Floating islands

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Saturday 3.7.2010 day 262
Floating islands
We got up a 6am and had bfast at the hotel then were picked up for our tour. I think the Peruvians deliberately make all the tourists get up early. There were people from all over the world there were New Zealanders. Swedish, English, American, Spanish and Argentineans. Two of the guys were riding around South America on motorbikes. First we went to the Floating where the Iros people live there about 50 of the islands and the people make the islands then selves and separate them if they do not like their neighbours or join up if they want to be new neighbours. So you can never tell how many islands there are. They still live very traditional lives. They have been floating for centaurs and there are no recorders to show how long. Their lives are completely woven with the reads the islands are made out of then they use them to make their boats and handicrafts to sell to the tourists they use them as fire wood and they even eat them. We got to spend some time with a family on the islands and it was very enjoyable. We then went to the Isla Taquile which is an island of Spanish origin and the people wore more Spanish cloths. There were terrace gardens on it dating to pre Incan times. We had a long hike up to the top of the island for our lunch and it is hard work hiking in high altitudes and I had a bit of a cold so felt very out of breath. We had a display of their crafts and dancing and then had lunch of a traditional soup and a trout for main course this was served witch coca and mint tea. It cost $S15 ($6 Aus) which was a bit much but as it was part of the tour we had to pay it and it was very nice. The trout was fresh water trout form Lake Titicaca, I usually do not like trout but this was fantastic. We were give the option to walk over the island to the boat or walk back the way we came as I was not feeling well we decide to go back the way we come. It was a long trip back to the Puno and we did a quick stop back at the floating islands to pick someone up on the way back. We got back about 6pm and being tired we just got some local takeaway burgers for dinner.

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