Lake Titicaca, Puno and the Floating Islands of Uros

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Following the ´Gringo Trail´ to Cuzco and the next stop was Puno, on Lake Titicaca on the Peruvian side. We were here to see the ´Floating Islands of Uros´ but enjoyed Puno itself as well. The people are friendly and relatively laid back (especially in comparison to Cuzco) and we enjoyed walking around the town and along the lake side.

So off to the floating islands some 30 minutes across the lake on a small boat from Puno port. We cut our way through the reeds and slowly the islands began to reveal themselves in the distance. Our guide gave us some interesting facts to ponder and rounded off with his well rehearsed wise crack about how, although they share the lake with Bolivia, Peru likes to think they own the ´Titi´and Bolivia the ´caca´!

The first surprise was the number and size of the islands. It´s much more vast than the two or three we had imagined. And they´re well geared up for tourism with demonstrations, crafts for sale, trips on reed boats, a post office, a passport stamp, and rooms for people to stay over. The islanders themselves are very welcoming and we were allowed to wander freely around. It´s quite soft under foot and at times you feel you might go through if you strayed to less trodden parts. They anchor the islands to the lake bottom in order that they don´t float off in the night, as the chief of one island commented, he hasn´t got a passport so wouldn´t want to wake up in Bolivia!

The islands were formed as a defence against the the Incas by a tribe who had previously lived peacefully in the mountains. They´ve certainly managed to find another peaceful existence in this unique island tranquility. It´s definitely worth a visit if you´re passing and great to get another view of Titicaca which seems a different world altogether.

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Photos

Titicaca reflections
obligatory attempt at arty photo

Life on the lake
Family fishing

Puno Pan Pipes
You really can´t begin a good boat trip in Peru without a bit of a sing song.

Getting about on Lake Titicaca
And all for equal oppportunities

Quechua
Spanish is a second language on the lake

10 metre tall duck type thing
to lure the tourists or serving some practical purpose?

Adios Los Uros
3 songs in 3 languages before leaving including ´My Bonnie lies over the ocean´

Titicaca contemplations
penny for them Mrs Abbott

Boat to the island anyone?
plenty of options at Puno port

Puno transport
we were trying to photograph the front but they´re just too quick!

Inca Kola
First tast of the Peruvian mountain fuel (tastes a lot like Irn Bru)