Thursday, April 20, 2006
Copa - Copacabana!
Sadly, I didn't like Copa so much (this should not be confused with Copa Airlines, which is first in my heart among airlines). Copacabana, Bolivia felt too much like a tourist trap, literally. There is a 1 Boliviano (about US$0.125) fee to enter the town, there are no ATMs either, a first for our trip & quite odd for a tourist destination, but there are money changers on every block (with very favorable rates,), & getting change was like pulling teeth! A common exchange went like this: Vendor charges me 7Bs, I pay with 10Bs, he doesn't have change. "Why don't you have change?" "Because the money changer across the street gave me 100s & 20s!" Eventually after looking at me like he wants me to say "keep the difference" for a minute the vendor goes across the street to the money changer & gets change!
Anyway, we did enjoy the movie room in the Mankha Uta restaurant both nights we were in town.
The other thing we liked was our 10K hike along the ridge of Isla del Sol on Lake Titicaca, it was really pretty.
& even though I didn't like the hidden costs in Copacabana it wasn't all bad, $2 hotel rooms & a friendly staff at the movie restaurant made up for a lot, besides it's hard to get bent out of shape even on principle when you're only getting shorted about $2 overall.
Kepfram
Sadly, I didn't like Copa so much (this should not be confused with Copa Airlines, which is first in my heart among airlines). Copacabana, Bolivia felt too much like a tourist trap, literally. There is a 1 Boliviano (about US$0.125) fee to enter the town, there are no ATMs either, a first for our trip & quite odd for a tourist destination, but there are money changers on every block (with very favorable rates,
Anyway, we did enjoy the movie room in the Mankha Uta restaurant both nights we were in town.The other thing we liked was our 10K hike along the ridge of Isla del Sol on Lake Titicaca, it was really pretty.
& even though I didn't like the hidden costs in Copacabana it wasn't all bad, $2 hotel rooms & a friendly staff at the movie restaurant made up for a lot, besides it's hard to get bent out of shape even on principle when you're only getting shorted about $2 overall.
Kepfram
Kepfram & Ellie, 10:28 PM
