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It's been over a week since my last update and the reason is simple: technology in South America is basic to say the very least!
After our visit to Macchu Picchu we had two more days in Cusco. Fortunately! We Spent those two days, with our muscles on strike, in a small cafe/bar called The Real McCoy. It claimed to be a taste of home and it really was. Colman's mustard was S/0.50 (10p) per portion and it sold better than the beer! Dan and I had the most welcome roast dinner on the sunday and I realised I may have mentioned my passion for yorkshire puddings a few too many times when one of the girls we are travelling saved hers for me! The gift of food is undoubtedly a strong basis for friendship! Monday morning we hobbled onto the truck and began an eight hour drive to Puno, the best city from which to view Lake Titicaca. Lake Titicaca is the highest navigable lake in the world and the second largest lake in South America. To call it a lake is nothing less than an insult as it is much more like an inland sea. When we arrived in Puno we ventured down to the port and arranged a chartered boat to take us out onto the lake the next day. The price was amazingly small but within ten minutes of being on the boat I became almost a patron saint for the phrase "you get what you pay for!" Our boat, at the harbour, was wedged between at least fifty other "touristica" boats and so we had to boat hop until we recahed it. Needless to say I was neither good at it nor happy about it. After we had all boarded it took roughly eight Peruvians and fifteen minutes to push and pull the other boats out of the way until we could start the engine and finally set off. It was unbelieveably slow. We were always the first to leave and the last to arrive. However, the weather was beautiful and so we made the most of the crawl like speed, took our seats at the back, without shade and played a rather sophistiacted looking games of cards. Our first stop was the Uros Islands. There are roughly twenty Uros Islands on Lake Titicaca, none bigger than a football pitch with a maximum of eight families on each Island. What is amazingly unique about these islands is the fact that they are not supposed to be there. They are completely man made, fashioned using only reeds that grow in the lake by dyring them and weaving them into hundreds of layers until they form a floating land on the lake. The Uros people originate from Bolivia, part of which you can see from the lake, and took themselves into this type of existence in a deliberate attempt to isolate themselves from the rest of the world. This is an immensly conflicting image from the one we were greeted with by the Uros people. Clearly, gringos (so called because during the war South America was overun with westerners in their military uniforms and the natives were only able to say "Green. Go")
are a massive source of income to this community but they seemed genuinely happy to see us. Either that or they knew about our "slow boat" and couldn't contain their giggles! At this fantastic welcome we disembarked and took our first steps on the island. It was surprisingly, though in hindsight obviously, soft and bouncy underfoot. The uros make EVERYTHING out of the reeds from their houses and boats to guinea pig farms! The reeds also form the main part of their diet. They were kind enough to let us try some; the texture like coconut, the taste like soil. Once on the island the language barrier soon became apparent, however, the Uros showed us how they lived and worked by using small models they had made. It would have Blue Peter to shame! The women even put on a small performance to demonstrate how they trade produce with other islands as they have no currency, no money. Simplistic and enviable. They are extremely proud of their culture and although apart from any other society are also aware of their uniqueness. One women led us by the hand to show us her house. It was a small hut made from reeds and similarly everything inside was made from reeds including the bed! Shortly after, a man, who I assume was her husband, could not contain his excitement at showing us the small trout farm he had built in the middle of the island. Would you believe me if I told you are three thousand species of fish in Lake Titicaca? You shouldn't. There are only three! After our very friendly tour we were invited to visit a neighbouring island by reed boat. We accepted and climbed aboard the most fascinating structure I have ever seen. It was shaped like a ship with two reed pumas preceeding the boat out onto the water. It was made entirely from reeds. Two of the men rowed whilst we travelled, faster than our motorised boat, to the next island. Half way they, rather amusingly, feigned exhaustion and it was left to Dan and and another traveller to do the rest. The other island was much the same but with the inhabitabts wearing different coloured hats. What was special about this island was the flock of flamingos that lived there, helping to fish from the trout farm for dinner. They were beautiful and close enough to touch. Begrudgingly, we once again found ourselves on the hired boat and it took another two hours to get to Taquille Island. This, in contrast to the Uros is a natural island near to Amantani. After our feet finally found the harbour having boat hopped again, we were pointed in the direction of the nearest place where we could buy lunch: uphill for about 30 minutes! Now, I can't quite put my finger on why, but for some reason and I didn't really have any enthusiasm for uphill hiking. Lack of choice meant we made it in good time, and were rewarded with a breathtaking view of Lake Titicaca with Bolivia in the distance. Lunch was the end of the trip and once we had paid the bill we were on the boat returning to Puno. In the hazy afternoon sun of Peru we were now more than glad to be taking our time. Back in Puno, we found a bar and quickly picked up the pace with 2 for 1 mojitos! It was all going very well until Dan sampled Barma's special - sixteen separate spirits in a cocktail!
Thought of the Day: Hunger is the best sauce!
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