This morning we took bicycle rickshaws down to lake Titicaca where we met up with another intrepid group to do our visit to the floating reed islands. These places are amazing. They are actually floating islands which the people build from the reeds. Every 100 years, they abandon the island as it will touch the bottom of the 280m deep lake (they keep piling new reeds on top). When it touches the bottom, it won't float anymore, so the people won't be protected when the lake levels rise and fall. They have everything on these islands... Pigs, cats, ginuea pigs etc. each house is tiny and the whole family sleeps in one bed. When we got there we got a short talk on how the islands are created and then we went with one of the locals to see their house. My local's name was Amanda! She dressed me up in the local dress, which was a fluro yellow skirt, bright pink jacket, hair Pom poms and a bowler hat that sat on the top of my head (don't know how the locals keep the on... Must have some sort of hatpin). Got some photos...and safe to say I look hugely ridiculous. Bought a weaving off Amanda (suspect I got ripped off... Paying 110 soles (about $40)) but it is so beautiful and her name WAS Amanda :). From the floating islands, we got back on the boat for another 2 hours to the island where we are taking our homestay. Bianca and I got assigned to a local man called Elstuckio. He speaks Quechuan only. He took us to his house which is on the lake side. It is a mud brick house, but it is beautiful. Everything is laid out so nicely. We have our own room and toasty warm beds piled with llama wool blankets which weigh a tonne. I have to say, the piece of real estate that Elstuckio has here would be worth millions back in aus. It is so odd. Anyhow, when we got to his house, we had tea made with fresh mint (a kind that only grows above 2800m) and a massive lunch of soup and salad with steamed potatoes. We then had a siesta before helping Elstuckio with some ploughing for his potato crop. The whole village then congregated to play some volleyball with all of us foreigners. We have just arrived back from that now. The light is fading fast and Bianca and I are supposed to be having another siesta while our host cooks up another huge meal. Man I am going to be rolling off the plane home.

Ok, so I was right about the meal. It was huge... Potato soup followed by potato and pasta curry with rice. Toooo many carbs!! But before we ate, our host came in with two local outfits and proceeded to dress us in them. First there was a thick woolen blouse followed by a massive and heavy woolen skirt... Then there was a belt and a big hat... Both denoting single female status. We had to sit and eat our entire dinner done up like idiots. Bianca and I couldn't stop laughing at each other. We were glad to be sent to bed at the end of it!