Bolivia travel blog by Mark Berman -
Apr 2008
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I have travelled this leg in both directions 4 times in all, it is a nice bus journey that includes crossing Lake Titicaca briefly (Strait of Tiquina). It takes
up to 3hrs. Bus from La Paz
The bus doesn't leave from the main terminal in
La Paz, it leaves from up the hill quite a bit, take a taxi there. The bus climbs
out of La Paz, the view of the city is awesome, stopping a couple of times at the top of the chasm to pick up more people. The main road out of
the La Paz area is busy, dirty and polluted with vehicle fumes. You will see a huge outdoor market on this road on the left side.
Boat Across the Lake
Gradually
getting into the countryside about 60-70kms out of La Paz you will begin to see the lake and beautiful snow-capped mountains also on the left.
Around 40 minutes later the bus stops at the lake at San Pablo de Tiquina and drives onto a barge while the passengers head across on a boat to San Pedro de Tiquina,
it takes about 15 minutes, there is a small charge for the ride. There will probably be a beggar sitting right by the ticket booth and a woman
with a pet cat on a leash.
San Pedro de Tiquina
From here it is a matter of driving around the lake for a while. The views of the
islands are great, there are some small communities on the shore. Within 45 minutes you will be winding down the road, passing many coca fields
and arriving in
Copacabana!
Copacabana To La Paz
If traveling from Copacabana to La Paz, buses leave from the street outside the soccer stadium, buy a ticket at
the bus for $15 Bolivianos, not $25 Bolivianos from a ticket agent. From Copacabana it's 151kms to La Paz and 38kms to San Pedro de Tiquina.
Sit on the Right
The views of the lake and snowy mountains are on the right in this direction. In San Pedro de
Tiquina there are a couple of monuments, one called Campana del Chaco 1932-1935 and another of an Inca warrior dressed in red with his arms up in the air.
San Pablo de Tiquina
After crossing the lake from San Pedro de Tiquina it becomes San Pablo de Tiquina. There are a couple of monuments on
this side also. One to Don Eduardo Avaroa, a hero in the War of the Pacific in 1879. The other monument is to Don Pedro Domingo Murillo (1757-1810),
he was the main conspirator and leader of the La Paz uprising on July 16 1809. From San Pablo de Tiquina it is 112kms to
La Paz.