated about 5 mph. To get on the boat you walk across rough wood planks on stone and wire piers... The whole system was wacky and it is only a matter of time till a boat sinks or the docks splinter into a thousand pieces. This was after an earlier ferry crossing where the whole bus was driven onto a wooden barge, also powered by a single fishing boat motor! I had to stop being surprised at it, for risk of losing my composure.

Once we arrived, we started hiking across the island. The trail was a beautiful reddish-yellow stone, with 1 ft walls on both sides. It was like a mini great wall of China, and I loved it. I was floored by the views. Steep terraced hills, blue, blue water and amazing little villages. The people there provide tourist services, but also farm. The distant views to the Bolivian Andes made it that much more stunning, and I dare say it was more lovely than Capri. I took a million photos, drew a little and asked the mountains to marry me ten times. We befriended a trio of younArgentineansns, who spoke english, translated for us, and entertained us with good conversation. If it wasn´t for them we would have been lost, without proper tickets, and never have heard the true stories about the Incan history. Probably woul have missed the boat back to town too. What a great place.
Our second evening in Copacabana took us out of the tourist realm and across town to the opposite hill. From here, at sunset, the town looked awesome. There were kids playing soccer, ladies herding their sheep home for the night, and the daily parade music moving across the city. It was so joyful there, and I am sure that there was a child laughing at all times.

One last note about el lago. The food of the day is trout. Lake trout. You can get it at any one of restaurantsnts, all of which serve only trout. Trout with butter. Trout with garlic. Trout with lime. I was super excited to try some, so we went for it. The trout arrived at the table on a bed of rice and fries. So flavorful and delicious. But it was looking at me. Not only was the tail on, but the head complete with eyeballs and teeth. I told him thanks for the meal and ate it right up. About time I ate something with eyes.

Tomorrow we attempt to go to the legendary salt flats. By bus, train or however else people without reservations get there. Its sure to be lunar-like and very impressive. I think its going to really seal the deal with Bolivia for me. After a four day jeep tour, they will drop us off at the Chilean border. Someone will then pick us up and take us out of the desert, down from this elevation, and onto Santiago. Hurrah!