April 18 – 23

It has been refreshing to spend precious time with family over the last few weeks, but we are so looking forward to coming back to Bozeman for the summer. I couldn’t quite adjust to the sedentary lifestyle, so I drove down to Flagstaff to celebrate Caroline’s graduation, backpacked with my dad and sister in the Grand Canyon, and spent some time with the de Jong’s in Moab! While we can’t return to Bolivia yet, finishing up the blog series allows me to revisit some of the most memorable parts of the entire trip. Enjoy!

Cochabamba

We arrived to Cochabamba (say it out loud because it’s so fun) on the morning of Good Friday. Over 90% of Bolivianos practice Catholicism, so this religious holiday meant quiet streets and closed off store fronts. There is something about a night bus that makes you extra hungry in the morning, but we ignored our grumbling stomachs and walked to our next hostel. Luckily, we arrived in time to enjoy a homemade breakfast of eggs, bread, and fresh fruit.

Cochabamba is the closest we got to the Amazon jungle in Bolivia and we were treated with warm weather and a low elevation; a 2-day tropical vacation for Haylie! We spent the first day logging steps in the heat, including a climb up over 2,000 stairs to a Christ statue for a panoramic view of the surrounding region and then a walking tour around the city. Our guide focused on street art to explain the history of indigenous populations and the current political situation in Bolivia. We wrapped up the day watching a religious procession with various high school students leading the way followed by an impressive amount of community members!

Our next day in Cochabamba we spent running errands and shopping in the morning. I think we saw nearly three full blocks crammed with phone repair and sales stores, on both sides of the street?? Can someone help me make sense of that? After an unsuccessful trip to the bus terminal, we made our way back to the hostel, stopping at Museo Convento Santa Teresa. We enjoyed a tour of the convent, which has been restored into a museum. There is a newer building next door where a few nuns still live today. Pictures were allowed for an extra cost, so we opted out, but we were permitted to take some photos from the courtyard and bell tower, which we climbed up to!

Everyone we talked to in and outside of Cochabamba told us to eat as much as we could. Cochabamba’s locale provides adequate growing climate producing fresh fruits and veggies for the whole of Bolivia. Cochabamba is also known for traditional food: salteñas, silpanchos, and api (a warm drink made from purple corn & sugar). Our favorite treat was fresh juice from the markets. Haylie loved the strawberry; when asked if she wanted to add honey or sugar, she answered both, the ladies were appalled! It wasn’t that sweet…says Haylie.

Copacabana — Isla del Sol

We chose to take a bus from Cochabamba returning to La Paz on Easter Sunday. Woowee, it was a long journey and at the end all of us agreed that night buses are elite because you end up sleeping more than you expect and you’re not too upset if the bus arrives a few hours later (like at 7 am instead of 5 am). A bus ride during the day drags on and on. I am sharing this here so in the future we don’t forget that night buses might be the way to go!!!

Anyways, we spent the night in La Paz and took an early bus the next morning off to Copacabana, a town residing on Lake Titicaca. Our final destination was Isla del Sol, an hour and a half boat ride, where we would spend two nights. Upon arrival, we trudged up a steep path, historically known as the Incan Staircase, to our quaint hostel with all of our heavy belongings; it was a good work out, warming us up for a long hike the next day!

r we ok?

Isla del Sol hosts various ancient Incan sites, including Templo del Sol, Fuente Inca, y Chincana Laberinto. Temple of the Sun, Water Spring of Eternal Youth, and Chincana Labyrinth. We woke to a tormenta (thunderstorm) the day we were planning to hike the island and visit these sites. While drinking our instant coffee, the storm clouds began to dissipate and the sunshine took over, granting us a beautiful day for wandering. Our venture not only lead us to intricate archeological sites, but we were able to enjoy incredible views of Lake Titicaca, the local villages of Isla del Sol, and the dominating Andean mountain range in the distance. We have countless pictures of our time and it was impossible to choose so I will share many, but separated into a few categories.

Incan Sites

Island Highlights

Panoramic Delights

This ancient island was a magical way to wrap up a most incredible journey throughout Bolivia. I can’t speak for all three of us, but I fell in love with the people, landscapes, and cultures of Bolivia and am counting the days until our return. Devin and I parted ways with Haylie late at night in Puno, Peru as we continued on a night bus to Cusco and she spent the night there before flying back to Lima and eventually home in Ontario. No words, or blog posts are enough to encapsulate the memories we created together and I am so, so grateful for this amazing friendship. Te amo, mi Shayla.

Next stop: returning to Cusco, Peru!