Thanks to Jacob's research, we decided to make the most of our time in Southern Peru by taking a week or so to get to Bolivia, Chile and back. The first stop on this amazing loop was Puno. We found a cheap bus with Flores which ended up being a 6 hour trip with no bathroom. We held it, we made it. Puno is cold due to the altitude, which is an impressive 3,830 m (12,556 ft). Puno is famously the southern gateway to Bolivia (where goods are cheaper), and the Peruvian city with shoreline on the massive Lake Titicaca.
Lake Titicaca is massive. It's the largest in South America. The lake is shared between Peru and Bolivia, with plenty of deep blue water to go around. It's incredible that a lake so large and so deep can exist at that altitude. We were told that the reflection of the sun on the water helps keep temperatures on the lake and islands higher than on the mainland. Lucky for us it was a sunny day for our day tour of the lake. Our first stop was the Floating Islands, a short ride from the shore of Puno. These islands are exactly what it sounds like, man-made with reeds, and floating. On the island, they demonstrated how they weave dried reeds to create boats, homes, archways, and the islands themselves. Pretty incredible.
After snapping sufficient pictures, stopping at a couple different islands, and getting a ride in a row-boat reed style, we boarded our tour boat once again and headed on a 45 minute ride to Taquile Island.
 |
| As Puno fades away to blue |
Taquile Island is 45 Km off the shore of Puno. The distance from civilization, the blues of the water and the sky as well as the endless green of the island, all combine to make you want to stop and stare in peaceful thought. As Taquile was a part of the Incan Empire, I imagine the views haven't changed for many centuries.
 |
| Taquile Island |
 |
| Viva El Peru! |
No comments:
Post a Comment