The second day on Isla del Sol was as fulfilling as the first. It was relaxing to wake up to a 270 degree view of the lake, on an island free of cars, noise, and pollution. After waking at 7:30am and grabbing some breakfast, I hiked from the southern tip of the island to the north. Along the way were tranquil hills and valleys, rocky streams and pastoral farmland nestled between the hills and the lake.
Along the way I ran into a young guy, about my age, who was walking with his wife, mother, and donkey to pick up some potatoes from the village at the northern tip of the island. Along the way he pointed out several plants growing on the hills that people chewed on or boiled as natural health remedies. Among them were natural mint and eucalyptus leaves.
After 3 hours of hiking, I discovered that I still had to cross a few more hills to reach the Inca sacred sites. In one massive rock was the image of a puma, nostrils upturned, facing the lake. The name of the lake, Titicaca, means Rock of the Puma. According to legend, this was the site where the first Incas appeared, and where the sun and moon emerged from openings in the rock. Opposite the massive stone was a sacrificial table with a circle of chairs around it.
Having seen the part of the island that was the purpose of my visit, I hurried back to the northern village to catch a ferry back. Along the way, we visited the island of the moon, which has ruins of the convent that used to house the Virgins of the Sun. Two hours later, our boat pulled back to the mainland of Copacabana, but the tranquility I acquired on the Isla del Sol remained.
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