Lake Titicaca!

I was picked up from my hostel at 8am 25th November and taken to the port to board a boat with other tourists, the majority of which were Australian and a few French and a couple from London. Quite a few older travellers too. We set off on Lake Titicaca to Uros Island, an artificial floating island made out of mud and reeds which they built in the year 1450 to get away from something that i cant remember what now. We stopped there and were given a demonstration about how they built the island and introduced to some women who supposedly lived there.

We then left for Amantani Island and arrived about 3 hours later. We got off the boat and were assigned to our Mamas - I was staying with Rina, a lovely little smiley Peruvian woman and two other australian girls stayed also. Whilst we were waiting I caught the eye of a little baby on the back of one of the mamas, she was so cute with her little Peruvian hat on and would not stop chuckling at me, don't know what was so funny!

I stupidly took my backpack with me as I decided to change hostels. My bed in the previous hostel was awful, a top bunk without a ladder that felt like it was going to collapse at any second and I couldnt sit up without banging my head on the ceiling, the mattress was hideous, worst night's sleep so far. So I had to take my backpack with me to take to the next hostel the following day. I had to carry it up the steep slope for nearly 1km to Rina's house and i literally thought I would collapse right there and then! I also had my day bag, my handbag and 3kilos of rice and some oil for the family, which one of the aussie girls helped me with after a while, thank god! We arrived at Rina's house, a nice little house with a little plot of land for growing veggies on. It was all built out of a red ceramic brick type material and there was no electricity and the toilet was outside in the garden but I felt very at home. She has an 8 year old girl who was quiet but curious of us tourists. Rina made us lunch of Quinoa soup and trout with rice and veg, it was delicious!!! We then met back up with the group and trekked up a huge hill to Pacha Mama - a sacred monument, which was really just a big stone square wall with nothing inside of it. But we watched the sunset which was stunning and the views of the lake and snow capped mountains in the distance were amazing. We then walked back down to meet our mamas and go back for dinner, but Rina wasnt there, so we set off to find her house before it got dark. We met her all in a fluster hurrying back up the hill to meet us, she was so funny, I think she was a bit forgetful and kept chuckling all the time. We had a nice dinner of semolina soup and rice and veg and left to go to the village hall for a little Fiesta. We got dressed up in the local dress and danced to the local music which was two bands taking it in turns to play songs using a drum, a yukele, a guitar and proper peruvian pan pipes and we danced like crazy people! All holding hands an in circles, then we danced outside around a fire like a tribe, it was hilarious. We were so exhausted after that that we went straight back to Rina's and to bed by 9:30pm. I had a lovely big room all to myself with two beds in it, a single and a double, I chose the double. The stars were absolutely awe inspiring on the island, I guess because it is such high altitude and there is no light pollution or electricity, I could see so so so many stars.

I awoke early at 4:30am when the sun started rising and snoozed until about 6. Got up and had breakfast of a pancake, jam and bread and tea. We then walked down to the port, alot easier than walking up with my bag! And said goodbye to our mamas :( We spent the day going to Taquile island and walked up more steep steps (i left my bag on the baot this time) and got a demonstration of how they do their weaving there, interesting (not really). Then had lunch, I chose omelette rice and veg over more trout rice and veg and then we headed back to Puno.

I checked into Inka's Rest hostel with a one of the many aussie 'chicks' who were on the boat and it is so much nicer, we get free herbal tea, and a top bunk with a ladder!!! Me and the girl from Aus went out for dinner locally and had soup, beef and rice and veg and tea all for 2 pesos (50p). It was good.

Tomorrow I leave for Cusco!