The simple things in life

Trip Start Jun 16, 2009

Trip End Aug 14, 2009

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Where I stayed

Hildas house

(Puno hotels)

Flag of Peru Llachon, Puno, Peru
Sunday, July 12, 2009

The reeds cover most of the way out of Puno port, and so the floating islands appear quite suddenley. Its amazing how they create them with a square of reeds lashed together covered by layers of reeds. Most are not that big just 8 families on each its far too close for comfort and they only get off the island when they go to Market once a month to trade fish they catch. School and church are also in the reeds! Though we had a ride on a traditional boat they generally get around by motor boat now.

We then got the boat on to the peninusla, I'm not sure what I expected from the homestay but it was an unforgetable experience. The president arrived to greet us and intoduce us to the families we were staying with. The houses very very basic mud brick built even the bases of our beds were mud! You could hardly fit in the kitchen and the toilet was in the garden! We got to help with some chores in the afternoon putting the nets out for fish! The way they move the boat is with a strange sort of paddle which is at the back of the boat which you push from side to side. We then got dressed up for dinner in the local dress which the women actually wear all the time! The hosts made us dinner of soup and then veg and rice and it was Kylies birthday so they brought in a cake and sang happy birthday (cumpleanos in Spanish). They were all so friendly despite such little to offer. The next morning we helped tie goats up for grazing then 'tried' to make and oven to cook potatoes for lunch mmmm its harder than in looks! Then to round it off a game of volleyball.