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Published: September 28th 2007
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Jacha Challwa
A floating island! After Copacobana we caught a 3hr bus and entered Peru to stay at Puno.... which also lies on Lake Titicaca. Our sole purpose was to visit the Islands which we decided to start doing the following day. We were able to visit the Islands of Uros and Taquile on a day long tour, so for ease (especally after the other side) we decided to sign up! Uros islands are grouped together and are referred to as the floating islands! They were made from the reeds found within the lake, with the locals first making reed boats, which they then tied together and covered with more reed to make the islands...... i guess it was a bit harder than that, but you get the jist! They were pretty cool, although very touisty and it was evident that their livelihood was definately revolved around tourists.... with their small islands covered in things to sell us and each tour group going to a different family´s island to be shown their living areas and have a ride in a reed boat!! After about an hour we left and two hrs after that we arrived at Island Taquile to a steep walk uphill! It was beautiful
there and the people still wear their traditional outfits..... for themselves, not the tourists..... and follow their traditional customs! One being that the women spin the wool, whist the men knit with it! In particular, they make fantastic floppy beanies! Three main types were worn on the island, one being for single men, one for the married men, and the last for the important men! Another thing that interested me was something we overheard from another tour group! That is that the couples there do not get married until they have had at least one child!The third main Island on Lake Titicaca, Island Amantani, we decided to do on our own. We caught a three hour local collectivo boat from the mainland.... and the experience was unfortunately not a good one! The diesel based engine did not have an exhaust pipe and being jammed inside we ended up having to breathe it´s fumes for the entire journey 😞 Arriving at Island Amantani we felt really ill and disorienated.... our heads were thumping... our breath tasted like petrol and we were wanting to throw up... all that combined with the sudden increase in altitude wasn´t doing good things for us! Luckily
the boat´s captain took us under his wing, sending us to his house with his wife (accomodation is only with families on the island as no hotels are allowed to be built)...... by that night paul was feeling better (after throwing up next to the outside squat toilet) but i was still in bed feeling like i wanted to die! The captain brought over the local doctor who after hearing my symptoms told be that I wasn´t allowed to eat and gave me paracetamol for my headache!! If i wasn´t better by morning I had to go back to the mainland..... Luckily... by morning I was functioning, although slowly! At this point I should thank Paul for helping me vomit, putting paper down on the neighbours outside toilet bowl (that we had to sneak into as I couldn´t balance over the squat one) and for emptying my night potty!! After all that however, the day we spent on Island Amantani was a beautiful one! We spent it exploring the ruins Pachamama and Pachatata and just generally enjoying some downtime on the Island. For anyone wanting to go there, there is one recommendation I have! And that is to go on
Jacha Challwa
One of the Uros Islands e visited a Monday or Tuesday.... as Monday is Market day, so you may get some variety of food during your stay! We went on a Saturday... so our meals basically consisted of rice and potatoes cooked in all different ways (soup, fried as chips, fried as patties, you get the idea!)! Yes, there are 4000 different types of potatoes in peru, but do they need to put 5 different types together as one meal?!
On the way back to Puno, we broke the trip up by going back to Island Taquile for a few hours (that way we could get a breather if the return boat was just as bad!)..... bought a cotton bracelet from each girl or boy that passed us.... and attempted to go to one of the ruins sites..... mid way we gave up and decided to just sit at a stunning viewpoint and eat lunch!
Puno was the same as when we left it although that night we found a lady selling meat on a stick on the street..... we had flashbacks to our time in Rio and just had to have some! It was good..... however, a week later we were to realise that the meat
on a stick we had so enjoyed in Puno was actually beef heart..... mmmm! So.... no more meat on a stick for us in Peru!
Anyway..... that´s Lake Titicaca done... now on to Cuzco!
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Ouaga
Tom Griffith
Beanies
Oh, I remember those awesome beanies! Keep having fun you two, love reading your adventures!