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Wednesday 22nd August
We get tuk-tuks down to the shore of Lake Titicaca and they start having races with each other down the cobbled streets. We´re going to do a homestay with the people on Amantani Island so buy some cooking staples as a thank-you, and some books and pencils for the children. It´s a 3 hour ride to Taquille Island which we visit first. It's population is around 2,500.
We make our way slowly up to the top of the island to avoid getting out of breath at this altitude and stop to see a wedding in progress. The bride wears around layers of skirts which she has weaved herself. The groom wears a hat and a belt that he has knitted. The designs are beautifully intricate. The grooms hat becomes his symbol that he is now married.
The ceremony is very serious and they accept a small donation from us to say congratulations. They feast on white potatoes and dehydrated black potatoes which are placed on a cloth between the men who are one side and the women on the other. I can't help but think they must all be roasting in their traditional costumes.
We continue on upwards to the main square where we find a really interesting exhibition. They gave the locals instant cameras and told them to take photo's of their lives. They have really captured the true culture with stunning images of children, gatherings of men talking together, and lots of llamas.
We head down the other side of the island and the view is breathtaking. We see boats heading out to the other islands leaving V-shape waves behind them, cutting through the glass-like water.
We eat quinoa soup - quinoa is one of the staple crops here in Peru and is like a type of barley. This is followed with locally caught trout and rice. I avoid the coco tea, which it is said to help with altitude sickness but tastes pretty foul. Thank goodness I don't appear to be affected.
We walk back down to the boat and head over to Amantani Island where we'll have our homestay. Upon arrival at the island some of the group decide to go for a dip in the water. It's only around 8degrees though so I decline. From the look on their faces and the shreaks of anguish I definitely made the right choice. Hee hee. Also because it's so stoney they can only hobble in rather than quickly run in and run out so this just serves to prolong the agony.
We are taken to meet our Mamas who we'll stay with. Olga walks infront of Jules and I while spinning wool without really having to even look at it. Amazing. We meet her children Validad 12, Eloi 9, and Mayumi 4. Once we're settled into our home we meet the rest of the group and climb to the top of the island to see the sunset. It takes around an hour and when we reach the top we are treated to a local donut and hot chocolate as we watch the sky turn red like it's on fire. We laugh at the toilet with the view of the sunset which is a stone shack that's open to the elements. I should be feeling tired and out of breath but instead I feel surprisingly alive and invigorated. It's wonderful. And so begins my love affair with South America.
We eat dinner with our family in their kitchen which is rustic to say the least. It's one of those humbling experiences that I hope will keep me grounded through the rest of my life when I return to the UK. I try a few phrases in Quechua and am rewarded with shy giggles from the children. After dinner the children play with their only toy, a jigsaw with the alphabet on it and numbers from 1 through to 9.
Then it's time to get ready for the dance. Olga brings us a white embroidered top then tightly ties two skirts up right under our bust. As if it wasn't difficult enough to breath at this altitude without these skirts on and then we're expected to dance. Hee hee. A belt goes on over the waistband and we finish with a long black embroidered cloth that is draped over the head to symbolise being married or over the shoulders for us singles.
I dance with 4 year old Mayumi who is the most gorgeous little girl. Then we join a long line of revellers and the line heads outside as the music escalates. It's like a huge conga winding through the other dancers and past the large bonfire. The music is heady, I'm short of breath and the song goes on and on but I don't want it to stop. I'm laughing and whooping along with everyone else. When we finally stop Jules and I sit and watch the stars for a while before walking home with our Mama and little Mayumi.
There is something about this night, it's back to basics, real living, just enjoying the simple things. It makes me glad to be alive and I wish Simon was here to enjoy it.
Thursday 23rd August
I'm up with the dawn around 5.45am and brush my teeth standing between the sheep and the outside toilet. We sit down to pancakes for breakfast and the children tell us they really enjoy homework. I guess if you have no TV, no computer games, no books and only one toy between three maybe homework takes on a different meaning here.
We head down to the sea and leave our families with huge thanks. Next stop is Uros which is a collection of floating reed islands. It takes us 3 hours to reach them and the journey is sublime, sitting in the sun, chatting, reading, writing my journal, pondering the future and what I've learnt about myself.
We arrive at Uros and it's incredibly touristy, probably highlighted even more so given the genuine experience we've just had. It's impressive that they live on islands made from floating reeds but it all feels a bit forced. We take a brief ride in a reed boat which is similar to those made by vikings then head back to Puno on the mainland.
In the afternoon we visit funary towers of the Aymara at Sillustani. They are on the edge of another lake - Lago Umayo. In the middle is a large shaped island that comes up out of the water. It's beautiful.
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