Back in Peru

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I arrived in Peru again yesterday morning. My goal was to go directly to Puno, but there were no direct buses, so I spend the night in Arequipa with the 3 people I had been traveling with for several days. It was a good break, and the ride to Puno this morning was not too bad. Just a little over 5 hours. I am really treating myself here... I have a single room with a private bathroom and cable TV for $12 a night. It's a nice break from hostel dorm rooms. I'll be here tonight and tomorrow night, then heading the next day for Cusco.
Right when I arrived today I went on a tour of some ruins about 45 minutes from here. It was really nice, but I was really feeling the altitude. Driving through Northern Argentina, I went from sea level to over 5000 meters! A lot of people on the bus were feeling quite ill. Puno is much higher than Cusco, though, so going there will be a breeze. But the Inca Trail gets to over 5000 meters, we'll see how I do there!
Tomorrow I am spending the entire day visiting the floating islands of Lake Titicaca. I'm really excited. The lake is so beautiful and so large. To get into Puno by bus, you come from above, so there were wonderful views of the lake below the town as I arrived. Very nice.

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