Puno, the floating islands, and Lago Titicaca

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On the way to Puno having said goodbye to Cusco, we caught the much slower but more scenic train to Puno (approximately 10 hours away). We passed through the large township of Juliaca on the way only realising after we arrived at Puno that the night before in Juliaca, a large bomb had gone off killing 6 people and wounding 47 more. The authorities are not ruling out terrrorism, but they think it may be the return of either of the groups known as Sendero Luminoso (shining path) or Tupac Amaru. We are wasting no time in crossing the border to Bolivia.

Yesterday, we visited the communities on the Uros Islas (floating islands) on Lake Titicaca and then visited the funerary towers at Sillustani. Visiting the communities on the islands was bizarre. They currently live there because they can eek out a living from tourism. They are carrying a cultural tradition though as in the past communities fleeing the incas and then later, the Spanish settlers, also lived on the islands of the lake. The islands are constructed solely of reeds harvested from the lake. The people live off fish and other produce that they buy from the mainland (approx half an hour by boat). It´s freezing out on the lake and fresh water and food is difficult to come by.

The visit to the funerary towers included a stopover at a local homestead where we were shown how the locals eat their potatoes with clay (clay and salt mixed with water)! The funerary towers date to pre-inca and inca times. The site was amazing, littered with pre-inca and incan features including pottery shards and stone artefacts (very appealing to an archaeologist).

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Photos

One of the busy streets in Juliaca
On the way to Puno

View of Puno from Lake Titicaca
On the way to the floating islands

Guinea Pig hutch out the back of a local homestead
These furry little creatures make the popular dish in Peru known as Cuy. Chris has tried it. I am working up to it! Alpaca also features on every menu.

Comments

[Amanda]

Titicaca
Oh I just melted at the sight of you at Lake Titicaca. That is one of my dream destinations. Estan bien, los dos?? Vienen a San Pedro prision en Bolivia??