Monday 23 March 2015

Lake Titicaca - Uros isla

Going to Lake Titicaca was an incredible experience. First you meet with guides in Cusco who accompany us to the bus terminal to catch the overnight bus to Puno at 10pm. The bus was surprisingly comfortable with retractable seats and it was heated. We arrived at 6am in the morning although the lights had been turned on since 5am. I was travelling with Diane, Canadian, from my house and Jordan, Belgian, both connected to Volunteering Peru and Linda, Danish, connected through the Spanish school.
When we arrived it was absolutely bucketing down. A woman met us and told us to get in this taxi and then disappeared. We drove through Puno not having any idea where we were and ended up at a hostal. It was very cold and very wet. There we had breakfast and the opportunity for a bit of a spruce up. At 8am a mini van arrived and we headed to the port and clambered across boats to ours. More rain and more people arrived to join us.
Not looking too auspicious. Because of the poor visibility we got caught in the reeds and had to be poled off. The driver could not navigate from inside the cabin so did from the back.

        We arrived at one of the Uros Islands. They are floating islands made out of reeds.
                                                          They feel spongey.
                                    This is a model of how they construct the island. i
                                          This is what it looks like from the water.
The people who live here keep repairing their ever sinking islands. When you walk on them they squish.
They use these boats to fish and get around - remind you of Thor Heyerdahl anyone!!!!
                                                               How it is constructed
                                            We  went for a sail. The lake is so beautiful.

                     Its a gondolier - at least he uses a pole like one to navigate. 
                                             It IS a solar panel. What a blow out!!
                                                        Plus cute little girl
     About 30 people are said to live on the island. They fish and make craft items for sale.
                             Inside one of the houses - the green bit is a double bed.
                                           A definitely different lifestyle People

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