The reason for coming to Puno was to visit the famous Lake Titicaca and the inhabited floating islands of Uros. The highest navitable lake in the world and it certainly didn’t disappoint in fact it outshine all my expectations.

It is an enormous lake with well over 100 floating islands that are made entirely from reeds. There is a strong community of nearly 2000 people. These islands are not big by any means probably 50 mtrs X 50 mtrs with the floor needing topped up every month to keep them afloat. Each island is home to multiple generations and they live off the sea eating ducks and fish as well as eating the reeds. They also weave beautiful tapestrys using Llama and Alpaca wool which they sell to tourists.

One of these boats will take us around the islands to experience the different culture of the people who live there

Because this is part of a national heritage??? There is a tax to pay

Everything is made from dried reeds

Collecting and drying the reeds to use in the isands

These ladies weave the tapestries which tell a story of their ancestors and life on the islands

Ladies of the island in national dress

Showing off their skilled artistic work

Fish they collect from the lake

They gather eggs and the ducks are dried in a kiln to preserve the meat and to provide them with food during lean times.

Cooking facilities and a house equiped with Solar panels

The reeds are harvested and dried for a variety of purposes

Simple dwellings

Waving off the tourists

A straw boat ride powered by a solo oarsman

An example of a small floating island. They arewellequip with motorboats for transport to Puno. They rear piglets on their islands and taketh to Puno to swap for a variety of food.

Entertained by the locals

I spent all but a few soles my money on one of their tapestries. I’d like to frame it and put it on the wall when I get back home to remind me of my trip to South America.

After spending g a few hours on the floating islands, we left to go visit Taquile islandand have some lunch. I met a Canadian lady who came sit with me on the boat. She and her husband had stayed overnight on one of the floating islands and were taking an extra trip to go and see the lifeste of Taquile island.

What a laugh we had. They had been to Glasgow and all the islands around Scotland so we had entyto talk about.

The boat dropped us off at the pier and we had a steep 2km trek up to the top to reach the main square which was made more difficult by the increased height in altitude – we were now at 3,900 mtrs.

The start of the long 2km hike which was made easier by the wonderful scenes that improved with height.

I saw this wonderful little lady who had just come back from feeding vegetables to her sheep in the little field below her house. She was so tiny and delicate yet robust.

The houses were simply built is mud and bricks

Their agriculture had been developed to perfection and although a tiny island they were very much self sufficient – they even grew 3,000 different types of potatoes. 😳

Another of those little houses

This one had a corregated door and window painted in a variety of pastel colours

In the main square, the streets were narrow and paved with flat cobbles

Having lunch. Delicious vegetable soup – I can’t go wrong with soup surely and an omelet, chips and rice and treated to a demonstration of their daily duties and family rituals on the island.

Typical male dress. That style of hat lets everyone know he’s married

Adding water to the chooco plant produced a natural soap and this was used to wash the Alpaca wool. After it had been dried, . it was ready to be spun.

The marriage dance

The loom on which the llama, alpaca threads were woven.

I fancied a beer and counted my change in my pocket. I had 7 soles and 55 cents and in my best Spanish I asked “cuanto cuesta por favour” but didn’t catch the answer. The husband of the wife I had already been aquainted with said “ten” and I was quite embarrassed. I declined to buy the beer but the lady asked if I didn’t have enough change. I told her I gave the older woman 5 soles for her photos and didn’t have enough money left. Her husband overheard and paid for my beer – good CARMA he said. How sweet and a delicious beer.

After lunch were headed back down to the pier, certainly easier going down, climbed aboard and headed to Puno but disaster struck, the engine failed and were left bobbing around in the middle of the lake for 2 hours.

I didn’t understand their logic nor reasoning behind their attempt to fix the boat.

First a boat from Puno came and they began stripping it to replace the broken parts on our boat. Then when that didn’t work, they replaced the parts back into the other boat and it towed us back to the island. It didn’t stop there, for some reason they decided it would be better to tow us back into the middle of the lake and leave us there waiting for another boat to come from Pumo. That took another hour and we vacated one boat and onto the other and continued our journey back to the shore 🤔

After a very short minibus ride I was back in the hotel with the problem of where to go for dinner.

I deliberated so long that I missed the slot to eat and I was left to starve for the rest of the night. 😱😱😱😱

Nite

😩