23rd February 2015 – La Paz to Puno

Today we leave La Paz and drive approximately 284 Kilometers on Route 2 to our overnight destination at Puno in Peru on Lake Titicaca. It has taken us 1 hour to do 15 kilometers driving through La Paz and El Alto through Monday morning peak traffic. It is hectic with most of the traffic comprising mini vans that operate as a bus and they stop frequently and then just pull out again into the traffic and horns are being tooted all the time. It’s like driving the dodgem cars except we don’t have a rubber bumper all around us.  We stick to the left hand lane as this gives us the clearest run out of town. There are people everywhere and little markets on the side of the road selling food . We can’t help notice that so many of the buildings are unfinished and it’s because once the building is finished they have to pay the government 18% VAT.     It is 98 kilometers to the ferry crossing at Taquina Straights on Lake Titicaca. The road is a good sealed road with the occasional pot holes and a few road works off to the side, but they are smooth and only about 50 meters each, so pretty good really.  Once we clear the city we are on a fabulous windy road and Michael is having fun driving, I only had to ask him to slow down once.  My seat belt is jammed so I’m not wearing it today, so I’m getting tossed all over the place. We get our first glimpse of the southern part of Lake Titicaca after 1 hour 20 minutes on the road. We cross the Taquina Straights on a punt, with 2 cars per punt, so we needed 4 punts to get us all across, but there are dozens of punts so we can all go at the same time. The punts are very rough on the floor, they use raw tree trunks that have been sliced up with gaping holes between them.   We have morning tea in the main square of the village once we cross. The women in particular are very friendly and come up and shake my hand asking how I am and welcoming me to their town. Or at least I think that’s what they said.The road to Copacobana is only about 40 kilometers but it climbs to 4,269 meters as it winds around the lake. The rolling green hills meet the shore of the lake and it is beautiful!Copacabana is a very touristy town with a beautiful cathedral.We have some lunch, spend the remainder of our Bolivian money and head to the border 8 kilometers down the road along the lake. We have been seeing cars decorated in flowers and anything bright for Carnaval and when we are waiting at the border a decorated van pulls up, so I take a photo.The family who’s van it is insist on taking a photo of Grandma & one of the men with me with their car, then they hand me their baby and she is only very young and beautiful. I handed her back quickly as she started to grizzle. I noticed as I walked away, her Mum was feeding her.The border crossing has taken over 2 hours and it’s drizzling with rain on and off.  From the border crossing it is 138 kilometers to our hotel in Puno. As we leave the border crossing there is a Carnaval celebration coming toward us up the road, with dancers and a band playing.When we arrive in Puno it is dark and the view looking back across the lake from our hotel is lovely.