Lake Titicaca islands

  Taquile and Amantani, Peru
Monday, November 26, 2007

After a relaxing day in Cusco after the big hike, we took a bus to Puno, a small city on the shores of Lake Titicaca.

The next day we started off bright and early by bicycle taxi to the port. We caught a boat with our local guide Lucho to the first island on Lake Titicaca called Taquile. We had quite a hike up to the main square, but once there we looked around the market and photography exhibit in the town hall. We had lunch at the top of a hill overlooking the lake and dined on fresh trout from Lake Titicaca. 

After a bit more shopping, we got back on the boat and headed to Amantani island where we met our homestay families. They walked us to their houses made of adobe bricks and cement. Our mama Lydia introduced us to her daughter Celia and her mom and dad. They all live together in the 3 room house. We chatted in Spanish for a few minutes then Lydia walked us up to the soccer pitch where the locals challenged the GAP groups to a few games. There were two other groups of travellers there so we had a good time meeting them and cheering on the teams. Michael from our group gave it a go and even scored a goal.

After the match, we walked back to our homestay and had a game of Ludo with Celia by candlelight while Lydia and her mom prepared dinner. We had a nice meal of soup and rice with vegetables. They are mainly vegetarian on the island as they grow and use all their own crops. Occasionally they will have chicken or lamb but there aren´t a lot of animals on the island. We brought some food with us from Puno to give the family as a gift. The chocolate bar was the biggest hit with Celia, Lydia´s daughter.

After dinner, Lydia dressed us up in traditional outfits and then took us to the community centre where we met up with our friends and other GAP groups for a fiesta. We danced with our mamas to the songs that the band played until about 10:00 p.m. Our mamas were starting to look sleepy so we all headed back to our homes. It was a bit of a restless night as there was no heat and the room was cold and damp. But we made it through with a good appreciation for all that we take for granted in our lives. In the morning, Lydia made us pancakes served with marmalade. We drank coca tea to help with the altitude too. At 8:00, Lydia´s dad walked us to the pier to meet the rest of our group. We said our goodbyes and thanked them for their hospitality.

On our way back to Puno, we stopped at the Uros islands which are actually made of reeds and literally float on the lake. They are anchored to the bottom of the lake so they don´t float away. About seven families live on each island. They make boats, houses, platforms and souvenirs out of the reeds that grow in the lake and also add new layers to their islands when the bottom layers start to fall off. It was strange walking on the islands. It feels a bit like walking on straw but not very stable. I kept thinking we would fall through so I was walking really lightly!

After our stop on the Uros islands, we headed back to Puno. We relaxed for most of the afternoon, still a bit exhausted from the Inca trail hike a few days earlier. That evening we went for our last meal in Peru with our guide Jorge. We went to a restaurant that serves guinea pig! They roasted three of the critters up for us to try. I admit to trying a small bit just for the experience, but I kept thinking of all the furry little guinea pigs I used to see in the pet store. They taste a bit like duck but chewier. Andy was more adventurous than me, he finished off a couple legs...

So that marks the end of another country. We´re off to Bolivia next. First stop La Paz and then we head through the country for about 12 days before entering Chile. I´ll write more from the road once we have some time to spare in Bolivia!