Page 36 - Off the Tourist Trail - 1000 Unexpected Travel Alternatives (Part 1 of 2)

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ANCIENT AND HISTORICAL SIGHTS

Isla del Sol

vs Machu Picchu

Where to go to see the birthplace of the fabled Inca? Not Machu Picchu, that’s for sure.
Head instead for Bolivia’s Isla del Sol, where this civilization first rose to greatness

see why. Situated at nearly 10,500 ft (3,200 m) commemorates their birthplace. The mysterious
NEED TO KNOW
above sea level, the lake is so clear it is said that the Chinkana labyrinth, possibly a training ground for
LOCATION Isla del Sol is located original inhabitants believed that they could see Inca priests, is also nearby. Three sacred springs on
on Lake Titicaca, which lies on
the border of Bolivia and the entrance to another world at the bottom. Small the south coast still issue the same fresh water the
1&36
Peru in South America #0-*7*"
#3";*- wonder most travelers don’t make it to the island earliest Inca used in their ceremonies, and are now
VISITORS PER *4-" %&- 40- when the scenery around is this beautiful. regarded by the locals as youth-restoring founts.
YEAR Fewer than 8,000 -BLF -B 1B[
5JUJDBDB The tiny island itself is littered with remnants Exactly 206 steps from this triad of waters, the
DAYTIME 4BOUB $SV[
TEMPERATURES 4VDSF of the Inca. Nearly 200 ruins, most in pristine island’s largest town, Yumani, descends directly
Jan: 61°F (16°C); Apr: 54°F condition, attest to the presence of this mighty into the lake. In the distance sits Pilcocaina, a stone
(12°C); Jul: 52°F (11°C); 1"3"(6":
Oct: 59°F (15°C) $)*-& "3(&/5*/" people. This is a harsh place and little has changed sentinel whose purpose is shrouded in mystery.
over the centuries. There are no roads, and the Nearby, Isla de la Luna also looms large in Inca
5,000 or so inhabitants – many of them legend. Once the home of the goddess Mama
If you thought you needed to go to Machu Picchu descendants of the first Inca – still cling to their Quila, it is also home to what may have been the
to see the Inca civilization on its own terms, you’re centuries-old lifestyle. Anthropologists have first order of nuns on the continent. Here the
off by a few hundred miles and some centuries to suggested that many of the tiny fishing hamlets Virgins of the Sun lived in seclusion, weaving tunics
boot! The birthplace of one of the world’s most that dot the shore have remained virtually of alpaca and ministering to the Sun God.
fabled societies is actually farther southeast, on unchanged for over a thousand years. Beneath the depths of the lake lie more
Isla del Sol (Island of the Sun) – the largest of the According to legend, the Inca creator god, mysteries: a recently discovered and still-unexplored
41 islands located on what may be the world’s Viracocha, willed his two children, Manco Kapac temple (the natives don’t want to disturb the lake)
most stunning body of water, Lake Titicaca. This and Mama Oclio, to come to life on the shores of and, some say, the remnants of the lost Atlantis
lake was considered sacred by the Inca, and after the island. Titi Kharka (Puma Rock), on the northern civilization. The full story of these people may
one look at its indescribably blue waters, it’s easy to end near the ancient town of Cha’llapampa, never be known, but no other place on earth
provides such a vivid insight into the origins of the
great Inca as the atmospheric Isla del Sol.
FORGET MACHU PICCHU?
PRACTICAL INFORMATION
THE BUILD-UP There’s no doubt that Machu Picchu holds its
own as a premier tourist stop. Possibly South America’s most- Getting There and Around Hotel Rosario del Lago
promoted destination, it has held the top spot for travelers eager The ideal way to reach Isla del (www.hotelrosario.com/lago) in
to see the majesty of the Inca for several years. Sol is to drive on the paved road Copacabana. The hotel can
from the capital, La Paz, to arrange visits to the island.
THE LETDOWN The journey to Machu Picchu is not pleasant, Copacabana, on Lake Titicaca’s When to Go
and the entrance fee has risen to US$44. Add to this the shores, and complete the trip by The best time to visit is during
ferry. It’s better to rent a car than
round-trip train fare to the village at the foot of the mountain take a bus, as there are many the southern hemisphere’s
(the most common means of transport from Cusco), the bus fare side trips worth taking. winter, Jun–Aug, when there is
from here to the site, plus the food and water you’ll need during Where to Eat maximum sun and minimal rain.
the day, and you’re well above US$150 before you’ve even set La Orilla (tel. +591 862 2267) in Budget per Day for Two
foot inside Machu Picchu. . .that is if you fall within the number Copacabana serves both local Isla del Sol and its surroundings
are fairly inexpensive. US$140 is
of people allowed in daily. ABOVE Crowds waiting to get onto the train from and international food, along more than enough to cover costs
Cusco to Machu Picchu with the country’s best trout. and leave change.
GOING ANYWAY? The flood of tourists making this pilgrimage Where to Stay Website
has made it essential that you book your stay months ahead. December through to March has fewer visitors, so There are no formal overnight www.sacred-destinations.com/
your wait will be shorter in these months. Regardless, mornings always see fewer tourists at any time of the year. facilities on Isla de Sol. Instead, bolivia/lake-titicaca.htm
stay at the ecologically sensitive

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