Journeys in Latin America - January to June 2009

Tuesday 26 May 2009

Lago Titicaca & Copacabana, Bolivia

From Lake Titicaca & Copacabana


The beginning of a beautiful sunset over Copacabana, near to the Peruvian-Bolivian border on the shores of Lake Titicaca. We fortuitously arrived in the town just a day before one of the most important festivals in the town´s calendar, the 3rd of May celebrations. The 2 days after we arrived were packed with colourful processions and outlandish-costumed dancers and musicians tirelessly processing through the streets in the heat of the days... photos below

From Lake Titicaca & Copacabana

Above, some stands set up for the festival selling bright cloths and flower garlands to adorn participants in the processions, cars (which are blessed by priests in front of the Cathedral) and assorted other objects which appeared drab enough to require embellishment for the day.

From Lake Titicaca & Copacabana

Copacabana is nestled between 2 small and picturesque hills - myself and Chief climbed one for the sunset one evening and looked out over the vast Lago Titicaca...

From Lake Titicaca & Copacabana


One of the heavily costumed male dancers in the parade - all the dancers danced for many many hours to the same repeated tune all through the streets and repeated the whole spectacle the following day after imbibing vast quantities of beer and staying up most of the night! Very impressive festival stamina...

From Lake Titicaca & Copacabana

Below, a rare shot of the Photographer General, standing on the top of the hill just to the North of the town, looking out towards Isla del Sol (in the top right) where the others were to go for a few days as i headed to Peru to meet up with some friends from the Antarctic, in Arequipa...

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