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  • Day 33

    Pilko Kaini Harbor (Isla del Sol)

    November 1, 2017 in Bolivia ⋅ 🌙 5 °C

    Isla del Sol ("Island of the Sun") is the largest island on Lake Titicaca, and part of Bolivian territory. 
    Inca legend says that Viracocha, the bearded god who created the universe, emerged from the waters of Lake Titicaca and created the sun at this location.
    The son and daughter of Inti (The sun God) were sent out of one of the caves on the island with a golden staff. One of the siblings, Manco Cápac took this staff across the water and found Cusco between the mountains. He decided to start his Inca empire there. 

    On the way back from Isla de la Luna, we were dropped off at the Pilko Kaini harbor on the Isla del Sol. The Sun temple is visible from the harbor. There was a big reed boat also parked there. The plan was that the boat would drop us off here and then go to the Yumani port a bit North and those of us who wanted to walk will do the 1 hour trek between the harbours. The rest would remain on the boat.

    Currently (Nov 2017) it is not possible to visit the northern or central sections of the island due to 'disagreements' between the communities there. The southern village has blockaded the centeral and northern villages since March over ongoing disagreements. Boats will only go to and from the southern end of the island and a sentry is posted on the path to prevent tourists from passing into the central section.
    This basically meant we would miss out on a few of the important sights in the Northern part of the island that were supposed to be on the itinerary e.g.
    The Rock of the Puma, or Titi Kharka, after which the lake is named. A short distance from the rock is the Inca Table, a low platform fashioned of stone, it was supposedly used for human sacrifices. The Footsteps of the Sun nearby are a set of natural impressions in rock.
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