On Friday May 4, we headed off to Puno in Peru across the Bolivian Altiplano to Yunguyo for the border crossing into Peru and a stop for lunch at a typical restaurant, then a beautiful drive along the side of Lake Titicaca. Once in Puno we stayed at the San Marco Hotel. In the evening we were briefed for our home stay on Amantani Island in Lake Titicaca and spent some time organizing ourselves as advised.
On Saturday, we were picked up by coach at 7:30 a.m. and taken down to the Port in Puno. There we shopped in the market to buy our "gifts" for our families. We bought rice, sugar, salt, milk, oil, tinned fish, jam soap, pasta, candles, matches and a couple of exercise books and pens for the children spending around 40 sols. Then we boarded a small motorized catamaran for our 3 1/2 hr journey to Taquile Island.
Lake Titicaca, said to be one of the world,s largest navigable lakes, is approximately 3,820 meters above sea level, 160 kilometres long and about 45 kilometers wide. Its huge. It straddles the Bolivia/Peru border and depending who you talk to, is 60% in Peru and 40% in Bolivia, or the opposite. It is also very deep, and our guide indicated that there are many mysteries about the lake, including one that someone recently found a citadel under the water but because of the manner of the formation of the lake, there is no explanation as to how the citadel would have gotten there. Another item to be explored further when there is time.
About one kilometre wide and six to seven kilometers long, Taquile rises steeply out of the Lake , and we were soon huffing and puffing as we climbed up the numerous steps and along well defined paths to the main squre. I have to admit that this was a big disappointment. The Lake and Island are so beautiful, but the Square was crawling with tourists and islanders trying to sell you their home made crafts. Our Guide soon led us out of the Square and further up the island along the winding paved paths to a small restaurant for lunch and we had our first taste of coca and maña tea, mmmm, delicious. After lunch, we walked 500 steps down the other side of the island to our waiting boat.
Amantani is about an hour,s boat journey from Taquile. The port here was not quite as well defined as in Taquile, and once again the island seemed to have been pushed straight up from the bottom of the lake. There did not appear to be quite as many tourists here, and there are no cars on either island. We were met by our "mothers" and Ray and I were introduced to Gladys whose home we would stay in overnight, sort of like a bed and breakfast set up. Gladys was delightfull. She was dressed in the traditional dress consisting of a red bustling skirt, brightly coloured cumberband, white embroidered shirt, and black embroidered cape, with a tiny pair of thin soled, black, flat, sandals. Gladys led us up the steep hill to her home over paths of stone, some paving, and dirt. Her home was about half way up the island and was built in the typical quadrangle style with mud bricked two storey buildings built around a paved courtyard. We were led up some cement and wooden stairs to a low wooden door off the verandah into our bedroom. The room was about 8 feet by 15 feet with large planked wooden floor, light green plaster walls and two metal_muntined windows, one of which had a stunning view overlooking the lake and the island below. The furniture consisted of four mid size beds with reeds lining the walls against which the beds rested, a round table beside one of the beds, and a chair. There was a potty under each bed and four beautiful blankets and a quilt cover to keep you warm. A mirror, wall hangings, and framed education certificates for the family, adorned the walls. We were lucky, our room had electricity so there was electric light. I don,t know what I expected, but we were very pleasantly surprised with the quality and cleanliness of the room.
The dark smoky kitchen was located outside the square on the same wall as our bedroom, and the loos were located through a gate at the back of our building. One toilet flushed with tins of water, and one squat box. The property, located opposite the loos consisted of a series of small fields where various crops were grown and sheep huddled. The fields were reached by short, winding paths. Our house was located beside the soccerfield and just above the community hall. Gladys father owned a shop which looked after and this was located right in front of the home buildings.
We met Gladys two sisters Olga and Lucy who also lived in the home with their children Carey and Joceline. We never heard about the husbands but our guide explained that many fathers go to Puno to work and send money home and are never heard from again. Gladys was not married.
