October 9th 2015
We wake up well rested and ready for some breakfast having skipped dinner the night before. Sadly, my stomach has only gotten worse and I feel quite queasy from the moment I wake up. Managing to get a few bites of breakfast down I spend more time trying to play with a shy cat.
Sadly last night Sara realized she’d lost her lake glass, so after breakfast we head back to the beach and search for more. It takes a while but Sara leaves with a pocket full of jewels as we head back to our room, pack up the last of our stuff and set out along the trail to the southern edge of the island. I’m far from confident that I’m going to survive the walk, my stomach gurgling as I take the first steps towards the southern edge of town.
The walk from North to South of the island is supposed to take about 3 hours one way, but as we climb up the first hill from town, I’m starting to believe it might take me a bit longer, feeling like I do. Still between the mountains across the lake and looking back at the shire like town, There’s plenty to look at during my many required rest stops. Thankfully Sara is very patient.
As we continue along the path, climbing gradually higher, my stomach gives moans of complaints but I do my best to ignore it revelling in the incredible scenery. The altitude (about 4000 meters) makes it difficult walking even for Sara, though thankfully a lot of the trail is relatively level when it’s possible. As we walk eventually come to one of the best lookouts I’ve seen in a long time, the dirt trail curbed around the edge of the island, high above the deep sapphire blue lake, with the stunning snow capped pears beyond the water. It really doesn’t get much better than this.
We round the bend and are eventually led down out of the hills and one of the smaller settlements on the island, just a few locals working the farm fields, and, if your interested, at least one hostel to stay at. On the beach though I’m delighted to find some shade and I force Sara to take another rest, enjoying the quiet sound of the lapping waves up on the sand beach. I’m tempted to swim but worry it might sap my motivation for the much larger second half of the walk.
Sadly walking down to a beach means walking back up again, and this path up is even longer and steeper, leaving me exhausted and gasping for breath long before we reach the top of the hill, luckily the views are good and even include a hilltop swing.
Eventually we make it to the top and pay the first of two fees which are required on the walk. This one we pay just after passing under an arch when a woman approaches us and shows us the ticket, which costs 15 bs each. (2.75 CAD). We don’t object since we know this is not a scam, and because the woman is very friendly, smiling and waving us on.
We head down towards another small slope and back up through a well marked trail which leads us to the other side of the island and more dizzying views of Lake Titicaca. There’s a bathroom here too, where we also pay the second walking fee, this one only 5 Bs (1 CAD). I resist the lure of the bathroom, nervous that once you tap the well they’ll be no sealing it off. Instead Sara and I wander off the path and take a little rest looking down at the deepest blues possible far below us.
As we keep walking, now high up on the island we start to pass more and more restaurants, and dogs, and eventually even people and I begin to wonder if we’ve made it to the outskirts of Yumani, the town on the southern edge of the island. Either ways the views are incredible up atop the hills of Isla de Sol and I’m very tempted to suggest spending another night here, but we’ve got lots to do in Peru so I bite my tongue.
As we continue to walk, our suspicions are concerned and we start down a lot of steps through the denser and denser little village. Here is much more developed than the northern side of the island, there is even a few signs for available wifi, and certainly a lot more restaurants and places to stay, that said thanks to the sunset and relaxed atmosphere of the north, I’m not sad we stayed there. Still, the south is beautiful too, and with more time I’d spend a few nights on both sides.
On our way down we meet a friendly cat with a badly burned ear and also see lots of local farmers working their fields, including watching a family making the famous adobe mud bricks, which are present all around the island. Cool little glimpses of local life to send us off from the island.
As we head down some of the final steps to the port I finally let myself how sick and exhausted I feel. still I’m proud I made it, and as we check the time we realize it only took us about an hour longer than average at 4 hours, not bad considering I’m out of shape with plenty of stomach issues at the moment.
We reach the port and buy our ticket back to Copacabana leaving at 3 pm. (I believe there’s 4 pm ones too). We snap a few pictures down around the port then we climb on board, Sara choosing to sit inside this time, me lying down all but alone on top of the boat, covered against the sun by my raincoat and pants.
Thankfully the ride back is much smoother than the ride there and I end up drifting in that beautiful place between dream and reality for the next two hours, gently warmed by the sun, fresh air flooding my lungs. By the time we get to Copacabana I’m feeling a lot better.
Sara and I choose to spend another night in Copacabana getting our laundry done, relaxing and enjoying a nice hamburger at KM zero which tests my stomach resolution. I survive though and the next day we’re boarding a bus at 1 pm bound for Puno, Peru. I’m still feeling sick but not so sick that I don’t buy one more lentil sandwhich (Which I sadly don’t end up eating) and a few street samoso’s from a friendly bangladeshi man who you should certainly not miss if you are passing through Copacabana. Next entry I’ll be in Peru.
