Bolivia - The Rough Guide to South America on a Budget - page 177

Hostal Inca Uta Near the northern landing jetty at
Ch'allapampa T 71515246, W hostalincauta.web.bo. Large
yellow building with basi c roo ms, friendly owners and
limited electricity. Doubles B$50

pre-Columbian religious site. For much
of the twentieth century, the island was
used as a prison for political detainees,
yet for the Incas it was a place of great
spiritual importance. Known as Coati
(“Queen Island”), it was associated with
the moon, considered the female
counterpart of the sun, and a powerful
deity in her own right. The main site on
the island - and one of the best-preserved
Inca complexes in Bolivia - is a temple
on the east coast known as Iñak Uyu
(daily 8am-6pm; B$10), the “Court of
Women”, probably dedicated to the
moon and staffed entirely by women.
From the beach a series of broad Inca
agricultural terraces leads up to the
temple complex, a collection of stone
buildings with facades containing
eleven massive external niches still
covered in mud stucco, all around
a broad central plaza.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
By boat It takes about an hour by boat from the Isla del
Sol to reach the island, and some agencies will include a
brief visit to Isla de la Luna with the Isla del Sol tour. A daily
public service to the island is planned, leaving at 8.30am
from Copacabana and from Yumani at 10am (B$25 return).
You could also hire a private sail boat (for about B$90) or
private motor boat (around B$200), both including hire of
a driver, from Isla del Sol to take you to the island and back.

YUMANI
Las Cabañas de Aguadulce Leave the dock and turn left.
You'll find these three solid, rudimentary buildings with
corrugated roofs side by side about halfway up the hillside,
above a restaurant that advertises “Hay Pizza” in black-and-
white striped writing. Each has a private bathroom. There's
no sign, but Fran klin R amos is the owner if you need to ask
around. Doubles B$50
Hostal Inti Wayra Near the church, Yumani T 71942015.
A little more up market, with excellent views and friendly
owners. Doubles B$160

2

EATING
There are plenty of basic restaurants serving pizza, pasta
and freshly caught Titicaca trout upon request.
Posada y Restaurant de Manco Kapac Ch'allapampa,
turn left from the jetty and it's thirty seconds on your right.
Breakfasts, soups and trout at bargain prices.
Las Velas Yumani, high up near the eucalyptus forest. Classy
and candlelit Las Velas offers wild trout, steamed vegetables
and home-made pasta and pizza (mains B$30-50).

ISLA DE LA LUNA
About 8km east of the Isla del Sol,
the far smaller Isla de la Luna (Island
of the Moon) was another important

TREKKING AND CLIMBING IN THE CORDILLERA REAL
The easiest base from which to explore the Cordillera Real is La Paz . Many of the best and
most popular treks start close to the city, including the three so-called “Inca trails” which cross
the Cordillera, connecting the Altiplano with the warm, forested valleys of the Yungas. Two of
these ancient paved routes - the Choro Trail and the Takesi Trail - are relatively easy to
follow without a guide; the third, the Yunga Cruz Trail , is more di cult - bring at least two
days' worth of drinking water. You can do all three of these treks, as well as many other more
challenging routes, with many of the adventure tour agencies based in La Paz (see box, p.162).
The other major starting point for trekking is the small town of Sorata . From here, numerous
trekking routes take you high up among the glacial peaks, while others plunge down into the
remote forested valleys of the Yungas. The Sorata Guides and Porters Association (see
p.182) provides trekking guides, mules and porters. Further afield, the remote and beautiful
Cordillera Apolobamba , a separate range of the Cordillera Oriental, north of Lake Titicaca
and with almost no tourist infrastructure, offers excellent trekking possibilities for the more
adventurous traveller. However, due to unpredictable weather conditions and the region's
remoteness, it's unadvisable to attempt these treks without a guide.
With so many high peaks, the Cordillera Real is also obviously an excellent place for mountain
climbing , for both serious and inexperienced climbers. Huayna Potosí (6088m), near La Paz, is
one of the few peaks over 6000m in South America which can be ascended by climbers without
mountaineering experience (albeit with the help of a specialist agency - check carefully that the
guide they provide is qualified and experienced, and the equipment adequate).