Thought I'd put on some updates as we've now gone through two other countries since cusco!!!Spent a LONG bus ride from cusco to puno sleeping off a hangover?! Puno was a nice small town, not loads to do, but was the leaving point for the homestay on Lake Titikaka! Mark wasn't feeling too good and some others decided to stay in Puno and not go to the island, but he didn't want to miss out! We got rickshaws down to the lake with our new local guide, then on a boat out to the first island, Taquile. Stopped off for lunch there and see local artesan market, and a walk around the island? Then onto Amantani island, where we meet the local families for the homestay evening! Local girl met us from the boat, and we were warned that hand signals would have to get us through the afternoon and evening, most dnt even speak Spanish as the local language on the islands is quechua? So we get there and our girl speaks quechua, Spanish AND English!! Made the stay much easier! Went out for a hike to the hill and lookout on top of the island to see the sunset, very beautiful. Then had dinner with the family? the girl and her parents. We take food and supplies to give to them as our gift, as the tour company gives them money, so it is a better practice to take them food that they may not be able to get so easily on an island! Then after dinner we were dressed up in the local dress to go off to a party in a hall nearby! Boys get off easily as they have to wear a hat and a poncho? Girls on the other hand?! Two skirts layered up, a shirt, belt, shawl AND hat? I looked seriously sexy!!! Especially when the skirts are tied really high on the waist so it looks like you have a really short body? most local people are short, but my legs stuck out the bottom like pins!!! Had good fun trying out the local dancing at the party? not very technical so pretty easy to pick up! Everyone else in the group stays with different people so you all get a different experience which is nice. After pancake breakfast the next morning it was back to the boat to stop off at the floating Uros reed islands on the way back? These were pretty cool, totally floating islands made out of reeds, which people actually make and live on! Then back to puno for one more night before heading off to Bolivia!