Puno and the Islands of Lake Titicaca
Well we are becoming very familiar with night buses, I even slept a little this time. Arriving at 5:00am in Puno which sits on the northern shores of Lake Titicaca and surrounded by the Andes Mountains we were met by Ronal, the Olimpo Hotel owner. The hospitality of the Peruvian's is remarkable, not only did he allow us into our room this early in the morning, he also brought us Coca Tea to drink. (This is the drink that assists with the effects of the elevation) After resting for awhile we ventured out into the streets of Puno. Busy, noisy, & crowded but better than some we've experienced. I haven't decided whether Peru drivers are the worst because of all the close calls or the best because of all the close calls?!?
the view from the roof of our hotel in Puno which borders on Lake Titicaca
Of course we made our way to the Plaza (every city big or small has a Plaza in Peru). A lot more walking then rested in our hotel room watching TV for the first time in two and a half months. After dinner JC attended his 3rd Rotary meeting.
mostly all the women wear their hair with the traditional, long braids
The second day we were picked up by Rina's brother, sister in law and nephew to be driven out of the city along the shores of Lake Titicaca and passed little mud-brick villages until we stopped at a small community where we walked around and got close to an Alpaca.
Rina & her family, our tour guides 
sooooooo many potatoes
eggs are never refrigerated
wearing the same 'rubber tire' sandels
"Originally built to escape the tyranny of the Incas, the people used the roots of the reeds growing in the shallows of the lake and created floating platforms on which to build their homes. The base is made from the dense root system of the weeds and then anchored down by heavy stones. They then create a ground cover of reeds and then build their homes on top. There are about three families living on each island and there are apparently 2000 people living in communities across the lake."
even the pigs have "land" for grazing
The first thing we were taught on our boat cruise to the floating islands was how to say “hello, how are you?”………KAMISARAKI
Lake Titicaca is 165 kms long and 60 km wide, which is equivalent to 8300 square kilometers. It is 30 to 280m deep and the water rises 1m during rainy season.
Many rivers flow into the lake but only one flows out. In the Andes Mountain range and at 12,000 feet elevation this lake is surely one of the highest lakes in the world. 60% of the lake belongs to Peru and 40% to Bolivia and the temperature is between 16-18 degrees Celsius, just ask JC & Tianna how cold that is since they both jumped in the lake, with cheers coming from the tourists on our boat, before we left the island.
Amantani
island 4000 population
Tequile
island 2000 population
However, these
figures are disputable since they changed depending on who we asked, the guide
and the people who lived on the islands.
They also use the reeds for food, eating the white part, and build their huts they live in and the boats too. The primary children boat to school, also built on an island however the secondary students must boat to Puno for their education. We docked on one island and were immediately greeted by the locals dressed in their traditional long, colorful skirts and hats. We were given an explanation on how the islands are built and were invited into their huts to see all their beautifully hand-made crafts.
Tianna dressed as a beautiful Peruvian Girl
Not sure if we could live on such a small island but it was fun pretending for awhile!
Dad & Tianna took a cruise on a 'Reed' Boat 
Arriving on Amantani Island was like stepping back in time. Met by traditionally dressed women one would think this was just for the tourists but having spent the night on the island with these local people you soon realize that this is their life, they're proud of their traditions and it's not for show!
Winding our way on a small cobblestone paths across the island we passed herds of sheep & llamas, fields of corn, potatoes and a variety of vegetables growing in rich soil. Following our hostess who amazed us by spinning wool while walking along, all the women carry a wooden spindle to spin their 2 string wool into one.
Our lunch of soup and several types of potatoes was delicious and for dinner we were served soup and stir-fry with egg and rice. After lunch we walked to the Plaza and then came across a group of boys we challenged to a game of soccer. The Canadians (4 of us) dominated for the first 30 min. despite the burning in our chest due to the altitude. Team Peru made a come back in the second half to tie it up but the last goal was scored by one of our pick up players from the island.
Falling asleep under wool blankets that weighed at least 40lbs. kept us warm and the candle burning in our room made it cozy! With no heat, electricity or even running water it is amazing what the island women can accomplish.
In the morning we were happy to be treated to wonderful crepes and marmalada with Coca tea of course!! When we left Amantani for Taquile Island it was raining and the sky was dark but God blessed us once again when the rain stopped and the sun came out just as we began the hike up the mountainside.
Our group made their way to the Plaza for a brief stop before heading off to the other side where we ate lunch with a beautiful view of Lake Titicaca, which surprisingly resembles Okanagan Lake.
Terraced farming
At lunch we learned that only the men knit on this particular island and the women don’t. They are taught to knit at 5yrs. old and cannot get married until they’ve knitted themselves a colorful hat. The girls collect all their hair from when they are very young and until they get married then weave their hair into a wide belt (like a cummerbund) for their husband. 
They don’t exchange rings like in North America. At parties or dances the pom pom on top of the men’s knitted hat(touque) is worn straight back if they are married and to the side if they are looking for a wife. Couples live together for approx. 1 year before getting married because once you’re married it’s for life. The wedding ceremony lasts 3 days with the first day at the Plaza but they don’t dance and instead wear layers of blankets, the second day the couple receive gifts and the third day they dance around the plaza. We were all amazed that although these islands do have a mayor (on mayor for all the islands) they do not have any law enforcement, it’s not needed!!!! Oh and there are no dogs either.
A very enjoyable 3hr. cruise back to Puno on top of the boat with our new friends Katie & Jon from London and Mikolaj & Emilia from Poland. We were all enjoying the heat from the sun and great conversation!
Landon was happy to be captain of the boat for a while but wished it could’ve travelled faster than one speed… slow. Later that evening we met up with our friends near the Plaza for great pizza & beer and with 4 countries represented, Canada, England, Poland and Spain very interesting topics were covered and it’s moments like this that make travelling priceless!
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