Puno and Lake Titicaca
I think I first heard about Lake Titicaca in elementary school, and it stuck in my mind because, well, I was like any other child who thought the name was hilarious! This trip taught me that Titicaca is funny in Spanish as well, but it has a different meaning in the Quechua language. Titi means puma, and caca means rock. If you look at a map of the lake upside down, you can (sort of) make out the shape of a puma and a tiny rabbit. Fact of the day!
I took an early morning bus from Arequipa to Puno and arrived around lunch time. After checking in, I went to the restaurant the hostel recommended to me. It was not good. Bad choice, guys! I figured I would wander around the small square, but I didn't make it very far before I started feeling weak and nauseated. My first instinct was that the lunch hadn't agreed with me, but the truth became evident once I gave it a second thought: Puno is 3,830 meters (12, 556 feet) above see level. I had altitude sickness! And oh Lord, was it terrible! I crawled into my dorm bed and fell asleep for 3 hours. I woke up long enough to watch an episode of "Scandal" and walk dizzily to the bathroom before I just couldn't do it anymore - sleep was paramount! I don't think I moved until 6am the next day!
I had originally wanted to do a homestay with a family in the islands of Lake Titicaca, but I needed 2 full days and my stomach/head wouldn't allow that. So, I laid in bed until 3, whereupon I found a vegan restaurant. Also not good. Come on, Puno! My lunch trip and subsequent trip to the supermarket exhausted me, and I returned to my dorm bed and willed myself to be better the next morning. I only had one more day at the Lake...would I even see it?!
Luckily, I felt 100 times better the next morning and I asked the hostel owners to sign me up for an all-day boat tour. It wasn't the same as a homestay, but it was better than nothing! Funnily enough, I had already met two of the girls going on the tour in Arequipa! The tourist route is well-trodden, my friends.
Our first stop was at the floating islands of Uros. The Uru people occupy almost 95 different floating islands, and 2-3 tourist boats (there were many!) stopped at different islands. Apparently, the Uru people wanted to avoid other dangerous/annoying/unfriendly clans, so they built islands from reeds in the lake in order to avoid them. 4-5 families live on each island, and one president (man or woman) is elected each year to represent that island within the group.
The island felt like a water bed, but was very safe. As soon as we sat down in a circle, the male president showed us how to construct an island. It can take up to one year to build it, and it will last about 30 years. Of course, more reeds must be constantly layered on top because the island is slowly, but steadily, starting to sink. Once the demonstration was finished, we were allowed to wander and examine the handicrafts. It's a highly understandable shame that the Uru people largely depend on tourism now for money. It must feel so strange to have boats of tourists arrive each day to gawk at your lifestyle. I have mixed feelings about this kind of tourism, but the families were very kind and full of smiles. I did buy one small handicraft for 5 soles.
We then reached our lunch destination at a family's home. We were given soup, trucha (trout), rice, some vegetables and potatoes, and coca or mint tea. It was good! Once we finished, the family gave a few demonstrations. The first was how they make soap from a local plant that just looked like a big piece of bark. Then, they showed us how they do some weaving. The process is long and the finished product is ornate with very tight stitches. Both men and women learn, and once they finally get those stitches tight enough, they are officially ready to get married! They test the quality by filling the hats with water and seeing how long it takes for the water to seep out. Pretty cool! The final demonstration was a traditional dance with two men and one woman. There's a lot of correspondence to the earth - the process of planting, growing, etc. The girl was so cute - she was all smiles as she danced! Here's a short clip of the dance.
I took an early morning bus from Arequipa to Puno and arrived around lunch time. After checking in, I went to the restaurant the hostel recommended to me. It was not good. Bad choice, guys! I figured I would wander around the small square, but I didn't make it very far before I started feeling weak and nauseated. My first instinct was that the lunch hadn't agreed with me, but the truth became evident once I gave it a second thought: Puno is 3,830 meters (12, 556 feet) above see level. I had altitude sickness! And oh Lord, was it terrible! I crawled into my dorm bed and fell asleep for 3 hours. I woke up long enough to watch an episode of "Scandal" and walk dizzily to the bathroom before I just couldn't do it anymore - sleep was paramount! I don't think I moved until 6am the next day!I had originally wanted to do a homestay with a family in the islands of Lake Titicaca, but I needed 2 full days and my stomach/head wouldn't allow that. So, I laid in bed until 3, whereupon I found a vegan restaurant. Also not good. Come on, Puno! My lunch trip and subsequent trip to the supermarket exhausted me, and I returned to my dorm bed and willed myself to be better the next morning. I only had one more day at the Lake...would I even see it?!
Luckily, I felt 100 times better the next morning and I asked the hostel owners to sign me up for an all-day boat tour. It wasn't the same as a homestay, but it was better than nothing! Funnily enough, I had already met two of the girls going on the tour in Arequipa! The tourist route is well-trodden, my friends.Our first stop was at the floating islands of Uros. The Uru people occupy almost 95 different floating islands, and 2-3 tourist boats (there were many!) stopped at different islands. Apparently, the Uru people wanted to avoid other dangerous/annoying/unfriendly clans, so they built islands from reeds in the lake in order to avoid them. 4-5 families live on each island, and one president (man or woman) is elected each year to represent that island within the group.
The island felt like a water bed, but was very safe. As soon as we sat down in a circle, the male president showed us how to construct an island. It can take up to one year to build it, and it will last about 30 years. Of course, more reeds must be constantly layered on top because the island is slowly, but steadily, starting to sink. Once the demonstration was finished, we were allowed to wander and examine the handicrafts. It's a highly understandable shame that the Uru people largely depend on tourism now for money. It must feel so strange to have boats of tourists arrive each day to gawk at your lifestyle. I have mixed feelings about this kind of tourism, but the families were very kind and full of smiles. I did buy one small handicraft for 5 soles.
Some of the handicrafts
Cute little girl. They all had such rosy cheeks!
After an hour, our boat continued to Isla Taquile, much is an actual land island and has around 5,000 inhabitants. We had to walk uphill for 30 minutes, and you could tell that almost everyone was really feeling the altitude. Everyone had a pretty slow pace and plenty of pauses. Once we reached the main plaza, we took a rest. We were then taken to another part of the island where you could look across the lake towards the Bolivian side. Hi Bolivia! Here's a photo of me, Peru, and Bolivia :)
We then reached our lunch destination at a family's home. We were given soup, trucha (trout), rice, some vegetables and potatoes, and coca or mint tea. It was good! Once we finished, the family gave a few demonstrations. The first was how they make soap from a local plant that just looked like a big piece of bark. Then, they showed us how they do some weaving. The process is long and the finished product is ornate with very tight stitches. Both men and women learn, and once they finally get those stitches tight enough, they are officially ready to get married! They test the quality by filling the hats with water and seeing how long it takes for the water to seep out. Pretty cool! The final demonstration was a traditional dance with two men and one woman. There's a lot of correspondence to the earth - the process of planting, growing, etc. The girl was so cute - she was all smiles as she danced! Here's a short clip of the dance.
After lunch, we returned to the boat and rode the two hours home. Most people napped, but there was a strong smell of diesel in the cabin, so I sat outside and let the breeze freeze my face. Worth it! Back in Puno, two of the girls and I walked around looking for food. We found some street food - rice, noodles, and chicken that was literally being fried in front of us. We decided to risk it! It was good and cheap and most importantly, didn't make me sick! I finished the day with a steaming shower and waited for my bus pick up at 10pm.
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