Puno
We thought that the trip would last no more than six hours, and instead this time we have been contradicted dall'evidenza. To get up there to
Puno, we used the beauty of ten hours, with a brief stop in La Raya, the highest railway station reached by the train of the Andes (4319 meters sldm). Arrived at their destination, as usual there was a good man in charge of our sampling, which led us up the street. Even this new destination was not exactly worthy of the previous ... a very small room and cold adapted to accommodate three people, with a bathroom full of spifferi: we had to rent a stove (lower) by the owner to try to warm up a bit the environment. A little evil, even in this hotel we should not have to stay very much, because already the next day we started early in the morning for an excursion of two days between the islands of Lake Titicaca. We therefore dropped to seek economic restaurant where we eat dinner and then we have been directed towards our beds.
Titicaca Lake: Uros floating islands, Amantanì
The next morning, as delivered, the alarm is sounded at six o'clock and after a hearty breakfast, as usual, included in the price, we expected a gentle young man who has brought them up in the taxi and escorted us to the pier where we embarked on our adventure. Obviously we were not alone ... the overall format crew of fifteen people with different nationalities (French, Canadian, U.S. and even two Maltese). Obviously not missing a guide, Alexander, with a strong "vein of sweet and very likeable.
The first stage was planned in the floating islands of Uros, which are closest to this and also the most tourist, but no less beautiful and interesting. The peculiarity of these islands is that they are not of earth and rock, but built by humans, using a special reed that populates the lake Titicaca. They are a kind of floating platform anchored to the bottom of the lake and on which people built their homes and where the small community spend their entire lives. We stopped on two floating islands, where we were shown what these people live, the tools they use, the inside of their homes and livestock rearing really distinctive!
After about an hour we rose in the boat to head to another island (this time a real island in the usual sense), where we spent the night in the house of a local family.
We have arrived at Amantanì after three hours of slow browsing and we were greeted by the chairman of village that we would have stayed. Together with him nice and colorful ladies, who one day would be our "mother" who would be taken care of us. Reached the center of town has started the distribution of tourists between the mother: the three of us we are finished with a very young Ilda, who led us up in his house and showed us our accommodations.
It was a classic home in the mud and straw, partly built on two floors and a side of this building was a building smaller and more Spartan into a kitchen. With the knowledge with the entire family, we have been taken advantage of the culinary skills of Ilda who has served in the dining room, based on tubers and tubers yet. Right time to digest and it's time to gather in the city center, for a long walk together, to the summit of the highest hill on the island where you could admire the sunset over Lake Titicaca.
The climb has not been at all difficult, perhaps cheered by a splendid panorama on the village just left and slowly sull'intere island. Tradition says that upon reaching the top you must go for three times the perimeter of the old building (once dedicated to religion) placed in the top of the mountain, and then make a wish. So we have done well ... not even time to finish the third round that the sun was already setting on the lake. Needless to say that the sunset was a wonderful time, made up of infinite shades of red that divers in the waters of Titicaca. Had now reached the darkness and we waited a long descent to our village. Together with darkness fell the temperature, in a consistent manner. Perhaps for this reason that the dinner for the family invited us to eat with you, in the tiny kitchen warmed by a fire lit in the floor. Already, the island because there is no gas ne ne ne electricity running water, all things that we now take for granted. Dinner consisted of a soup of potatoes and vegetables, rice, potatoes and tubers. In the middle of dinner, a strange change of direction of the wind, we played a bad joke and a half has caused poisoning of RPZ: an attack!
Pass this roughness, the evening was heralded ballerina: the villagers had organized a sort of celebration involving tourists in typical local dances, perhaps in an attempt to warm up! For the occasion, in an attempt to combat a cold prickly, Ilda agghindato we had a large woolen poncho and a hat typical Peruvian: scandalous!
The dancing went on for about an hour after that sleep was the best, and we direct towards our room.
Taquile island, Puno
The next morning wake up to cockcrow eaten breakfast and again in the smoky kitchen, we have reported to the pier to embark towards the next destination: the island of Taquile. After half hour navigation we were already in place. The activities included a long walk to reach the city center, passing through a path with a wonderful view over Lake Titicaca. Reached the center and made a brief visit to the craft store, we stopped for lunch in a restaurant outside. After the dishes, even the time to digest that had already losing out on the march to reach the other side of where we expected our boat. With his legs now that they went on their own, until we arrived at our boat and from there we boarded for another four hours of travel that we have reported to
Puno. As usual the journey back has proved more difficult and cumbersome for the outward journey: endless!
But in the end we achieved our goal and fell in
Puno pier, there was a vans waiting for us to bring us back to our hotel. Arrived dead tired, just the time to open the door and we collapsed into our beds. We have only found the strength to make us a shower and drag us to the nearest restaurant to eat something: this time were not potatoes but a pizza!
The following day we have not even had time to ripigliarci from the labors of the Titicaca tour because at 07:30, after a mediocre breakfast, a baldo lordling came to pick up the escort to the bus terminal. Our adventure in Peru came after ... the bus would have led us to the border with Bolivia and from there to a nice city always on the shores of Lake Titicaca: Copacabana (not in Brazil!)