| Bolivia 2007
Photographs by Lois and Don Porter 3/15/2007 |
On February 19, 2007 we left La Paz at 8am with our guide Abraham, who picked us up at our hotel and escorted us to the bus. The bus took us along the shore of the “Lago Menor”, the smaller southern portion of Lake Titicaca, to the Strait of Tiquina, where we crossed from San Pablo to San Pedro in small launches while the bus went across on a ferry. Back on the bus, we followed the ridge line of the peninsula to the city of Copacabana. The Basilica of Copacabana, home to the Virgen of Copacabana, is perhaps the most impressive church in Bolivia, with mudejar domes and an impressive immense courtyard. Copacabana (and Isla del Sol) are hotbeds of Cha’lla – the traditional indigenous custom of blessing things: houses, boats, cars, whatever. Most of the vehicles in Copacabana are decorated with flowers, ribbons, colorful goodies, as a result of being “blessed” in this rite. After a nice lunch, we headed out on a launch for the hour-and-a-half ride to Isla del Sol. The captain of the launch steered the outboard motor with a foot while dandling his daughter. His son was exploring the boat and playing peekaboo with passengers.
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