We took a boat to the Uros Islands in Lake Titicaca. These floating islands are made from piles of reeds 2 meters thick. The ancestors of these people fled here in the 1500s to escape the Incas and, later, the Spaniards. They eventually blended with the Aymara people. There is a school in the floating island community for children in grades K-8. The older children go to high school in Puno. Six related families live on the island we visited. They work cooperati...

After leaving the floating islands, we traveled 2 1/2 hours by boat on Lake Titicaca to Taquile Island. The people who live on this island are said to be the last descendants of the Incas. They are subsistence farmers growing quinoa, wheat, corn, potatoes, beans, and sweet potatoes. They also raise animals such as sheep. We were told that these people want to live primitively and will not allow foreign investors. They have begun to engage in agritourism which inv...

Today we left the Cusco region and traveled south to Puno on Lake Titicaca. The 8 hour bus ride was broken up by stops at several historic sites as well as lunch. The highest point we reached was 14,800 feet. I'm pleased to find that my altitude sickness precautions worked well. The highlight of the day for me was a visit to the small farm owned by a family who earn extra money by allowing tourists to come in to their home and see how a typical family in this ...

The Pisac Market is unique because practically the whole town is the market. Our guide started our shopping by taking us to a natural dye maker, a silversmith, and a textile vendor. Each person explained how to distinguish between good quality products and inferior quality products. He also introduced us to Oscar who had a shop that sold a variety of Peruvian craft items and to a painter who was mute and communicated with us through gestures. I was surprised that...

Our second morning at a lovely hotel, Hacienda del Valle, located at the top of a rutted dirt road. Alan brought coffee to me so that I could sit on our balcony and enjoy the flowers, birdsong, views of the mountains, and sound of the water flowing under the little walking bridge outside our room. Just snapped a pic of a hummingbird! My impressions of the Sacred Valley include steep mountains with pointed peaks and terraces for farming; crops including potatoes,...