LAKE TITICACA'S NORTHERN ISLANDS FROM PERU: Um, Yes.

Having loved our independent trip to Isla Del Sol in Southern Lake Titicaca, we were looking forward to seeing the delights of the Northern Islands, accessed from the Peruvian town of Puno. Short of time, we signed up on a day tour, promising us a visit to two floating Islands, and one 'permanent' Island, Taquille, further out in the Lake.

The floating Islands are a curiosity dating back to Incan days, when the Uro people were being pushed off their fertile lakeside plantation lands by their more aggresive and militant neighbours. They opted to cleverly construct temporary floating Islands made fom the local reeds and adapt to an offshore life. It is a fascinating story, and one that is thoroughly unique anywhere in the world. Perhaps unsurprisingly, these resilient people have adatated remarkably well to the modern scourge of tourism...

And so we were picked up from our hostel, and dropped off at the waterfront, only to be hit by five women vying to sell sunhats (for us), and pencils (for the Island kids, of course). We boarded one of about 100 tourist boats tightly moored up together, and cruised out in the soft early morning light. We didn't have to go far, because the remaining collection of ´Island families´ live close to the supply of their food - us. With the Islands carefully arranged in a Disney-esque artificial floating bay, our boat disgorged its contents of tourists out the front , and then discharged the sewerage out the back, amid a colourful display of dancing and singing by the Island families' women who then immediately manned their souvenir posts like a well organised warship going on alert.

After a lesson on the Island's construction, we were given free time to look around (ie. the stalls). Buoyed up by the sense of supporting this interesting life, and contributing to the people who were opening their homes to us, we selected two interesting cushion covers (our pick of the selection of mass manufactured, non-local items on offer). When inquiring the price, Benj almost fell over backwards at the extortionate request. Caught between wishing to support, not wishing to offend, and wishing to have something from here, Benj timidly negotiated the price down to the equivalent to three meals out, or three nights accommodation. Good feelings about supporting this existence gave way to a dark sense of having been robbed (and agreeing to it), which proceeded to thoroughly ruin the experience for Benj, and by osmosis, Arlene. A short ride in a real reed boat (at significant extra cost) was a good opportunity for the four kids aboard to rapidly sing two local songs, with all the enthusiasm and talent of a primary school national anthem, followed hard with 'Aloeto' (to the delight of the French folk), and followed even harder by using their traditional hats to collect the expected tips from their captive audience. Just an unconfirmed report, but apparently these people live on the mainland, and just 'work' the Island by day. It is very clear that tourism has completely changed the lives it aimed to just observe.

The whole experience was a floating circus of carefully orchestrated proportions, and Benj needed the tour boats agonisingly slow crawl out to the real Taquille Island to recover - although it wasn't until a sunny rooftop sleep, plus lunch, plus a frigid 14degC swim, that he was looking more peachy.

Taquille Island was a huge improvement. Further away from 'civilisation', these people were beautifully traditionally dressed, and most were absently knitting or spinning their livelihoods while watching the tourist pack train dribbling by. The genuine handcrafts on display at the top were the best we have seen yet, and the authenticity was unmistakable. We were dropped off on one side, and walked up over the Island via old stone Inca paths, with current and disused terraces evidence to the current and past use of this lovely Island.

Before moving on Puno (base camp Titicaca North), we squeezed in a tour to a stunning location carefuly selected by centuries of people to bury their kings in huge stone funerary towers. With the river forming a matural moat around this spot, it is a truly amazing place to see and feel. And appreciate why it was good enough for their Kings. Combined with the ancient (some decaying) stone sentinels of the towers, this was a highlight.

But Puno´s true gem was the unlikely location of their best Chinese takeaway restaurant. Still recovering from her visceral turbulence (lower stomach ´íssues´), three nights of safely homogenous and well cooked food, washed down with Inca Kola was perfect.

Plotting our exit from Puno, we Splurged on a guided bus tour company allowing us an English commentary and stop offs on the many sights on route to Cusco, our next destination. And sites such as the magnificent Raqchi - a massive Incan ceremonial site, complete with living quarters and massive food storage buildings in a long line. Typically, the temples were burned to the ground, and a church erected next door for ´proper´ worship.

So Puno has been a lesson in how thnigs work in Peru. No longer is a price a price - it is whatever can be obtained for a given product or service. And of course a good tip would be nice also.

Bring on Cusco - we have some fantastic parts of Peru to savour.

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