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Published: March 6th 2006
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Our costumes!
Don't we just fit right in? Lake Titicaca is situated 3800m above sea level, and is the highest lake in the world upon which proper boats can sail. It straddles the Peru/Bolivia border, and a couple of nights ago we arrived in Puno, on the Peruvian side of the Lake's shore.
We had to cross the border on foot, so got off the bus and crossed the bridge leaving Bolivia. Eight seconds within arriving in Peru, we had our passports snatched by policemen "looking for drugs". They were, in fact, looking for money, or bribes, and proceeded to take us into rooms to search us. Before I went in however, I gave my back pack and wallet to Eleni, who hadn't surrendered her passport so easily (they missed her because there were so many of us, but you're not allowed to say no- they were policemen after all!). So when the policeman comes to search me I turned out my pockets to reveal nothing. Nothing at all! Ok maybe just my Lypsyl, but it was really dry and I get cracked lips! I can't describe how disappointed he looked!
Their usual ruse is to check your money, then another policeman distract you while the first
pays himself out of your wad. You can't speak the language, you can't argue, you just leave it, and then they can go and buy themselves a Happy Meal on you. This
actually happened to one of our group.
We spent the evening in Puno, and the next day went out onto the Lake. First stop:
Isla Taquile
A tiny little island, the inhabitants of which speak mainly Quechua, a language no longer used by many. These folk are about as indigenous as you can get, and all wear amazingly coloured clothing and hats which they weave themselves. Here the men are the main knitters, and make themselves hats depending on whether they are single, married or in an important political position. We spent a small part of the day here, before sailing off to the next island to visit our host families, who would be giving us a roof over our heads for the evening.
Isla Amantani
Mine and Eleni's 'mother' was called Selma (we think?) and she spoke no English, a little Spanish and mainly Quechua, so was the reverse of us. Luckily we knew the basics, and here they are in case
you ever need them:
Hello -
Allillanchu Thank you -
Yusparasunqui Goodbye -
Ripushanin One more blanket -
Uj frazadatawan Very delicious! -
Sinchi sumaj! We were each provided with a traditional hat she had knitted herself so that she could recognise us (you won't find any pictures of us on the islands without them - so warm!) and we bought them from her afterwards. Before hiking to the very top of the island (nicknamed Father Earth; there is another slightly smaller peak named Mother Earth), the tourists had a game of football against the locals. We lost 4-2, but we suspect our guide, who was playing in goal for us, might have received a brown envelope of cocoa leaves before the game!
We were fed a lovely meal that evening in a tiny stone kitchen of soup, veg and rice, and a mint tea. That evening was to be spent dancing at the island hall, so I was provided with a poncho to wear while Eleni was kitted out in the full gear worn by all the island women: a thick blouse, several layers of thick skirts and a black shawl with beautiful colourful patterns on
them, all made on the island. Our 'sister' Amelia taught us how to dance, while our 12-year-old brother played a drum in the band, and we partied Amantani style till almost ten o'clock!
This morning we were given pancakes and another mint tea at the crack of dawn, then waved goodbye to our family as we sailed off to visit....
The Floating Islands
These are made entirely of reeds, packed on top of each other. There are about 23 and they don't touch the bottom of the lake, and so have to be moored fixed into place by long sticks, which can be lifted whenever the island's inhabitants want to move their homes to another part of the lake! If they get really annoyed with their neighbours they even have the option to either pick up their house, put it on a boat and sail to another island or cut around their house to create a tiny new island and float off on their own! The island we visited was about the size of two tennis courts, on top of which were about ten tiny huts, again made of reeds (there's a lot of them about, and
Map of the Lake
You can see Taquile, Amantani, and Islas de Uros is where all the floating islands are. they're all free!)
Don't think their lives are completely basic though! They do have electricity to power their radios and tv's, since one of the huts has a solar panel attached to it! Apparently they're looking at getting the internet soon!
After a short trip on a small viking boat again made entirely of reeds, we headed back to the mainland. Tomorrow we're off to Cusco, our base for when we trek to Machu Picchu at the weekend, where we will hopefully be able to find this Golden Carrot so that we may return to the U.K. at last, triumphant!
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mum
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police!!!
Oh my God!!!!! I told you it wasn't safe! ERIC - BRING HER SRAIGHT BACK WITHOUT THE CARROT!!!! I will buy you a big bag of them from sainbury's and I promise they will all be gold. (Glad to see that you are still having fun. I suggest that Eric wears his hat to his very first interview and Eleni - did the costume take you back to Greek school?)xxxxxx