Aren´t we wanted?

Copacabana, Lake Titicaca, Bolivia.

   Copacabana is a really touristy place... I have definately stepped back on the tourist trail. It is on the shores of Lake Titicaca, a beautiful blue lake, often incorrectly touted as being the highest navigatable lake in the world. From here you can go to the Islands on the lake (I´m going on the 1.30 boat), and to La Paz or into Peru to the tourist hotspots of Puno and Cuzco.
But the thing that most strikes me is that everybody seems to be trying to get you to leave. As you walk down the street there are continual offers of transport to La Paz, Puno, Cuzco and other places. Added to that when I went to breakfast this morning the first thing I was asked was if I was checking out today, and immediately after breakfast another staff member reminded me to check out. The hotel has made no attempt to show me activities to keep me here... but that´s kind of normal for Bolivia!

   I took that horrible overnight bus into La Paz, but I didn´t waste time there, I went across town and caught a Micro to Huatajata. I´m not sure I have ever been to a place as quiet as Huatajata. There weren´t any other tourists so far as I could tell. But it was lovely. I went because it is possibly the only place left where you will find traditional reed artisans making boats from the reeds that grow on the shores of the Lake. It was interesting and I´m not disappointed I went although I do think it may have made a better lunch and look around stop, rather than an overnight stop.

I found it interesting that on the shores of the Lake at Huatajata they grew small crops of legumes, flowers and some vegetables.

In Huatajata, I thought this a pretty shot.

When I arrived in Copacabana it was Sunday and all this cars were waiting outsides the church to be blessed.

These are modernised versions of the reed boats, they have motors!

View of the shore front of Copacabana.

Notes:
Accommodation, Huatajata: Inti Karka $6, including nothing. * there were 2 beds in my room, one had sand on the sheets so I wondered if they were clean, on the other the bottem sheet was badly torn down the middle and not covering much. Glad I travel with a travel sheet!
Accommodation, Copacabana: Hotel Colonial del Lago $4.50 including breakfast, shared loo... didn´t bother with the cold shower. ***** good value, and clean.