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Fortunately by Monday (17th) I was feeling a lot better and got to go on a trip to the floating islands. It was a really interesting visit and I´m really glad I got to go. People in my group said although they really enjoyed the homestay (which I was gutted to have missed), the floating islands were the most "different", because I don´t think there is anything to be found like them elsewhere in the world. I wasn´t sure what they´d be like, but on the island we visited they demonstrated how they are built. Walking on the island was wierd, as obviously although it was kind of moored and stable, it is not solid ground. Walking on the reeds was quite hard work actually, and I occasionally worried in case your foot might go through (if it was rotten) but luckily no such incidents! They told us there are 36 floating islands of the Uros people with I think 2,000 inhabitants. Up to 15 families may live on one island, depending on its size, and their homes and boats are built from reeds too. Underfoot is basically layers of reeds, which they replace once a week in the rainy season and once a month in the dry. I was shown around one family´s home, basically a bedroom hut and a kitchen/eating hut, and an outdoor cooking area too. They encouraged me to dress in their traditional clothes, which I did, but not the most flattering outfit, not sure that picture will ever be shown! Afterwards we got to go on a reed boat (made entirely of reeds), which took us to a different island for a quick look around. On the way past other islands we saw two of the schools were the children from the floating islands go. It was then the end of that trip and I was taken to a third island to meet up with my group. It turned out a few people had suffered badly with altitude sickness on the homestay island, but they enjoyed a football match with the locals and an evening of traditional dancing in traditional costumes. On our return to Puno, I didn´t do a lot. Spent ages trying to upload some pictures to facebook, but only managed about four! Had a nice dinner in the evening, my first proper meal in three days, after eating just dry bread or soup! Getting my laundry back was quite amusing, all my clothes, including every single sock, had a number double-stapled into it to ensure they could give me back all my clothes- it took quite a while to remove them all!
Tuesday was a travel day to get to Cuzco. We left Puno at 8am and got to Cuzco around 3pm. We stopped once, but at really high altitude, so trouble breathing again. Got to watch half a film, but then the DVD player broke! There was some beautiful scenery on the way. On arrival we had a briefing about options for activities in Cuzco and some of us booked on the city tour on Wednesday, not really a city tour as such, but to go and visit various inca ruins which are just outside the city. We then had a quick walk into town before everyone had to go and have their Inca trail briefing. As i was feeling really tired I just went on the internet, them went for an early dinner. I was really pleased with my vegeable fajitas, as there were lots of different vegetables, variety of vegetables is something I´ve not had in a while! I then went to the hotel and watched some films, as we had cable TV with English speaking channels, was quite good after two days of trying to understand Spanish TV in Puno!
So on Wednesday we did the "city tour" which was really interesting. We visited 4 inca ruin sites, the first was most impressive and interesting, Saqsaywaman. The stones were huge, and it´s hard to imagine how they transported everything and built everything just by man power. The guide told us how they had to kind of sand down the rock surfaces in order for them to fit together. No cement or anything was used to attach them together, it really was and is just from the way they were fitted together. The walls were also built on a slight slant so that they would not just collapse in the case of earth quakes. Only about 20% of the original fort is left, it must have been huge when it was whole. He pointed out a stone that weighed 180 tons, but the Lonely Planet says the biggest is over 300 tons. One of the ruins was at 3,700 m- I struggled with the uphill walk there. I am so glad I am not doing the Inca trail, I would NEVER manage the first hour, let alone 3.5 days! We also visited ruins i the city which form the base of the church and convent of Santa Domingo. Again the guide gave us a tour and we saw more examples of the clever way in which they built. After the tour it was lunchtime so we went for a sandwich then whiler others went to get Inca trail supplies. I wandered uphill to the Plaza San Blas, a small square with little shops all around. It was very picturesque but I have to say I prefered the walk back down than the walk up! Getting back to our hotel was another mission, up a hill, had to stop a few times! But the good news is that after our evening meal out I managed to walk back up without having to stop on the hill! Result! But I was still very much out of breath- partly my poor level of fitness but also Cuzco is at 3,300m! Dinner was good, I had trout with a lovely sauce. Feeling hopeful that my food options will continue to improve!
So, that brings me to today. The Ince trail trekkers left at 6am. I half woke by when Anne Marie (my room mate) left but slept til 7. I then stayed in a bed and read, feel asleep again, then read again, eventaully getting up at 12! More sleep would have been good, but just being able to stay in bed was great! Once I was ready I wandered into the centre and went to a place highly recommended by both Lucy, and the Lonely Planet for great breakfasts, but by the time I got in, after a half hour wait (it´s obviously a popular place!) it was about 1.30 so I decided on a sandwich instead, and a fruit salad, to be healthy (and of course I love fruit anyway!). Afterwards I avoided another uphill trek by going sideways rather than down then up (all important!) in order to visit the Inca Museum. They had a model of Machu Picchu there, looks amazing, can´t wait to see it on Sunday! After I used internet then walked to the craft market where i wandered but bought nothing (I need to get organised and think about what I need to buy still) Cuzco is a lovely town, easy enough to wander around, apart from the hills! The only slightly annoying thing is the people constantly trying to sell you things; massages, paintings, jewellery, knitted goods.....it´s a constant "no gracias" but they usually don´t persist too much. I went for a lovely dinner this evening! With the rest of the group gone I made the most of the opportunity to go to a vegetarian restaurant to try a Peruvian speciality called "Lomo Saltado" which is basically beef, onions, tomatoes, but i had it with some sort of meat replacement- it was really tasty and I´m glad I got to try it at last, other people have been eating it a lot here and it always looks good, I just wouldn´t eat the beef! Tomorrow the remaining people in the group and our leader are off to the Sacred Valley to visit various Inca ruins. On Saturday we then meet the two dutch guys, who are doing the Lares trek, to get the train to Aguas Calientes. We hope to get the first bus, at 5.30am I think on Sunday, to get up to Machu Picchu, to try and see the sun rise and also avoid the worst of the crowds, though I´m sure they´ll be hundreds of people even at that time. Looking forward to it though!
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