We dropped our stuff off in the room and then went up the hill to see the sunset. Unfortunately, we were a few minutes late to see the sunset, but nonetheless the view was absolutely gorgeous, with the remaining hues of the sun reflected across the lake. When we came back down, our group collected in Gladys store and sat around wooden tables drinking beer and talking with the local children who snuck in despite their mothers efforts to keep them out. Soon, one of Gladys sisters was calling us for dinner which we ate in the smoky kitchen with the two sisters and the children. It wasn{t long before Carey, a little girl of 4, was snuggled up to Ray and chatting away in a mixture of Spanish and Quechuan. First we were served soup, then a pasta dish, then muña tea, all quite palatable. Gladys spoke about as many words in English as we did in Spanish, but somehow, it worked, and conversation, although I wouldn{t call it animated, was at least somehow possible, between sign language, the words we have picked up, and any other way we could think of to communicate.
Once dinner was over, Olga and Lucy dressed me up in the traditional costume, and Ray donned a poncho and we were off to the ball! This was a party specially arranged for our group with our families. The music was provided by a local band and we were soon dancing up a storm in our newly learned Quechuan style. It was all good fun, but dancing at 3820 meters above sea level takes it out of you and the next day we all agreed that it would have been better if the dances had been a little shorter!
Around 9.30 p.m. we suggested discreetly to Gladys that we leave and as she had to be up at 5.00 a.m. she readily agreed. We were warm and snug in our beds, despite the below freezing weather outside. The night was so quiet and peaceful, the stars so plentiful in the sky, it all seemed a little sureal.
The next morning, we were up around 6 a.m., fed pancakes, jam, coffee-tea for breakfast and led down the hillside by Gladys to the boat for departure. It was a very moving experience to live so simply for one night, but the islanders are happy with their lives, and life expectancy is around 80. They are virtually vegetarians because they can{t afford meet every day, and with all that walking up and down the hills, carrying their crops, and supplies, its no wonder they are fit and healthy.
Our next stop was the Islas Flotantes, or Floating Islands, which were about 3 hours away. Here we were exposed to the culture and way of life of the Uros peoples. About 1000 to 1200 people live on the Islands. They apparently took to the islands to escape from the Spanish. We were shown how the islands are made by overlapping layers of totora reeds harvested from the Lake. Stepping on to the reed islands felt quite spongy and although the surface is dry, you only have to push your fingers down a few inches to feel the dampness. The surface apparently has to be replaced about every 2 weeks. As the islanders grow older, some of them live in a colony on the mainland to escape the arthritis and rheumatism that attacks them from the dampness of the reeds. Lots of the crafts are made of reed. Also, their canoe shaped boats are made of reeds and nowadays, plastic bottles have been added to make them last a little longer. All over the 3 islands, there is a lot of begging and selling which does become annoying: as well, you have to be careful taking pictures as some of the women turn away. I found that by buying something and then asking politely if I could take their picture with what I bought, the women were very pleased to be photographed. We took a short ride in one of the canoe boats which was lazy and peaceful, and then were back on to the motorized boat to make our way slowly back to Puno.
Arriving in Puno we quickly walked through the market to pick up a salteña, orange, and mango juice for lunch which we ate sitting outside our hotel. At 2.30 p.m. our coach arrived to take us to see some Inca ruins at Sillustani. The ruins at Sillustani are situated on a hilltop on a peninsula in Lake Umayo and is where the Colla nobles are burried in chullpas or funeral towers. Collasuyo is the south quarter of the Inca Empire and this is where the Colla people are from. The remains have been looted so no bones or funeral acompaniments exist, but the funeral towers are very impressive silhoutted against the dark sky.
Back in Puno we went out for dinner and I had llama brochette. The meat is quite tasty, a little bit of a cross between lamb and veal.
Puno was founded on November 4, 1568, and it is busy and rather chaotic. There are not too many colonial buildings left. There is a nice pedestrian mall but on the whole, it is very touristy, being a centre for visits to Lake Titicaca.
Tomorrow we are on our way to Cusco, and our 4 day Inca Trail trek.
