We used Copacabana as a base to get to Isla del Sol on the Bolivian side of Lake Titicaca - a lake that is so enormous that, at times, you forget you are looking at a lake at all and think you are seeing the sea. To early inhabitants the word 'titi' meant 'puma' and 'caca' meant 'grey' - so this was the lake of the grey puma, named after a rock that 'when viewed from the southeast, resembles a crouching puma'. As usual with these rocks that supposedly resemble things, we couldn't see it.
In Spanish the word caca/kaka is slang for poo. So Spanish speakers sometimes controversially refer to it as the lake of puma poo. Huh huh.
On the island we stayed in our cheapest hostel yet for less than 2 pounds each per night. The toilet had no flush and you had to bung down a bucket full of water like we used to in Asia and the door wouldn't lock properly so we had to wedge it shut with a chair. But at that price who cares?
The views from the island were magnificent. As soon as we were installed in our hostel we headed to the north of the island to take in the scenery and see the early Inca ruins. We passed through little villages, farmland, past coves and bays and looked out to the other islands and the snow capped mountains on the horizon. It really was quite spectacular.
Several hours and 18 miles later we stumbled back to our hostel and, starving, headed into the restaurant - where you could have anything off the menu that you fancied as long as it was the trout dish! - Many of the other restaurants had really nice indoor seating areas. But you weren't allowed in them! You had to sit outside, even when it got very cold.
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