Isla Del Sol / Tiahuanaco Up until the last two centuries; Bolivia and Peru have always been virtually one country. Prior to the conquest they were united under the Incan Empire and under the rule of the Spanish they were both part of the viceroy of Peru. It is quite surprising then what an incredible contrast there now lays between the two countries. While Peru was the heart of the Incan Empire, it is filled with all sorts of famous monuments and ruins. Peru is also a little better off economically and for this matter claims to be the better developed of the two nations. But while Peru may seem a more ideal destination to the more conventional / conservative tourist; Bolivia has an appeal for the more independent / off-the beaten path traveler. Right: the village of Yumani, Isla Del Sol Bolivia has quite deservedly been nicknamed "the Tibet of the Andes". Not only is the country landlocked but the vast majority of its population lives on the Altiplano - a high mountain range similar to the Tibetan Plateau in the Himalayas. Tourism in Peru has become somewhat over commercialized and their cultures rapidly turning into a commodity, Bolivia is still for the most part a fairly undiscovered place. A certain degree of lack of infrastructure and modernization definitely has its benefits as Bolivia is one of the safest, friendliest and least polluted countries in South America. Not only that but Bolivia is filled with all sorts of intriguing indigenous cultures still operating outside of the conventional economic system and living a lifestyle often extinct in most parts of the world.   Above: the Mesa Ceremónica on the northern end of Isla Del Sol Isla Del Sol It has always perplexed me how on earth Lake Titicaca got its name. The answer is that it stems from an island near the southwest shores of the lake that the Incas once called Titi Khar'ka - or "Rock of the Puma". This island was especially sacred to the Incas as it was apparently the birthplace of many of their deities including the first Inca Manco Capac and the sun itself. The island is now simply known as Isla Del Sol, or Island of the Sun. The Isla Del Sol, located on the Bolivian side of Lake Titicaca, is supposedly one of the nicest places to visit in the Titicaca region so this was obviously an essential stop on my itinerary. I crossed the border into Bolivia by bus from Puno, Peru to the Bolivian shore town of Copacabana. From here it was an easy boat ride over to Isla Del Sol. The town of Copacabana is actually a very pretty and peaceful place indeed and I must admit having some regrets not being able to overnight there at least once. Even if you are, as I was, using Copacabana simply as a stop over, be sure to check out its magnificent cathedral. The massive white cathedral is fully equipped with several mesmerizing mudéjar domes. I spent two nights on the Isla Del Sol as I wanted to hike from end to end of the island which requires at least a day. The island is fairly uninhibited albeite a few tiny sporatically scattered settlements. The largest of these settlements is Yumani which is equipped with a couple of hostels are restaurants. Development on the island has been very minimal. Electricity on the island is sparse and there are no cars nor is running water available. I found myself a great bargain of a hotel room. $4 a night for a cozy room on a ridge overlooking the tranquil lake and the nearby sister island, Isla de la Luna. Above: Traveling from Copacabana to La Paz   Above: the El Fraile monolith is one of Tiahuanaco's most treasured monuments. I spent the next day stuffing myself with all the trout I could eat and walking all the way to the north end of the island, absorbing the mesmerizing scenery surrounding me while checking out several ancient ruins. The last of these I saw, the Mesa Ceremónica (Ceremony Table) was probably the most impressive and looked like something the Flintstones would have had in their backyard. Walking around the island is fairly easy however the altitude, the intensity of the sun at this height and the hilly terrain makes the walk a little more tiring than it should be. It is very easy to forget that you are still on a plateau some 3800m above sea level as the tranquil blue lake makes you feel as if you are stuck on some paradise island in Thailand or a South Mediterranean beach resort. I was soon reminded where I was though when I took a dip in the freezing cold lake and nearly caught hypothermia! Another, slightly less painful reminder was the awesome sight of the snowcapped peaks of the Cordirella Real on the other side of the lake. Tiahuanaco Bolivians will argue that what they lack, compared to their Peruvian neighbors, in archeological sites; they more than make up for in their countries natural beauty and pristine culture. The truth is that there were many ancient cultures living in the region prior to the Incas whose relics still remain and one of the greatest of these was the civilization of Tiahuanaco (aka Tiwanaku). Located some 70 km west of La Paz, Tiahuanaco makes an excellent day trip from the capital city. Many agencies will try and sell you packaged tours to and from La Paz that pick you up with a guide and full on door to door service for about $10. This is for the meek and lazy however as the cheapest and most adventurous way is to catch a 50 cent micro from La Paz's cemetery (also worth a short visit). Very little is known of the pre-Incan civilization that built the city of Tiahuanaco. It is believed however that the area was inhabited between the years of 600 BC up until the first millennium. Archeologists have divided the cities history into five different epochs. Most of the monuments and stone structures that one can see today are relics from the 4th epoch, also known as the Classical Period. Tiahuanaco, at its height housed some 20,000 inhabitants, and was actually originally built on the shores of the ancient Lake Titicaca. It is now a site full of alluring stone figures, walls and relics. While the ancient Akapana Pyramid is now nothing more than a hole in the ground, the Kalasasaya ritual platform is a very sanctified and fascinating place. It contains two excellent stone figures; the El Fraile and Monolito Ponce. The latter can be seen through the doorway of the Kalasasaya structure from the opposite Templete Semisubterráneo (see picture right), making quite a fascinating sight indeed. A $2 admission ticket buys you a whole day in not just the ruins but also the corresponding museum. Above: the sight of the Monolito Ponce statue, through the doors of the Kalasasaya ritual platform from the Templete Semisubterráneo (foreground). Links: La Paz Huayna Potosi Bolivia Main Peru Travel glennstevens.biz