On Saturday, we were picked up by coach at 7:30 a.m. and taken down to the Port in Puno. There we shopped in the market to buy our "gifts" for our families. We bought rice, sugar, salt, milk, oil, tinned fish, jam soap, pasta, candles, matches and a couple of exercise books and pens for the children spending around 40 sols. Then we boarded a small motorized catamaran for our 3 1/2 hr journey to Taquile Island.
Lake Titicaca, said to be one of the world,s largest navigable lakes, is approximately 3,820 meters above sea level, 160 kilometres long and about 45 kilometers wide. Its huge. It straddles the Bolivia/Peru border and depending who you talk to, is 60% in Peru and 40% in Bolivia, or the opposite. It is also very deep, and our guide indicated that there are many mysteries about the lake, including one that someone recently found a citadel under the water but because of the manner of the formation of the lake, there is no explanation as to how the citadel would have gotten there. Another item to be explored further when there is time.
About one kilometre wide and six to seven kilometers long, Taquile rises steeply out of the Lake , and we were soon huffing and puffing as we climbed up the numerous steps and along well defined paths to the main squre. I have to admit that this was a big disappointment. The Lake and Island are so beautiful, but the Square was crawling with tourists and islanders trying to sell you their home made crafts. Our Guide soon led us out of the Square and further up the island along the winding paved paths to a small restaurant for lunch and we had our first taste of coca and maña tea, mmmm, delicious. After lunch, we walked 500 steps down the other side of the island to our waiting boat.
Amantani is about an hour,s boat journey from Taquile. The port here was not quite as well defined as in Taquile, and once again the island seemed to have been pushed straight up from the bottom of the lake. There did not appear to be quite as many tourists here, and there are no cars on either island. We were met by our "mothers" and Ray and I were introduced to Gladys whose home we would stay in overnight, sort of like a bed and breakfast set up. Gladys was delightfull. She was dressed in the traditional dress consisting of a red bustling skirt, brightly coloured cumberband, white embroidered shirt, and black embroidered cape, with a tiny pair of thin soled, black, flat, sandals. Gladys led us up the steep hill to her home over paths of stone, some paving, and dirt. Her home was about half way up the island and was built in the typical quadrangle style with mud bricked two storey buildings built around a paved courtyard. We were led up some cement and wooden stairs to a low wooden door off the verandah into our bedroom. The room was about 8 feet by 15 feet with large planked wooden floor, light green plaster walls and two metal_muntined windows, one of which had a stunning view overlooking the lake and the island below. The furniture consisted of four mid size beds with reeds lining the walls against which the beds rested, a round table beside one of the beds, and a chair. There was a potty under each bed and four beautiful blankets and a quilt cover to keep you warm. A mirror, wall hangings, and framed education certificates for the family, adorned the walls. We were lucky, our room had electricity so there was electric light. I don,t know what I expected, but we were very pleasantly surprised with the quality and cleanliness of the room.
The dark smoky kitchen was located outside the square on the same wall as our bedroom, and the loos were located through a gate at the back of our building. One toilet flushed with tins of water, and one squat box. The property, located opposite the loos consisted of a series of small fields where various crops were grown and sheep huddled. The fields were reached by short, winding paths. Our house was located beside the soccerfield and just above the community hall. Gladys father owned a shop which looked after and this was located right in front of the home buildings.
We met Gladys two sisters Olga and Lucy who also lived in the home with their children Carey and Joceline. We never heard about the husbands but our guide explained that many fathers go to Puno to work and send money home and are never heard from again. Gladys was not married.
We dropped our stuff off in the room and then went up the hill to see the sunset. Unfortunately, we were a few minutes late to see the sunset, but nonetheless the view was absolutely gorgeous, with the remaining hues of the sun reflected across the lake. When we came back down, our group collected in Gladys store and sat around wooden tables drinking beer and talking with the local children who snuck in despite their mothers efforts to keep them out. Soon, one of Gladys sisters was calling us for dinner which we ate in the smoky kitchen with the two sisters and the children. It wasn{t long before Carey, a little girl of 4, was snuggled up to Ray and chatting away in a mixture of Spanish and Quechuan. First we were served soup, then a pasta dish, then muña tea, all quite palatable. Gladys spoke about as many words in English as we did in Spanish, but somehow, it worked, and conversation, although I wouldn{t call it animated, was at least somehow possible, between sign language, the words we have picked up, and any other way we could think of to communicate.
