Finished the inca trail on the 29th I have to say it was one of the most amazing things I have ever done! Hope you all liked the pics, although it is fair to say that pics on a camera dont really do it justice because it is just so vast! Its also one of the hardest things I have ever done physically and if you have bad knees dont bother! Funny though while we are all struggling, gasping for air and moving at snail pace these little porters carrying 25 kilos each are skipping up it in shorts and sandals!

Anyway the Inca trail done we had a day chilling in Cuzco with one or two beers before a 7 hour bus ride to Puno on the shores of Lake Titicaca, the Largest lake at its altitude 3800 mtrs in the world. We spent the night in Puno before embarking on what has to be the slowest boat ever on a tour of the lake stopping off at the the Isla Taquile and the tiny floating islands of the Uros people, Who live in the shallow parts of the lake near puno on floating islands made of reeds!

We then arrived at Amantani Island where we would spend the night with a local family. This was a amazing experience and the island was very picturesque. The inhabitants are all farmers and very poor although they are all very happy and extremely pleasant and friendly. We stayed with Feliciano and Serafina who had a son Ruben 21 and a daughter Amalia who was 14. We brought the family gifts such as sugar, butter, coffee, newspapers, fags, rum and books for amalia. They were so amazed with these gifts and didnt stop smiling the whole time. They mainly spoke Quechua, however the kids and Feliciano could speak Spanish so Nadia with her excellent linguistic skill was able to natter away to them which excited the family even more. One thing that was really funny and random was the Dad Feliciano who had only ever been to Puno was full of questions about the channel tunnel and nearly fell off his chair when we told him it was 30 miles long! He also wrote it down so that he could wow his friends with this knowledge! The house had no electricity and you eat your meals by candle light also the toilet was about 30 mtrs away from the house, and guess what I needed to do at 1am in the middle of a thunderstorm? Go pee! It was also Fiesta time on the Island, we were not sure what it was they were celebrating possibly pachchamamaba or mother earth as its known to us but what ever it was they were celebrating big time! There was a huge parade in the square which goes on for days climaxing on 3rd of Feb, bangers going off at 4am in the morning although that seems to be happening all over Peru for some reason, and a brass band practising at 5.45am on building roof that was about 50 mtrs from the house we were staying in! Its was a very amazing and humorous experience that I enjoyed loads!

We said our bye byes to the family this morning or rupushayku in Quechua and got the slow boat back to Puno which only took 4hrs, yes when travelling in Peru the moto is you will get there when you get there! Anyway back in Puno now where I am sat writing this blog and after this I will be packing my bags, because tomorrow we are off to Bolivia and the city of La Paz! Cant wait!