Islands That Float - Puno

South America » Peru » Puno » Lake Titicaca » Taquile Island
October 1st 2012

Published: October 12th 2012

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Travels without my hair straightners

Me and My Kayak

Me and my kayak, old friends!

I have made it to Puno on the shores of Lake Titicaca. I suffered really badly from the altitude so rocked up to the closest hostel to shower and get my head down. The stairs up to my room where so uneven and even at my height i had to duck the piping stretching across the hallways, no bother i thought at least it ensures a warm shower!!.. warm yes but i had to shower fully clothed, a good way to wash the clothes, but more so because there was an office block with workers still inside overlooking my bathroom which had a full window no privacy glass!! i checked my passport and it definitely got stamped Peru rather than Amsterdam!! dinner consisted of a tomato, two apples and a bread roll with coca tea to wash it all down!! There are no vegetables in Peru! i found a decent hostel the next morning and took a visit to see Victor who was organising my islands trip into Bolivia.

Monday - 1 October - up for breakfast at 6.30am to catch my lift to the kayak for 7am. the driver drove me to a dirt track road and told me

Floating Islands

in the middle of the floating islands of Uros

it would be 10 minutes. on the horizon i saw a little power boat bobbing towards me with a kayak in tow, i popped myself into the kayak with some help from Alfredo, my guide in a power boat!! i managed to keep up with him for about 40 minutes before my arms got tired but by then we emerged out of the reeds and amongst the floating islands. i spent most of the morning paddling around each of them taking loads of photos, then Alfredo took me to his island, introduced me to a 12 year old who later turned out to be his wife.. i learnt this when i surprisingly saw said 12 year old suckling a young child. Alfredo informed me this was his son, then another son a year or so older turned up too!! Alfredo's wife showed me around, took me into a little house, dressed me in the native dress and taught me how the islands are formed and reeds replaced. the men harvest the reeds and the women replace them in patches on the island.

Later that day, we travelled to the neighboring island of Amantani where I would spend the night

Island

Each family has their own island

with an indigenous family Ildie. she (and her cutie granddaughter) gave us a lovely lunch and we headed to the top of the village for a toured walk to the two temples at the highest points of the island - Pachamama and Pachatata. they were 4150m above sea level, at that height we were so close to the clouds that the rain fell as snow and we witnessed an amazing sunset! i built a little mini stone tower a kin to that that many a traveler had laid before me. by now my head was thumping and i felt like i was going to jump off the side of the island. i made it back down to the house but couldn't make it to dinner, i made my apologies and went to bed. an interesting trip to the outside toilet at 4am down the rickety stairs and through the quinoa patch to the cold dark shack.

Tuesday - 2 October - me and my room mates woke to cold noses but a lovely clear day. i was still not right but made it to breakfast, ildie served us pancakes and jam!! see the picture, say no more!! we headed

Islands

Each island has it's own tribal ship, knocks my kayak out of the water!!

to the boat and made our way to the island of Taquille. again we trekked to the highest points on the island, i was so close to passing out and very pale by all accounts, some very very kind American's, Olga and her husband, offered me a horse tranquilizer sized pill which i took and promptly fell asleep at the back of the boat. Sickness finally gone i could enjoy my time on the islands!! it was beautiful x

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