Once dinner was over, Olga and Lucy dressed me up in the traditional costume, and Ray donned a poncho and we were off to the ball! This was a party specially arranged for our group with our families. The music was provided by a local band and we were soon dancing up a storm in our newly learned Quechuan style. It was all good fun, but dancing at 3820 meters above sea level takes it out of you and the next day we all agreed that it would have been better if the dances had been a little shorter!
Around 9.30 p.m. we suggested discreetly to Gladys that we leave and as she had to be up at 5.00 a.m. she readily agreed. We were warm and snug in our beds, despite the below freezing weather outside. The night was so quiet and peaceful, the stars so plentiful in the sky, it all seemed a little sureal.
The next morning, we were up around 6 a.m., fed pancakes, jam, coffee-tea for breakfast and led down the hillside by Gladys to the boat for departure. It was a very moving experience to live so simply for one night, but the islanders are happy with their lives, and life expectancy is around 80. They are virtually vegetarians because they can{t afford meet every day, and with all that walking up and down the hills, carrying their crops, and supplies, its no wonder they are fit and healthy.
Our next stop was the Islas Flotantes, or Floating Islands, which were about 3 hours away. Here we were exposed to the culture and way of life of the Uros peoples. About 1000 to 1200 people live on the Islands. They apparently took to the islands to escape from the Spanish. We were shown how the islands are made by overlapping layers of totora reeds harvested from the Lake. Stepping on to the reed islands felt quite spongy and although the surface is dry, you only have to push your fingers down a few inches to feel the dampness. The surface apparently has to be replaced about every 2 weeks. As the islanders grow older, some of them live in a colony on the mainland to escape the arthritis and rheumatism that attacks them from the dampness of the reeds. Lots of the crafts are made of reed. Also, their canoe shaped boats are made of reeds and nowadays, plastic bottles have been added to make them last a little longer. All over the 3 islands, there is a lot of begging and selling which does become annoying: as well, you have to be careful taking pictures as some of the women turn away. I found that by buying something and then asking politely if I could take their picture with what I bought, the women were very pleased to be photographed. We took a short ride in one of the canoe boats which was lazy and peaceful, and then were back on to the motorized boat to make our way slowly back to Puno.
Arriving in Puno we quickly walked through the market to pick up a salteña, orange, and mango juice for lunch which we ate sitting outside our hotel. At 2.30 p.m. our coach arrived to take us to see some Inca ruins at Sillustani. The ruins at Sillustani are situated on a hilltop on a peninsula in Lake Umayo and is where the Colla nobles are burried in chullpas or funeral towers. Collasuyo is the south quarter of the Inca Empire and this is where the Colla people are from. The remains have been looted so no bones or funeral acompaniments exist, but the funeral towers are very impressive silhoutted against the dark sky.
Back in Puno we went out for dinner and I had llama brochette. The meat is quite tasty, a little bit of a cross between lamb and veal.
Puno was founded on November 4, 1568, and it is busy and rather chaotic. There are not too many colonial buildings left. There is a nice pedestrian mall but on the whole, it is very touristy, being a centre for visits to Lake Titicaca.
Tomorrow we are on our way to Cusco, and our 4 day Inca Trail trek.
1 comment:
Hi, Liz and Ray-
Boy, it's seems you got the luxury treatment on Amantani Island! We were on the main floor of a house which was a dirt floor covered with a plastic sheet that a little kitty pooped on, and we had no electricity or potty...just candles and an outdoor loo. Our "Mama" did not speak any Spanish, just Quechuan, so it was a tad difficult to communicate. Loved the party they threw though, even if we were freezing!
How was the Inca Trail?
Keep us posted.
Love, Pat and Richard
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