Enjoying Bolivia 219Américas. But such statistics do not consider self-suffi cient
communities with virtually no income, where money is not
the primary tool of the economy.
One such place, with three interconnected communities,
is Island of the Sun, a half hour boat ride from the popular
pilgrim shrine village of Copacabana (where fervent
believers celebrate marriage ceremonies and spend
their honeymoons).
Island of the Sun and Copacabana are focal points of the
Bolivian side of Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable body
of water in the world at around 3,800 m (12,800 ft) above
sea level.
Tourism and Exploitation: Finding the Balance
Before exploring the Island of the Sun, the inevitable question
must be confronted. Will contact with modern lifestyles
decimate a way of life that dates back hundreds of years?
The romantic extreme says to leave these places alone.
The realist opposite says that abandoning such communities
is tantamount to delusive paternalism, which will exclude
citizens of the world from partaking in advances in medicine,
education and other arenas of modern life.
Island of the Sun, Lake Titicaca, during the dry season. High altitude
and ancient cultures make the island one of Bolivia’s most satisfying
travel destinations.