So we all set off on our next adventure to Puno where we would visit Lake Titicaca, on a bus that stopped off at little places along the way. We had only been sat on the bus 2 minutes before Chris upset the balance of a crazy russian lady by sitting next to her, her hair was bright orange and she looked rabid! Needless to say we let Chris get on with it himself! We looked around some ruins (by now fed up of bloody ruins!) and had a few snaps taken with Llamas before heading to one of the highest points in Peru. After this i was hitting the coco tea in a big way as it´s supposed to help with altitude and it reminded me slighlty of home! Doubt I will be posting any cocaine leaves home in the near future though! After a few more stops in little towns we arrived in Puno, driving past the lake which actually resembles an ocean! We went for tea in the little town, ignoring the small child glued to the window of the restaurant begging ;( and then booked our boat tour for the next day. Had an early start, with Chris finally seeing mine and Helen's tardiness accompanied by him playing the typical male and trying to hurry us along...without much success! We finally made in to the edge of Lake Titicaca where we hopped on a boat which was taking us to the floating islands to see how the locals lived and worked on the lake. After a couple of hours (in which I took a power nap!) we came to a series of floating islands made entirely of bright yellow reeds, complete with reed boats...very unusual, very South American! We pulled into one of the first islands and were welcomed by singing from the local family who helped us off the boat (some people needing more help than others, for example a boat fearing Barrovian!) Here they taught us how they had lived on this island for years and years, showing us all the generations of their family. They got us to taste the reeds that they lived off, explaining how they used it as a food source and to clean their teeth....it tasted suprisingly of dirty river water....obviously not going to become a new addition to my regualr diet! Then we got chance to talk to the islanders and have a peek in their homes. Here me and Helen lived up to true teaching standards and spent most of the time throwing a ball/balloon back and forth to two of the most beautiful Peruvian children we had seen on our travels...they might have been playing with us because we dished out sweeties but personally I like to think that they had me chasing them like a mad woman around this floating island because they liked the crazy gringo girls! After this we had a quick trip on a boat made of reed, said our goodbyes to the local family (who sung us off to many local songs and then row row row your boat....very surreal!) and headed to one of the main islands which had things like electricity and buildings made of brick! Luxurious! We walked up the 200 steps (nearly crippling us with the altitude!) stopping on the way to give more sweeties to the gorgeous locals kids who then hounded us for more and more! At the top we had a fab lunch with everyone off our trip and got to know everyone's life stories! Sitting next to Helen was a lovely middle aged Finnish man, named Magnus (which he told us meant strong man! We are now unable to say his name with this addition to it complete with arm muscle movements...its a beautiful sight to behold) who was soon to become my best friend! On the way back down to the boat we had to walk down about 500 (literally!) crumbling blocks of rock that were being passed off as walkable steps. Clearly with my fear of heights, the lack of handrail and the fact that Chris has b*****ed off to chat up some hot American kids (aka people much more youthful that myself or Helen), it left only one man to be my handy man and guide down the mountainside, Magnus aka 'strong man'....Magnus, who it should be noted had only just had a hip replacement, had to practically carry me down the bloody steps with Helen trailing at the back, occasionaly flashing me looks of envy at my having help before realising that she needed to concentrate or she would fall to her death. Eventually we got back on the boat, and chatted with the rest of the group for the next few hours back to the mainland. Once here we got stuck in our bus due to a huge carnival that was going on for 'Puno Day.' We arranged to meet up with Marcus, one of the guys off our tour (good looking banker from Geneva who had scaled Everest base camp....what a catch!) and so me, hel and chris, met him in the main square which was in full throng of the festival. The four of us had some very amusing photos taken with dancers, Helen banged a few drums and I participated in the dance troup before going to a restaurant which had some of the dancers local dancers performing. Here we bumped into Rachel, an American who was travelling in Peru by her self, so she joined our table and we hit the wine, loving the dancing! After this things got a little hazy as we continued onwards to a reggae cocktail bar, played some uno in puno (which I failed miserably at!) and then even worser visited puno's one and only Karaoke bar! This classy establisment was only entered by throwing rocks at the window only to be led upstairs to an empty bar, except for the half asleep owners. However this did not stop us belting out some appaling tunes, Marcus singing pretty woman about 5 times....at least 4 times too many and Helen just looking on which much amusement at the messiness of us all. Finally it was time for bed, having wailed for far too long and we said goodbye to the loving banker and Americano. The next day we said goodbye to our beloved Chris and headed on to Copacabana, the other side of Lake Titicaca, across the Bolivian border! The Bolivians at the border did not make us feel welcome, and one boy wasn't even allowed in and had to be left standing at the side of the road, sadly leaving his alpaca jumper on the coach! When arrived we booked into a hotel, complete with tv for 5 pounds a night! Then we wandered up a little road to find somewhere to eat. Note that at this point I was not in any way, shape or form a crazy woman who thought she was on the verge of death. Fast forward it to 5 minutes later and after having ordered some food, the altitude (which was at its highest point for us so far in the trip) took over and left me sitting at the table with my head in my lap, drinking cup after cup of coco tea....moving on futher and I had progressed to sitting on the floor outside while a waitress tried to calm me, while helen ate her pizza inside! What a good companion! After munching her pizza, we paid the bill and walked slowllllly back to the hotel where I tried in vain to order coco tea (receiving instead, a glass!) After this I wandered up to bed with hel looking worridly on and me declaring that Bolivia was a God forsaken land where we would ultimately die! (Hoiw the tables have turned!) The next few days in copacabana where spent taking it easy, sitting by the lake, not walking far at all! We bought a few souvenirs, chatted to the amazing locals who showed us nothing but kindness and maybe a little bit of mockery at our shabby Spanish and managed to finally make it out of there after huge bus strikes! Onwards!