Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Internet
Punto Entel on Av 6 de Agosto offers slow access (Bs10/hr), international phone
calls, pool tables, a book exchange and DVDs to watch.
Post office
The post office is on Plaza 2 de Febrero, though if you're heading to La Paz
you're better off posting letters when you get there.
Telephones
ENTEL, Murillo, one block south of Plaza 2 de Febrero.
Around Copacabana
Although many were systematically destroyed by the Spanish, the Copacabana peninsula is
stillscatteredwithenigmaticIncaruinsandstrangecarvedstones,threeofwhich-the
Horca
del Inca
,
Intinkala
and
Kusijata
- are within easy walking distance of town. You can also
make a pleasant four- to five-hour hike following the route taken by Inca pilgrims to
Yampu-
pata
at the tip of the peninsula, from where you can take a boat across to Isla del Sol. Further
afield, the village of
Santiago de Okola
is home to an interesting community-run tourism
project.
Horca del Inca
Daily 9am-6pm • Bs5; ticket also valid for Intinkala and Kusijata • Walk south to the end of Calle Murillo, then
follow the dirt path uphill
High on Cerro Sancollani, the hill rising above Copacabana to the south, stands the
Horca
del Inca
, a structure formed by two vertical crags of rock, their bases buried in the ground
and topped by a stone lintel, creating a gateway. The name means “Gallows of the Incas”, but
this structure was almost certainly used by Inca astronomer-priests to observe the sun, since a
small hole carved in another rock crag about 20m to the northeast casts a well-defined point
of light onto the centre of the lintel on the morning of June 22, the date of the winter solstice
and Aymara New Year.
Intinkala
Just southeast of town, opposite the cemetery 300m along the road to La Paz; take the path on the left • Daily
9am-6pm • Bs5; ticket also valid for Horca del Inca and Kusijata
A collection of large boulders carved with niches, steps, channels and abstract designs,
Intinkala
means “Seat of the Sun” in Aymara, and it's likely this site was a religious shrine
used for astronomical observations. The biggest boulder is carved with a groove shaped like
a serpent, which was likely used to channel offerings of
chicha
(maize beer) or sacrificial
blood - it's believed throughout the Andes that large rocks like these are the home of power-
ful spirits. Along with the Horca del Inca, Intinkala hosts a small gathering of Aymara
yatiris
(traditional priests) to celebrate the winter solstice on the night of June 21-22.
Kusijata
3km northeast of Copacabana • Opening hours are very irregular: there's usually someone here at the weekend,
but otherwise you may need to ask around nearby houses for the key • Bs5; ticket also valid for Horca del Inca
and Intinkala • A return taxi costs Bs30 • Follow Calle Junín past the bullring, then cut across the football pitch;
the track climbs towards a eucalyptus grove on the hillside (30-40min on foot)
