Sleepness night on Isla del Sol

8-9 March 2010
Isla del Sol, Lake Titicaca, Bolivia

Foolish, Foolish, Foolish!
   In Copacabana I met a guy from Guyana, who said he wanted to travel overland back to Guyana. He suggested we travel together, and that maybe, since I was going to the Isla del Sol, we could go together. Ok, I thought, seems harmless enough, and to travel with a Guyanan could be really interesting, and by going to the island I could test the situation. Having spent the afternoon in his company I thought I made it clear that I was interested in no more than a travel companion from him. However, he must have misunderstood my point.
   We stayed overnight on the island, had an enjoyable dinner with other travelers, but as soon as he was alone with me after dinner he tried to force his attentions on me! At least 3 times I had to tell him to back off before finally he got angry (“Well, if I had of know you would be like this I wouldn´t have come”) and left me alone. Then I spent a sleepless night, angry and wondering what would happen next (nothing, whew!).
   At dawn I watched the sunrise, grabbed my stuff, paid the bill, and left. I did say goodbye (with him saying “why do you treat me so badly?”).

   Isla del Sol (Island of the sun) has settlements at the northern and southern ends of the island and there is a 4 hour walk connecting the two parts. It was lovely to do the walk first thing in the morning, I didn´t see another tourist but passed locals taking their llamas and donkeys to graze, and saw a few birds that I mightn´t otherwise have seen. The views were beautiful, and the temperature lovely. Lake Titicaca itself glistens in the colour of dark blue sapphires littered with sparkling diamonds.
   When I arrived in the Northern town I had a few hours wait for the boat, so I grabbed a sandwich and a cup of tea and sat down to chat to another aussie traveller.
   Back in Copacabana I decided to stay another night (I was very tired) and the next morning caught a bus to Puno.

On Isla del Sol I was most impressed by the amount of terracing, built by the Incas to grow their crops. Most of it isn´t being used now... tourism makes more money with less work, I guess, and the work in these terraces would have been difficult. Still it´s a shame to see the land not being used.

Cute, these donkeys had a fantastic view from their window.

Sunset

Sunrise

Just one of the many views on my morning walk.

Another view on my morning walk, and yet more terracing.

Notes:
Transport to Isla del Sol, Going there $1.50, returning $3 (further).
Accommodation on island in nameless place with sunrise views $3pp, shared bathroom. ***
Dinner in restaurant with sunset views $6.