Adventures with Trina, Part 2: Lake Titicaca

No trip to Bolivia would be complete without a visit to that lake so elevated, so wonderfully named: Titicaca. The name refers neither to anatomy nor excrement but rather means "Rock Puma," referring to its similarity in shape to a puma chasing a rabbit. The lake surface is at 12,500 feet. How big is Lake Titicaca? I don't know: it's friggin' huge.

Trina and I took an easy bus ride from La Paz to Copacabana, the primary city on the Bolivian side of the lake. The best bit of the ride is crossing a little strait at Ancoamaya. We got on one boat; the bus got on another.

Trina and I lunched in Copacabana—the trout there is amazing—but then immediately embarked for La Isla del Sol, the birthplace of Manco Capac, the first Inca. The island is quite rustic—it has electricity, but just barely, and certainly no internet. For three days, I did no work, tweeted not twits, checked no email. Shocking I know. Turns out the island is totally worth it.

We stayed at a lovely little hotel called Inti Kala, on the Peru-facing (western) side of the island. I loved it there—their bread was delicious—but the shower still electrocuted us when we requested hot water. All the same, we did our best to relax, despite requiring as well some hiking about old Incan mazes and ruins and rocks.

The island was surprisingly fertile—some of the best agriculture of Bolivia is produced on the old Incan terraced fields. At times, I felt I was in California with the eucalyptus trees or in the Mediterranean on an rocky cliff-side path with the blue water below. And the island was full of llamas, mules and drowsing pigs. I loved it!

Trina did her best impressions of the Great Cornholio.

I jumped in the lake, naturally.

We lived the dream: taste that Paceña. So good!