Blogs from Puno, Puno, Peru, South America - page 16

We decided to take the tourist bus from Cusco to Puno, a bit longer and a bit more expensive but it meant we could stop off at some more sights along the way, have lunch and enjoy the live performance of a local panflute band. The route was extremely picturesque - we ascended in a valley alongside the Urubamba river with the snow capped Andes in the distance. (The Andes are gorgeous! - very different to the Himalayas as they consist of less dramatic peaks that spike up into the air, but it appears there is much more flat highlands where small communities live). First stop was Andahuaylillas (getting the bus through the narrow streets was an experience in itself) with a lovely jesuit church - looking further into the structure though it was interestingly pointed ... read more

Still very sick today - spent most the morning trying to organise bus tickets to La Paz (Bolivia). The journey is roughly 8 hrs by bus, very scenic route. Couldnt find any buses. Went back to hostel via the markets on one of the three wheeled trik trik. Our hostel owner said he knew a bus company and would organise two tickets for us for tomorrow morning. That sorted we concentrated on resting and recovering from our colds. Took short walk to buy supply for the bus jounrey tomorrow. In the evening took some photos for the lovely lady owner of finger puppets she wanted to sell on the internet and then the photo with them both, they had looked after us as if we were their kids. Lovely couple. By late evening we were feeling ... read more

After Machu Picchu we took a ten hour train to Puno where we took a two day trip on Lake Titicaca which is the highest lake in South America, close to 4000 meters and toured the floating islands and two other isolated islands. The floating islands are islands created by people who were wanting to avoid the different wars all the way back to the Incas. They are people made islands from woven grasses and water grass root systems that would float away if not anchored. We also stayed at one of the natural created islands which are fairly isolated, with very little electricity, no cars and only beautifully cobbled stone pathways up and down and around the island. After getting used to the thin air we enjoyed the hikes to the peak and the return ... read more