Things to do
5-
Basilica of Our Lady
Whitewashed walls and Moorish tiling frame the shrine that holds the Virgin carved by Francisco Tito Yupanqui in the sixteenth century, patron of Bolivia. Drivers bring new cars to the forecourt to be blessed with flowers, beer and confetti. The dark chapel above the altar is the object of the pilgrimage, and the queue moves slowly on feast days.
-
Cerro Calvario
Stations of the cross climb the hill above the town, fourteen of them, and pilgrims carry small clay models of what they hope for and leave them at the top. The ascent takes half an hour and feels longer at this altitude. Sunset over the lake is the reason most make the climb, and the descent is dark.
-
Isla de la Luna
Ruins of an Inca house for chosen women, the acllawasi, occupy a terrace on this small island east of Isla del Sol, above a single village and a landing beach. Few boats call and the visit is short. Trips usually combine it with Isla del Sol, which adds an hour or more on the water.
-
Isla del Sol
Inca tradition placed the birth of the sun at a rock on the northern end of this island, and terraces, a stone staircase and a spring run down its spine. No vehicles operate, so movement is on the trails. A long running community dispute has restricted access to the northern half; the southern side and the climb from Yumani remain the usual visit.
-
Lake Titicaca
Water the colour of ink covers some eight thousand square kilometres between Bolivia and Peru at around 3,810 metres, high enough that the air is thin over the boats. Reed totora still grows in the shallows and is still cut for craft. Afternoon wind raises a swell that makes crossings rough, so launches run in the morning.