Wednesday, 29 October 2014
I had a bad leg cramp in the middle of the night. Too much walking I guess. It was bound to happen sooner or later. Personally I would have preferred it if it happened when I was back in Malaysia but of course, I almost always don't get what I wish.
This morning I woke up early to be in time to take the boat to Isla del Sol or the Sun Island. There are 2 trips, one at 8.30 am and another at 1.30 pm. My plan was to take a boat to the Sun Island, and from there take another boat to the Moon Island, spend maybe 2 or 3 hours there, and then take a boat back to the Sun Island and explore the south part of this island, stay a night and the next day explore the North part of the island, and then head back to Copacabana.
Except of course, things went wrong. My boat to the Sun Island arrived late, with the result that there were no other boats going to the Moon Island for the day. There were of course private boats but these were very very expensive so I had to sit down for a while and change my plans all over again. Finally I decided that I would explore the south part of Sun Island, and in the afternoon take a boat to the north part of the island and stay the night there. The next day I would explore the north part of the island and trek back to the south part of the island (this is possible but requires quite a bit of time, especially since I will be carrying luggage with me) and stay one night here. The next morning I would take a boat to the Moon Island, and then head back to Copacabana.
From staying a night in Copacabana, I ended up staying 2 nights. And now, from staying a night in the Sun Island I have to now stay 2 nights. Bolivia is turning out to be an expensive affair. And I heard so many people telling me that Bolivia is really cheap. I don't find it cheap at all. For me, Argentina was really cheap, due to the black market exchange of US Dollars.
But anyway, there was nothing I could do about it now. While I was contemplating my next course of action, I had coca tea and some bread at a nearby restaurant and they very kindly allowed me to keep my luggage there while I walked around the south part of the island. First, I walked up 300 steps to a small village called Yumani. There are 3 villages or communities here altogether, Yumani in the south, Cha'llapampa in the north and Cha'lla in the middle. All the people here speak Aymara. At the start of the stairs were 2 figures, Manco Kapac and Mama Ocllo, representing the sun and moon respectively, the first Inca leaders.
Along the climb up the 300 steps there were all sorts of flowers growing on either side of the stairs, almost like a garden of flowers to keep you company as you climb. After the climb, there was a fountain with 3 spouts, but only 2 was working because it is the dry season. This is a fountain built by the Incas, and the 3 spouts are supposed to mean do not steal, do not procrastinate (everyone has to work) and do not lie. It is also meant to be a fountain of eternal youth so despite my scepticism and possible germ contamination, I drank some of the water. We will see if I have stomach issues later.
On one side of the stairs was a herb garden, with all sorts of Andean herbs and plants, including munya and durazno, the fruit I tried at the market yesterday. As I came to the end of the garden, I was told by a man that this was private property and I was trespassing. I said sorry and made my way back out of the garden, thinking if this was private property, why wasn't there a locked gate or some sign or something? Then again, maybe nobody goes into the herb garden so they didn't think it was necessary. Nobody but me, that is.
Past the fountain on the opposite side, I walked uphill about 2.5 km to the temple of the sun and the moon. This is a pre-Inca temple built in honour of both the sun and the moon, and now lies in ruins, although I could still climb into some of the chambers. It is made of rock, and from the principal altar which is in the middle of the temple, you can see the Andean mountains directly opposite, across Lake Titicaca. I guess that's why they built the temple here. At one end of the temple there was a strange looking rock, and an old man who was sitting there (he could only speak Aymara so I couldn't understand most of what he was saying) explained that this was a unique rock because if you knocked on it you get a ringing sound like a bell; this was to announce to the general public when ceremonial rites were taking place, not unlike the ringing of church bells and the bells at Hindu temples. I tried hitting on this rock and it did produce a ringing noise, but I have no idea what type of rock this was.
Then the trek back to the harbour. As usual I stopped about 10,000 times along the way because the climbing really leaves me breathless here. Also, the cramp in my leg was hurting a bit, I should have probably massaged it last night or taken some rest or not exert myself or something but of course I want to explore as much as I can in a new place. So I ignored the pain for the most part and stopped as many times as I could. But I got to the harbour in time to retrieve my luggage from the restaurant and take the boat to the north side of Sun Island. I reached the north side at about 4 pm, and I walked around this very small village of Cha'llapampa until I found a hostel overlooking Lake Titicaca and what the locals call the beach. I call it the end of the lake. After leaving my luggage in the room, I strolled along the 'beach' and found a place to have dinner. Then I retired for the night, as I had to save energy for tomorrow.
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