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Our last stop in Peru before we crossed the boarder into Bolivia, Lake Titicaca did not fail to impress us.
We caught the fancy Peru Rail train from Cusco, taking us through the spectacular scenery of the Andes for 9 hours and finally arriving at Puno, a town on the shores of Lake Titicaca. Although the mountains were amazing, I think Greg's (and the rest of the male passengers) train ride highlight was when the stewaresses came parading down the train in black catsuits, for reasons that escape me, but were more than appreciated by the blokes!
We already had plans to be returning here in 3 weeks time or so when Greg's sister Gem and her boyfriend Edd come out to have a holiday with us, but that will be from the Bolivia side of the lake and having read a little on the Peru islands, we decided to stop and see them too!
The lake itself is over 3000 square miles and feels more like a sea than a lake. We caught a boat from the Puno dock that was heading for the famous floating islands. I was expecting it all to be a little bit touristy when we got there but it really wasn't. There were lots of islands, but seven families or so lived on the floating island that we visited. It's a strange sensation walking as they make the island from reeds so the ground is soft and in some places rotten, you have to watch that you dont put your foot through! Apparently if they fall out with their neighbours they just remove the anchors securing the island and float off and live somewhere else on the lake.
We all then had the opportunity to take a ride on a traditional boat made of reeds. For 10 soles it was not too bad and very tranquil if slightly slow as a method of transport. The boats were paddled by women as the men looked on and got on with making things and hunting n gathering as men do, the useless b*****s. We then ventured out into the open ocean (lake) and steamed at a snails pace for 2 1/2 hrs to get to another island in the middle of the lake. Upon arrival the island appeared the idylic place it had been made out to be. Like the rest of Peru however things are still quite backwards and the have still not got to grips with sanitation and hygeine. The views nonetheless were spectacular and the main square has panoramic views across the bay. We ate trout caught from the lake for lunch and were entertained with traditional music and our slightly camp guide reading Greg and my fortune. Apparently we will have a lamborghini with no engine, a swimming pool with no water, but to make up for it 15 kids, we best get cracking.
The boat ride back was long but refreshing and we watched the sun set over the water, a lovely end to another difficult day as a traveller!
Ruth xxx
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