The trip to Bolivia - Peru - On to Copacabana

after crossing the Tupiza straight is when the panorama really gets gorgeous

here you get a clean view of the Titicaca lake from the surrounding mountains

The trip to Bolivia - Peru - San Pedro de Tiquina

Once you and your bus make it safely across the Tiquina straight, you will be in San Pedro de Tiquina
the small city from where the bus will continue on to Copacabana.

Here you will get a first glimpse of Lake Titicaca which is the highest lake in the world.

At San Pedro you will be greeted by the statue of Manco Kapac, a mythical character that is said to be the first man to emerge from the lake and create the Inca civilisation.

The trip to Bolivia - Peru - San Pablo de Tiquina

Now after a three and a half hour of travelling you arrive at San Pablo de Tiquina which is at one side of the Straight of Tiquina which you need to cross to continue on to Copacabana.

For some "safety measure" the bus cannot cross with passengers cuz the boats that cross vehicles are very basic, so people get on small boats and the buses and cars go on bigger ones.

The trip to Bolivia - Peru - From La paz to Copacabana

So off we went on the four hour ride to Copacaban, with beautifull views of the Illy many the ighty volcano that overlooks La Paz.

This area of Bolivia yields a more fertile land with green covered hills. It was a nice morning ride with plenty of photo ocations till we got to the small ferry that croses the Titicaca.

The trip to Bolivia - Peru - On to La Paz

Back to Uyuni, I hoped on to the next bus that would drive overnight to La Paz, bolivia´s capital.
Unfortunately I could only stay for an hour cuz I got a deal to go to Lima straight with a stop in Copacabana that is a beautiful city on the shores of lake Titicaca.

Since the bus left in an hour I took advantage to do some shopping, by the way, I discovered that in Bolivia you have to ask for directions at least three times to get your coordinates cuz people do´nt know s..

Finally some friendly local pointed me on the right direction towards a "Feria" so i took advantage to buy some souvenirs, a baseball cap and two Paceña beers.

Then ran back to the bus terminal which took its toll going 300 feet up and the 200 down at high altitude.

The trip to Bolivia - Peru - La feria de Potosi

Now something that you will find everywhere in Bolivia are "Ferias" as in many places around the globe where you can buy fresh produce and other nic nacs. Actually you will notice that outside the big cities there are very few supermarkets, as most of the trade is conducted in these popular markets.

Besides the practical aspect of buying supplies you will see many different shapes and colours that a are a photographers paradise.

Here in Potosi my main purpuse was to have lunch, since I was in a hurry and in the ferias you can seat and have a hearthy plate served in seconds.

Of course you will eat local delicacies cooked mainly by ladies that live off that trade. If you are worried bout the cleanliness of the pots and stuff, I can tell you that at least you get to see everything opposed to other tourist to restos that hide their kitchens along with their roaches.

The trip to Bolivia - Peru - La casa de la Moneda - Potosi

When in Potosi you´l get tired of people telling you to visit "La casa de la moneda", and you´ll be wise to follow their advice. This national mint was responsible for coining a great percentage of the Spanish colonial coins.

Its beautiful colonial architecture house a museum and historical archive which can be visited daily for a small entrance fee.

one of the highlights is the mechanical press that dates from the 1700s and is said to be the only one of its kind left. made entirely of wood and powered by animal traction, it was the machine responsible for pressing the silver plates into coin size thickness.

I must add that the museum and guided tours are quite well laid out and organised.