Bolivia > View of Lake Titicaca

The final stretch of the Takesi Trail is on the agenda. We get up early (seven o’clock!). While packing our luggage, the porters are already eager to take down the tents. Even before the last bag is removed from the tent, the first stakes are already out of the ground.

Bolivia - The endpoint of the trek at 2000 meters

After breakfast with eggs, we set off for the last leg, which takes about an hour. Around nine o’clock, we reach a road and the spot where the bus can pick us up. The bus hasn’t arrived yet, so we start walking toward it in the direction of the old mining town. The road climbs steeply. After about half an hour, the bus passes us. It first goes down to pick up the luggage and then will return to pick us up. The journey to La Paz takes over three and a half hours. The route winds along narrow roads clinging to the mountainside, sometimes with deep ravines next to the road. At times, the driver must carefully maneuver to let oncoming traffic pass. Eventually, we reach the asphalt road. This road climbs gradually, and after more than an hour of climbing in first gear (slowly, of course), we pass the pass at over 4.5 kilometers altitude.

Bolivia - The sunset on the shore of Lake Titicaca on the way to Copacabana

Then we descend toward La Paz. Approaching La Paz from El Alto gives us a beautiful overview of the city. In the center, we reach the hotel and meet the rest of our group who had stayed behind. At the hotel, the luggage is retrieved from the depot, and we have lunch (pepper steak). At quarter past three, we load the luggage back onto the bus and leave La Paz via El Alto. Around five o’clock, the enormous Lake Titicaca appears before us. At San Pedro de Tiquina, we get off the bus and board a small boat, which takes us across the lake. Meanwhile, the bus is transported on a sort of pontoon. On the other side, we continue our route for the final three-quarters of an hour to Copacabana. Along the way, we enjoy the beautiful sunset over Lake Titicaca. The hotel in Copacabana is practically on the lakeshore. The room is good, and fortunately, after three days on the Takesi Trail, we have a warm shower again. At eight o’clock, we go out to eat in the town center.