Puno and Lake Titikaka

Puno is located on the Peruvian half of Lake Titicaca. Its a popular place from which to visit Uros and Sillustrani.

Uros are a group of man made floating islands, originally constructed for defensive reasons by pre Inca tribes. Each one is made from a type of reed which are constantly replenished as they rot away. The largest hold about 10 families and when numbers exceed this they simply build a new one. They are surprising stable although the reeds are just loosely thrown on the surface which mean you have to pick your feet up as you walk around them.

They also make boats from the reeds although thankfully these are tightly wound together to make them waterproof.

Sillustrani is an ancient cemetary, first used before the birth of Christ. there are tombs from the pre inca and inca eras but the mosy picteresque tombs have to be those of the Incas. They were built to advertise Inca superiority so prehaps this is not surprising.

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