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Lake Titicaca Travel Blogs

Background: Ancient Peru was the seat of several prominent Andean civilizations, most notably that of the Incas whose empire was captured by the Spanish conquistadors in 1533. Peruvian independence was declared in 1821, and remaining Spanish forces defeated in 1824. After a dozen years of military rule, Peru returned to democratic leadership in 1980, but experienced economic problems and the growth of a violent insurgency. President Alberto FUJIMORI's election in 1990 ushered in a decade that saw a dramatic turnaround in the economy and significant progress in curtailing guerrilla activity. Nevertheless, the president's increasing reliance on authoritarian measures and an economic slump in the late 1990s generated mounting dissatisfaction with his regime. FUJIMORI won reelection to a third term in the spring of 2000, but international pressure and corruption scandals led to his ouster by Congress in November of that year. A caretaker government oversaw new elections in the spring of 2001, which ushered in Alejandro TOLEDO as the new head of government; his presidency has been hampered by allegations of corruption.

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By samandanna
November 28th 2008

Catching up on Peru...

South America » Peru » Puno » Lake Titicaca » Taquile Island

Hi everyone! Its been a little while since we´ve written anything, so this entry is going to cover most of our 4 weeks in Peru. We´ll try to keep it relatively brief, hitting the highlights from each spot, but there is a lot to talk about. We also attached a lot of pictures to this entry that range from the farm up until we arrived in Cuzco. After leaving Mancora, the Northern Beach hotspot in Peru, we headed towards Lima, stopping for a few days a piece in the major Northern towns of Chiclayo, Cajamarca and Trujillo. Chiclayo is a city [View Full Entry]

By Louise and Daves tour du monde
November 25th 2008

Floating islands are sinking

South America » Peru » Puno » Lake Titicaca » Uros Island

Floating Islands

So we had found a bus company that were prepared to take us through the striking farmers passage of violence, though the downside was that it was a proper tour bus and we had to become one of the things I never wanted to become; a tourist following some leader like a lemming, telling us facts that were complete bollocks, but it was a small price to pay to be finally escaping Cusco. It had become a dangerous place for me, especially on the physco women front. Anyway, we visited Inca sites that were complete rubbish and apparently only 1% original [View Full Entry]

By Golden Years
November 22nd 2008

Titicaca, the worlds highest navigable lake

South America » Peru » Puno » Lake Titicaca

Raqchi, Inca temple
What's left of the Inca's main temple

It was a beautiful sunny day when we left Cusco for Puno. Our bus stopped at several points of interest including the remains of the largest known Inca temple at Raqchi, and the museum at La Raya where we saw stone statues of The Decapitator with the head of the priviledged sacrificee in his left hand. With stops for lunch, an old colonial (Spanish) church, photograph opportunities and just enough time to purchase two alpaca skin rugs, it took ten hours to reach Puno. As we gradually left the lush and fertile sacred valley and climbed into the Andean highlands (4300m), [View Full Entry]

By mark and chrissie
November 18th 2008

Staying With the Locals on Lake Titicaca

South America » Peru » Puno » Lake Titicaca

TiticacaÂ´s islands

Day 598 (16.11.08) After a monstrous bus journey with little to report, we disembarked in Puno a little sleepy and unprepared. Meeting up with another couple Amelie and Hugo who were travelling with their 10 month old cherub Emil we shared a taxi into town and found ourselves some lodgings. Famished from our respective journeys, we hit town to scope out something to eat. The five of us found a great local place with a 2 soles llunch menu (about 40p), and left the little restaurant feeling much more awake and alive. We had the afternoon to figure out our plans [View Full Entry]

By kristina1706
November 16th 2008

Uros Islands

South America » Peru » Puno » Lake Titicaca » Uros Island

Our dinner yesterday - Cuy
this is a traditional dish in Peru. However it is being made differently in every reagion...

Yesterday we caught an early bus to Puno. A small town at the lake Titicaca (on the Peruvian site). After checking into our hotel we have decided to go for a bit of a walk around the town and some dinner... Since we arrived in Cusco we were saying that we shoulfd try an Andean traditional dish, - cuy (Gunea pig). So, last night it wasa time to brave ourselves and order it... Asta and I agree on one thing,- we still don't know if we've liked it or not. She isn't up to trying it again, but I might because [View Full Entry]

By dinosontour
November 15th 2008

Floating Islands on lake Titicaca

South America » Peru » Puno » Lake Titicaca » Uros Island

Our Guide........Neal
only slightly mad.........likes Metallica

We arrived at the floating islands of Uros, and what a beautiful site it was. The photo’s do not do it justice. We were greeted by the family from the island we had chosen to visit, then we sat down as you would have sat in school to be lectured about the islands, how the people came to be here, how the islands were constructed and how the communities worked, that sort of stuff, very interesting. We were shown foods that were eaten on the islands, (fish and reeds), some of the reeds we tried, not bad. We were then led [View Full Entry]

By Gringa
November 14th 2008

Puno and Lake Titicaca

South America » Peru » Puno » Lake Titicaca

Me and my little friend on bus to Puno
We were so snuggly together!

I was now heading to my next Peruvian destination, Puno and Lake Titicaca. My bus left about 9pm and I was fortunate enough to sit next to a lovely young Peruvian girl (aged 12) on my journey. She was on holiday with her schoolfriends and also on her way to visit Puno and Lake Titicaca. On the way, we chatted in Spanish and shared photos and experiences. She was a bit cold overnight so I shared my sleeping bag with her, and then we snuggled up together and slept for the rest of the journey. When I arrived in Puno, I [View Full Entry]

By Chona
November 10th 2008

Lake Titicaca...its just as beautiful as its name is amusing :)

South America » Peru » Puno » Lake Titicaca

Our new president! Hallelujah praise the lord!

This lake is so beautiful and so are its Quechua and Ayamara people whose ancestors have called Titicaca home for thousands of years. In spite of the tons of tourists that seem to be everywhere (can´t imagine what it is like in the high season), I really enjoyed my days here. It was borderline magical to spend time in a place and with people who are so different in so many ways from what I am and from where I come from. Without any electricity, running water, and limited resources, these communities seem to be stuck in time. And yet they [View Full Entry]

All eyes were fixed on the CNN news report on election day in the reggae bar in Puno, Peru

I got to see the last day of the Puno week celebrations that commemorated the founding of the town and the birth of the first Inca king from the lake.

By Lucyeclarke
November 10th 2008

Lake Titicaca

South America » Peru » Puno » Lake Titicaca

Puno festival

Next stop was Lake Titicaca. We had a day free to explore Puno, the city on the edge of the lake. And as luck would have it we arrived on the anniversary of the city and so there was a huge parade through the streets of the town from lunchtime through to about 7pm. It was fantastic, Puno is the folklore capital of Peru and has over 300 different dances each with a different costume, and we got to see all of them as they danced through the streets. Then in the evening i climbed Condor Hill (4,200 m.a.s.l and 613 [View Full Entry]

By Karls
November 8th 2008

Puuuuuno

South America » Peru » Puno » Lake Titicaca

Watching the show in traditional dress

And the fun begins in Puno On our first venture out in the town of Puno Mel and I were ecstatic to find we had arrived on a day of 2 festivals! One was an anual celebration of the Inkas and the other a 350yr aniversary of a large school in Puno. There were Markets and dancing and free shows and women in traditional dress and most fun was the parade that the children put on. I took many photos as you can see! Although we were still tired from the horrible bus ride the night earlier, the energy of [View Full Entry]

Travel Blog » South America » Peru » Puno » Lake Titicaca