Lake Titicaca (part 1)

Last weekend we headed to Puno and Lake Titicaca. To say that we expected this to be a highlight of our trip would be an understatement. In fact, the floating islands of Uros were the primary inspiration for Lizelle wanting to explore South America, even moreso than Machu Picchu!

So we set out straight after school on Friday, in a private bus, with 6 volunteers in tow. The bus ride was 5 hours long, but it didn't feel like it. As per normal, Debra "More Game Than A Flock Of Birds" Fiterman stepped up to provide the entertainment, combining getting-to-know-you games, riddles and all sorts of other things to make the journey fly by. We had some nice views too.

We arrived in Puno aroun 8pm, powered by Doritos and other not-so-healthy snacks and ready to find some real food. For Franny, this was a return trip, having seen Uros last time and now planning to venture into the depths of Bolivia and Isla Del Sol (Island of the Sun). She brought us to a nice restaurant, where I got my first taste of the super-food quinea. After a nice dinner we retired to our hostel and shared some laughs.

Here is Puno from afar:

The next morning, we rose bright and early and headed for the local dock. Our first stop was the floating islands of Uros. Considering the massive expectations we had for Uros, it... exceeded all our expectations! Yes, it is very touristy, and that can distract from the cultural part of the experience. But such unique and wonderful offerings rarely avoid the tourist train, and if you can accept that, the islands of Uros is a great place to see. Or if you cannot accept it, you can always saw your floating island in half, and spawn your own community, as is common practice in Uros.

In all, we visited 2 islands, including a reed boat ride from between the 2.

Here are a few of our nicer photos in Uros:

After Uros, we returned to our boat, and set course for another (non-floating) island, Amantani. It was a long 3 hour ride, but it included an amazing visual spectacle. After noticing an upside-down rainbow, we realized that there were actually 2 rainbows, both forming concentric circles all the way around the sun! That's not lense flare in my 2nd photo - that is exactly what we saw!

We arrived at Amantani, and...

Wow, this blog thing takes time! Stay tuned for more of Lake Titicaca, and especially Amantani, coming soon. :) In the meantime, here is a sneak peek:


Chris