Lake Titicaca

After Machu PIcchu we had a night's rest in Cusco and jumped on a cheap bus headed south for Puno and Lake Titicaca. The bus was cheap and meant for locals really and what an experience. Our tickets were for the 'death seats' which are the ones right at the front of the bus with a great view of the highway. I now know why they are called death seats!

Our bus driver had a penchant for taking corners on the wrong side of the road, overtaking on crests and overtaking directly in the face of oncoming traffic, with horn blaring of course!

Check out the photos - notice that the bus is on the wrong side of the road and yes we are moving!

The car is moving out of our way!

Yes, all vehicles are moving!

My heart was in my mounth as we sped toward this crest!

That aside, the journey was full of colour and excitement. We had people coming onto the bus selling all sorts of things, from bread and sweets, to ladies with a huge cut of pork which they sliced with a knife almost the size of a machete and stuffed into a bread roll. That was something!

We arrived in Punowith our lives intact, just after dark and managed to arrange a super cheap trip out to the islands with a tout at the bus station! So we left at 8 the next morning bound first for the Uros islands, then for Amantani Isaland to stay for the night with a local family.
 
Our days on the Lake were spectacular. Uros Islands are the floating islands that are made from reeds. The spongy feel of the islands underneath your feet is something else. It almost feels like you are on a waterbed. The local family that we visited gave us a great demonstration of how the islands are made and about their daily lives. We also took the ubiquitos reedboat ride to another island, which was slow and peaceful.

On the boat and ready to go!

Linda - the presidents wife

On the reed boat

It took another 3 hours in a motorbike to get to Amantani Isalnd, which is a natural island in the lake. It is covered in agricultural terraces that pre-date the Incas, and about 4000 people live there in 10 different communities.

The kitchen of Rita;s house & Mud bricks drying

We were welcomed by Rita, our host, and she escorted us to her lovely adobe (mud brick)family house, where she lived with her family and her mother and father. Although it wasn't just a house, more like a little complex of different buildings, including a sheep pen, cook house and toilet.Everything was wonderfully simple and rustic. There was no electricity except for a solar panel for lights, if there was running water I never saw any! And they cooked on a firepit in the cook house on the floor. It was an incredible experience!

Eva in the kitchen - the stone on the floor she is looking at is used for grinding corn and quinoa

This one is obvious!

Eva and I were both totally excited about sleeping in an adobe house. There are so many here in Peru and in Ecuador but we hadn't slept in one before! We weren't disappointed, our little room was separate from the rest of the 'house' and it was cosy and well insulated from the freezing cold of the night! It was actually warmer than any of the hostel rooms that we have stayed in!And the views of Lake Titicaca were sublime.

We took a walk to the top of the mountain on the island, which was about 4200 metres above sea level. It was a hard walk up - and Eva did it all under her own steam - and the view from the top included Bolivia and a spectacular sunset! Just wonderful!

 

The night involved dinner with the family and going to a fiesta where we were encouraged to dress up in local gear and dance the way they do here. Great fun!
Us dressed up as locals with Rita, our host. The night could have been really cheesy, but for some reason it wasn't. There was a band playing and a room full of toursits and locals all dancing together and having a good time.

Lake Titicaca is like nothing else. A very special place.