There was so much spectacular scenery as we drove around the southern and western parts of Iceland. As we drove along the Snæfellsnes Peninsula, we really enjoyed seeing the black beaches, which are basically lava flows that extend into the ocean. The peninsula is often referred to as “Iceland in miniature” because it has everything from beaches, volcanos, glaciers, and an abundance of wildlife. Seeing the beauty of the beaches is a reminder as to the forces of nature and how these forces continuously interact with one another. For this week’s Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge, Colors that Start with the Letter B, we are sharing a few of the photos that we took of those amazing black beaches and lava flows in Iceland.
Amazing Black BeachRugged CoastlineBlack Lava in the SurfLava Eroded into CliffsLooking Down the CoastDramatic CoastlineRoad along the CoastPowerful Lava Flows
Like everyone else, our days are quite hectic with work and family life. If we didn’t find something to divert ourselves from the day-to-day doldrums, we would likely find ourselves battling depression. We use planning travel as our way to escape the daily routines. We have finalized our travel plans for our trip to Ecuador, so what do we do now? Start thinking about our next trip of course. Even though we are still three weeks away from boarding the plane to South America, we have started to consider where we want to go next. We can’t afford to constantly travel, although we wish that we could, so our next trip will likely be in November. For that trip, we are contemplating something completely relaxing, vacationing as opposed to travel. A trip to the beaches of Mexico and escaping the cold of Colorado seems like an ideal break, so that is what is on our minds at the moment. For this week’s Daily Post Photo Challenge, Ooh, Shiny!, we are sharing a few photos from previous trips to Mexico. The thought of sitting on a beach with a cold drink is definitely enough to take our minds off of the tasks at hand.
Boats on the Water in CaboThe Arch at Cabo San LucasShip Sailing into the Sunset in Puerto Vallarta
Much of what we saw during our time in Bolivia was harsh, wild, and rugged. The exception to trekking the Amazon rainforest or scaling the heights of the Andes mountains was our trip to Copacabana on the shores of Lake Titicaca. Copacabana is a resort destination for tourists and locals alike. Having seen the relatively poor living conditions for most of the citizens of Bolivia, seeing the upscale, boutique hotels on the shore with the boats in the water was quite a juxtaposition to the rest of our experience in Bolivia.
View of CopacabanaView from Our RoomRestaurants on the Beach
To be fair, most of the boats are tour boats to take tourists out to Sun Island and Moon Island and not necessarily pleasure boats. There were paddle boats shaped like swans to rent and tour around the harbor. The main street of Copacabana is lined with tourist stores and small, family-owned restaurants. We watched as ferries arrived from Peru dropping tourists off to start their journey into the heart of Bolivia. One look at that unpaved main street and there was no mistaking that we were still in Bolivia, despite the relative luxury of the hotel where we were staying.
Main Street of CopacabanaWalking from the Beach to TownBaby Alpacas and Swan Boats
Besides people coming to enjoy the sun and beach, the other main reason for people from Bolivia to travel to Copacabana is to have their new car blessed at the Basilica of Our Lady of Copacabana. Vehicles are dressed up with rings of flowers and party hats on the roofs. Vendors line the street outside of the Basilica to sell a variety of trinkets as it has a cobblestone road and is where all of the buses line up to pick up the tourists arriving on the ferries.
Vehicles Being Decorated, Check out the HatsChurch in the Main SquareMarket by the Church
Staying in our hotel was like stepping out of Bolivia into a Mediterranean resort. The lawns are manicured, the restaurant was first class, and the room was spacious and comfortable. The hotel was part of the tour package that we had booked to visit the Incan ruins on Lake Titicaca and we were definitely pleasantly surprised. We ate lunch at a restaurant on the beach before heading back to La Paz that had an outdoor patio and definitely catered to English tourists. We usually choose less touristy type places, but the food was authentic and delicious.
View from the ResortOur RoomSunset from Our Room
All-in-all, the time in Copacabana was almost surreal compared to the rest of our time in Bolivia. If you are going to visit Lake Titicaca, taking the time to spend a night in Copacabana is well worth the extra time. Compared to how hectic most of our nineteen days in Bolivia was, sitting on our balcony and watching the sun set over Lake Titicaca was completely relaxing and refreshing. Copacabana was certainly one of the highlights of our time in Bolivia.
Manchester United RestaurantPollo Macho for LunchSunset over Lake Titicaca
