Advertisement
Published: August 25th 2007
Edit Blog Post
(Paula)
Back safe and sound from Machu Picchu and recovered from clambering over rocky steps even in our sleep, we celebrated our completion with a cuzza and beer! Finished with a drink the little Quantika bar, but discovered that Peruvian rum is a tad on the rough side! Next morning caught up on BBC World over breakfast and said our farewells to Cusco and Eddie (our hostel owner) who said his place was "your home for always" - ahh!
Bussed Cusco to Puno (7hrs) which hugs the side of Lake Titicaca, the inland sea shared by Peru and Bolivia. Lovely countryside on the way again, though we had a slight delay due to rocks planted on the road by villagers protesting against the terms of a Free Trade Agreement with North America - demonstrations are a common occurence over here, as we have come to realise for ourselves... As we were stopped in heavy traffic the demonstrators (many of whom had travelled down from the mountains to support the cause) slid tree trunks under the bus so we couldn't proceed! Seemed fairly good-natured, thankfully, and we were soon sent on our way.
Puno is more of a working
town than anything, so we enjoyed the fairly untouristy scene in the town's heart.
Sat 19 May - Boarded the good ship to our first island stop of the day,
Balsero of the man-made floating Uros Islands: it was 20 x 36m long, housing 4 families and using solar heating! Walking on the island felt as if on a matress. We learnt how the islands were created, purely by gathering sections of 'totora' reeds still atttached to their roots then roping them together. Originally the Uros people moved to the water to avoid the fighting among other tribes. The islands are anchored to the lake floor (19m below), but they have been known to release them and move along the lake upon neighbourly disputes! Islanders add a new layer of reeds on top every month as the bottom layer rots away - not the easiest life! The reeds are also used to make their houses, crafts and as food for their animals. By the time our talk had finished, several souvenir stalls had been whipped up beside us - evidence that they are hugely reliant on tourism for continued income, but really, the islands feel like one of a
Copacabana (Bolivia!) Cathedral
Owners bring their cars to be blessed at the cathedral each week, sometimes decorating them with flowers! kind.
On to
Taquile, a far bigger (and conventional!) island (3 hrs away but still in the same lake!) - the lake was beautifully blue with mountains on all sides. Local clothes are very colourful - single women wear rainbow-coloured hats, men wore nightcap-type gear, red if married, red and white if single, and they knitted them themselves! Back on the mainland, had a swift few at Kamizaraky Pub - it's claim to fame being "the best watering hole in southern Peru!"
Sun 20 May - Yet another early start to catch yet anothe bus across the border to Copacabana, Bolivia, saying farewell to our Peruvian adventures! Copacabana is also a lakeside town on Titicaca. The best value ever ensuite room for US$5/night! Many food stalls selling trout, trout and more trout - fish is understandably popular here. Wandered along to the Cathedral, outside of which were many cars and vans adorned with flowers, their owners and families standing alongside supping beer and champagne! Cars can be brought here daily to be blessed - the guy Nick spoke to brought his along every week! Stalls nearby also sell toy cars - buyers hope that they will get the
real thing in the year to come.
We clambered up
Cerro Calvario (3966m) for sunset - admittedly not a towering feat since the town itself is already 3800m! Pilgrims climb up, stopping at the Stations of the Cross along the way. Must say I didn't expect to find drinks stalls and kids playing footbal at the summit! Nick made friends with a family from La Paz, here on a day trip, who gave us beer and with whom we shared some wine we'd been saving (courtesy of Iberia 3 weeks ago). For dinner, we settled on a place already quite full (actually quite a feat in "winter" here) - I had lovely trout with mashed potatoes (ahh! the taste of home). We realised that our waitress was also the chef - there were so many punters she had her 6-yr old daughter waiting on tables too.
Mon 21 May - Isla Del Sol
The 'Island of the Sun' is believed to be the birthplace of the sun from a sacred rock there. Although the sun was shining and warm, the thin air made it feel pretty chilly. Saw snow-capped Cordillera Real - they tower 6000m skywards, but just looked
Paula on Isla del Sol
Where the Incas believe the sun was born liked small hills in the distance, given that we were already so high.
Having bought a ticket to a ropey museum of items that were found from a lost city (discovered under the water by Jacques Cousteau in the '60s) and a human skeleton for some reason, we walked to
Chincana, a pre-Inca settlement dating to 1500 B.C. where there was a stone table on which llamas and virgins had supposedly been sacrificed. Walk from north to south of the island over 3 hrs to catch boat for the peaceful trip back.
Tues 22/Wed 23 May - Copacabana...only!
Leisurely morning, packed up and strolled out with the intention of having brunch and another look at the Cathedral before our bus to La Paz, only to discover that
ALL Bolivian bus and taxi drivers were on strike indefinitely, apparently a favourite pastime here! Local opinion regarding a resumption of services varied from the next day to 3 months' time! Oh well. We did however find a bar showing the Champions League final so that was okay. Spent a good long time at the Cathedral, wandering back through bus-less and taxi-less peaceful streets to re-check in.
Got up early next day
Nick on Isla del Sol
With the lofty Cordillera Real in the background to check if strike still on...yes! Caught the match, Liverpool lost (2-1) to A.C. Milan (this time) despite playing better. Re-checked in
(again!) and went to bed hoping for the best...
Advertisement
Tot: 0.118s; Tpl: 0.019s; cc: 12; qc: 24; dbt: 0.0611s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1mb
Martine Cadet
non-member comment
Hats!
Maybe I need a rainbow hat to wear so London men know I'm single! Sounds like you're having fun anyway. Off to Rome tomorrow so can't wait although not as exotic as watching the Champions League and eating mash in South America!Take care guys, missing you! Martine x