Greetings from Copacabana Bolivia,

Copacabana is a charming little burg, not at all what one might expect of a border town. The main street between the bus departure plaza and the town's central Plaza de Armas is dusty and crowded with holiday makers killing time before bus departures. The strangely designed Cathedral on one side of the main plaza draws pilgrims to see the sculpture of the Dark Virgin of Copacabana inside.  

At dawn the next morning several shiny, clean tourist quality buses waited in line with scheduled departure times a half hour apart. Buying two tickets as has long been my habit, the four hour ride to La Paz turned out to be pleasant enough, except for the kid across the isle who continually teased his lap dog to the point of hysterical barking. The bus smelled vaguely like a combination of dog breath, popcorn and a ripe silo. When we arrived around noon I gratefully gulped the fresh air outside the bus, thin fresh air as La Paz is located at an even higher elevation than Lake Titicaca.

Peace,
Fred L Bellomy

 

Copacabana Bolivia: Looking down on the beach area from my room in the $7 Hotel Mirador.

Copacabana Bolivia: Looking at the arch marking the Bolivian border from still inside Peru. This is where the Copacabana bus abandoned me!

Copacabana Bolivia: Looking back into Peru from the arch marking the Bolivian border.

Copacabana Bolivia: Looking down on the beach area from a hall window in the Hotel Mirador.

Copacabana Bolivia: Copacabana Cathedral on the main plaza.

Copacabana Bolivia: To the north of the town this mountain sits with a religious shrine on top.

 

 

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