Puno and Lake Titicaca

We had our second overnight bus of the trip from Cusco to Puno, a town sitting on the edge of Lake Titicaca.  Our bus arrived bright an early at 5am where we were greeted by the balmy -3 degrees morning air.  Eek.

Lake Titicaca is the highest navigable lake in the world, around 3800msl, over 280 metres deep at its deepest point, and so large you really feel like you’re standing by the sea.  We’d booked a full day tour of the lake and some of the floating (!) islands on it, so not long after getting off our bus we got onto our tour.

Herded like sheep onto various speedboats with other tourists, we napped our way to our first stop: the Uros Islands.  These were spectacular floating islands made of reeds, bobbing and bouncing and very slightly smelly.  There are hundreds of these little islands, each one inhabited by a family or two, and the families take turns to welcome guests to their island and show their way of life.  The Uros Islands used to be home to indigenous people with their own language, communities, and schools on the islands but over time their primary source of income has become us - the tourists.  Which meant we got a fascinating insight into how the islands are made and who lives there, and a beautiful ride in a boat made entirely of reeds, but it was less easy to imagine what life was like when all the tourists had gone.

The second half of the day, after napping further in our 2 hour speedboat ride to the next island (seriously, Lake Titicaca is HUGE), was spent exploring Taquile Island.  A regular, land-based island this time, we learnt more about the people who live there (women make waist-bands out of their own hair for their new husbands when they get married!) and finished everything off with a surprisingly delicious trout lunch overlooking the water.

A lovely day out, and after the cold in Cusco it was a real treat to have a heater in our room in the hostel.  So we got a few hours sleep before getting another bus… this time to Bolivia!