Uros Islands and Amantani Island!

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25/10/09

Got up super early
Showered and packed a little overnight bag for the tour
breakfast in the hotel was delicious and onlt 5s
left my backpack in the storage in the hotel and at 750 the bus picked me up

It was already pretty full with tourists but none of them looked very firendly or very english

we drove to the port and got onto our boat
the weather was wonderful and the biology blue skies merged with the calm waters of Lake Titicaca

Apparently in Queschua it means great puma or something

the guide was very nice and when he gave the briefing he asked us where we were from
most people were from france with a few from norway and a few from chile

we had a bit of free time to go lie out in the sunshine on the boat, think i got a bit scortched again!

We drove to the Uros Isaland which are man made floating islands on thjr lake made of reeds
they were VERY touristy
we had a demonstation on how they make the islands and then we walked aroundlooking at the houses and things
so many more touristy things to buy

then we had a little ride over to another one of the floating islands on one of the traditional reed boats
it was very peacefull

The long 3h ride to Amantani island followed and i lay out and slept in the sunshine
luckily i had suncream on but i still got a little pink

When we got to Amantani which is an actual island we were split into ggroups of 2 or 3 and asigned to families
i was put with the 2 norwegian girls and we went to our families house
both of the girls are 26 and Gry is an occupational health therapist and Ruth is a primary teacher

It was a lovely yet very simple house
our family was so lovely
the mum dad then 4 children
oliver, 4
alex, 6
noelita, 11
and another girl who´s name i cant remember but was 13

we were shown our room which was supprisingly comfortable
then we had lunch in the tiny kitchen
we had a delicious veg soup
then a plate of potatoes, veg, cheese and a root veg alot like a potatoe
then muña matte which is a sort of mint tea

Ruth and Gry had brought balloons for the kids so we played with them for a while
so fun
they also brought a puzzle from norway
the kids loved it

it started to pour with rain again so we went to our room to coat up but it was very brief and stopped

at 4 our mum took us to the main sqyuare to meet up with our guide and the other tourists to walk up to the island summit and see the ruins
It may have stopped raining but it was freezing cold and very windy

the walk up to the top was really challenging but i managed to amke it up to the top first where i did as i was told and walked around the ruins anticlockwise making a wish

although the views were wonderful from the top it was bitterly cold and windy so Gry Ruth and I walked back down to the square where we shared a alpacca kebab from a street sellar

at 6 our host sister came and collected us, its a maze to get back tot he house, we would have got lost
when we got back we all had dinner
more of the same yummy soup but with a bit of pasta in too
then a massive plate of rice and vegtables
so full but it was so tasty

after dinner we were invited to a fiesta in the village hall
our host ma and sister dressed us up in the traditional layered skirts, white embroidered bloises and big belts
and of course the big black embroidered cloak
it was supprisingly warm!
we walked to the hall where there were a few other tourists and their host families
the band struck up loud and jovial music and soon we were all dancing the strange local swishy dance

it was so so so much fun
at 10pm we decided to call it a night and went home
we brushed our teeth and went out to the loo outside
then off to bed after a busy day
we were so warm after all the dancing we didnt need the 6blankets theyd given us for the bitterly cold night!!

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