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Other entries in Puno

Lake Titicaca

Let's all get it out of our systems now. Lake Boobie Shit. Ok. Moving on.

We are getting very familiar with the Peru bus system. After another 6 hour bus ride, we arrived in Puno. Alvaro, our Peruvian friend, told us that Puno is an ugly city. He wasn't lying. In theory, it sounds picturesque: a small city high up in the mountinas on the shores of Lake Titicaca, but in reality, it is just a brown, ugly place. We spent our first afternoon there quasi-exploring the city and making reservations for our trip on the lake the next day. Puno is located at about 4,000 meters, which is like 12,000 feet. Almost the same height I skydived (skydove?) from. So during the day it was a balmy 50 degrees. At night it got well below zero. Ergo, we didn't leave the hotel room after sunset. Thank goodness for cable TV in towns like this.

Lake Titicaca is one of the 7 natural wonders of the world and it is huge. It is also the highest navegable lake in the world. Not sure what the navegable part means, as aren't all lakes pretty easy to stick a boat on top of and paddle around? Regardless, I like doing/seeing things that are the most/highest/biggest/fastest/etc of the world.

So the next morning we left bright and early for the lake. Our first stop was at the Floating Islands. They are amazing. The Uros people construct them out of peet and reeds and they really are floating, man-made islands. When you step on them, it is kind of bouncy. There are about 48 islands now (the number waxes and wanes), each housing 5-10 families with about 2,500 people on the islands in total. We stopped off at one and got a demonstration of how the islands work, how they are built and the way of life of the native people. Everything is made out of reeds - the houses, the boats, even some of their food! We got to try a little and it just tastes like celery. The Uros women on the island dress in traditional clothing and everyone was smiling and happy when we arrived. Probably because they knew we would buy their handicrafts. Anyhoo, then we rode in a reed boat around the little bay before getting back on the motor boat to go further into the lake.

It took another 2.5 hours on the boat to get to Taquile, a natural island on the Peru side of the lake. More native people live here and speak Quechua (the language of the Incas). We docked and were informed we would have a 20 minute uphill walk to get to our lunch destination. Normally this wouldn't be a big deal. However, we were so high that everything winded us. Walking up a flight of stairs. Standing up too fast. Turning over in bed (not kidding). Thankfully we took it slow and weren't seeing spots in front of our eyes when we arrived. Our lunch location was at a local family's home. We ate on a giant picnic table overlooking the lake and could see Bolivia on the other side. Here, the men and women wear native clothes and everything has a meaning. The men wear hats symbolizing their marital status, only married men can carry purses full of coca leaves and the women wear giant shawls with colored pom poms on the corners. The larger and more colorful the pom pom means they are single. The people here are also famous for their knitting and weaving. UNESCO declared them to be something official. So we ate lunch, were treated to native dancing and Sam and Erica even joined in the wedding dance.

Another small walk up hill and we were in the town square. We had gorgeous sweaping views of the lake and then walked across part of the island (side-stepping sheep and sheep poo), down 500 stairs and to the harbor to pick up our boat. It was a 3 hour ride back to Puno and we saw the sunset over the lake. Unforch, buy the time we got back, we broke our don't go out after dark rule. It was freezing - I keep forgetting it is summer at home because I have had perma-goosebumps for so long. On the boat, I mentioned how I would love mulled wine for dinner and Erica scoffed at me saying that it was a Christmas drink and something we would never find in Peru. Lo and behold, we found some at the restaurant across the street from our hotel. Dreams really do come true.

Since we've been up in the Peruvian mountains, we've come into quite a bit of contact with coca leaves, tea and candies.  It is supposed to help with the altitude, give one energy and curb the appetite. So far I have drank the tea, chewed the leaves and eaten the candies and am still cold, sleepy and hungry. I am impervious to the effects. I still have a cup of the tea everyday just in case it decides to magically kick in.

The next morning we left on yet another (and our last!) bus to go to Cusco, the ancient Inca capital and the jumping off point for Machu Picchu.

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