Saturday 26th April
After
visiting Machu Picchu last Thursday, I decided (along with Marina and Miguel)
to continue exploring Peru by visiting Puno and Lake Titicaca. Right after
getting back to Cusco, we took a night bus to Puno, which last about 6 hours
and was surprisingly pleasant as I slept the whole way.
We
arrived in Puno very early Saturday morning, and after resting a bit in our
hostel, walked around the city. We went up the ‘mirador’ to see the view of the
whole city and the lake. We walked around the city for a while, passing through
the main plaza and the market. Since it was Semana Santa, we also ran into a
few processions around the city. I had some delicious ‘trucha a la plancha’
(trout) for lunch that tasted so fresh and a lot tastier than the ones I have
had here in the Sacred Valley. Overall, I wouldn’t say Puno is one of my
favourite Peruvian cities as there isn’t much to do and it isn’t very charming,
but mainly a stop before or after going to Lake Titicaca.
 |
| View of the mirador, Puno and the lake |
 |
| Lunch - Trucha a la plancha |
 |
| Marina and I on Plaza de Armas |
 |
| Semana Santa dancing on Plaza de Armas |
 |
| Puno Mercado Central |
 |
Semana Santa procession on the street
On Saturday
morning, we left quite early and got on a boat that took us around Lake Titicaca,
visiting multiples islands. I love boats and I have missed the water so I was
happy to enjoy it for a few days. One of the first impressions that I got of the
lake was how big it looked and could have very well been the ocean. It is the
highest lake in the world and is divided between Peru and Bolivia. We stayed on
the Peruvian side and visited three islands: Uros, Amantani and Taquile.
|
 |
| On our way to the islands |
 |
| Our boat for the weekend |
We
started by going to one of the floating islands of Uros. The one we went one
was small (8 families lived there) and was very unusual. These man-made islands
(about 30 of them) are mainly made up of ‘totura’ reeds: plants that are found
in the lake. One of the locals explained the whole process and how the island
functioned. These reeds are essential to them as they use them to restore the
island about once a week, build their houses, build boats, make souvenirs, etc.
It was very strange because with every step you could sink into the ground a
little. The locals were all very nice; although they live a lot of tourism so
do try and sell you all kinds of souvenirs.
 |
| Arriving at Isla Uros |
 |
| Woman in Uros |
 |
| Little girl in Uros |
 |
| Isla Uros |
 |
Visiting the island
After
that, we made our way to the second island, Isla Amantani where we spent the
night with a Peruvian host family. After about a 2-hour boat ride, we arrived
at the island and got assigned to a family. The mother of the family picked us
up and we walked to her house, which was simple but very clean and practical.
We met her husband and daughter, Grace, another adorable 1-year-old Peruvian
baby. They were such a welcoming family and I really enjoyed staying with them
as it really enabled us to see how these people live. There is no electricity
on the island, so we had a very romantic candle lit dinner. The food was simple
but very good. We went for a walk on Saturday to Pachamama, some ruins at the
top of the island. The walk was beautiful and the view of the island and the
lake was stunning. Unfortunately, the sunset or sunrise the next morning weren’t
great because it was quiet cloudy. Overall, this island was like a little piece
of paradise where time seemed to stop. I wish I could have stayed there a few
more nights.
|
 |
| Puerto at Isla Amantani |
 |
| Romantic candle-light dinner |
 |
| Making our way up to Pachamama |
 |
| Walking around Amantani |
 |
| View of the lake from Pachamama |
 |
| Group photo under one of Amantani's many stone arches |
 |
| Wearing the hats our host mum knitted |
 |
| The adorable little Grace |
 |
| Giggles at Pachamama |
 |
| Group photo with our host family |
 |
| Sunrise view |
The
next morning, after having delicious crêpes for breakfast and saying goodbye to
our host family, we made our way back to the boat and started the journey
towards Isla Taquile. The weather was very windy on our way there so the boat
journey wasn’t very pleasant, but thankfully we made it safely. Nevertheless,
the boat ride was so worth it once we got there and I think it might have been
my favourite island. We only spent a few hours there, as we wanted to get back
before the weather became even worst, but we still got to see most of the
island. Stone arches seemed to be typical of all island in the lake, but they
were my favourite on this island. I think they are so photogenic and they frame
landscapes beautifully. I also loved how all the locals still wear traditional
clothing. Usually, I like Peruvian women’s clothing more, but it was not the
case here. My favourite part was the men’s red hats (meaning they are married)
or red and white hats (meaning they are single). The views once again were
beautiful, and I still couldn’t believe I wasn’t on the border of the ocean,
but of a lake.
 |
| Locals walking in Taquile |
 |
| Little girl in Taquile |
 |
Group photo
|
 |
| Local men in front of the church |
 |
| View of the lake from Isla Taquile |
 |
| Local men walking around the island |
At
last, we made our way back to Puno enjoying the last views of the lake. Overall,
an amazing weekend and Lake Titicaca is definitely one of my favourite places in
Peru. Back to school now and lots of work to do before going to Arequipa and
Colca Canyon
in 2 weeks for another long weekend :)
