The town of Puno, the lake of Titicaca

The trip to Lake Titicaca, one of the highest-elevation lakes in the world, was a weekend excursion organized by Proyecto Peru, my beloved Spanish language school. When I signed up, I wasn't aware that it entailed two all-night bus rides in the space of three nights. For me, unless I have an anesthesiologist along for the ride, I cannot sleep on a bus, or pretty much any moving vehicle.

I spelled anesthesiologist correctly on only my third try! Woo-hoo!

So this trip broke a cardinal rule for me: Never go on a trip where the bus/plane/car/boat ride is more than half as long as the time spent at the destination.

But I'm glad I went anyway. I got a chance to hang out with Jonas from Belgium, Takhmina from Canada, Ramon from Spain, AnnaKarla from Brazil, and Maija from Finland, all students and volunteers at Proyecto Peru.

And anyway, sleep is overrated. I've slept before, and I knew I would sleep again, so missing a night or two wasn't the worst thing. Missing three days of showers, however, that was tougher...

After a fabulous all-night bus ride, and a bleary-eyed hour or two at the Puno Bus Station, the trip ground to a halt at the home/office of our Puno travel guide, where we languished for another three hours, apparently waiting for the day to become pleasant enough for the upcoming boat ride.

Here some of the gang is leaning against a wall. That was a lot of fun.

Here is a picture hanging up in the office. Note the photo on the lower right of the "speed boat". No wonder things are taking a lot of time...









Finally out on the water (in a boat with an actual motor, we were whisked to the floating islands. These islands are man-made, of mud and bamboo-like plants. The islands are soft and squishy, appropriately soft for laying down anywhere.

We sat through an explanation of the islands and the way life is conducted there.

We also got a chance to wander the island and meet locals, and of course were urged to buy the local crafts...

We took a ride in the cat-boats, termed "mercedes" by the tour guide because they are so elaborate.

After the island of Uros, we got back on our boat and made for the island of homestay. Here we were paired up with a local family for the rest of the day and the night. After a lunch of home-grown veggies we hiked around the island, and in the evening, after a dinner of home-grown veggies, we donned the local costumery and danced the silly dances.

Bright and early the next morning, we were treated to even more home-grown veggies, but at least this time they were disguised in a kind of pancake wrap. I was thinking that you can't think ill of the locals for serving the same thing over and over - the closest grocery store is about four hours away by boat - then I found out that some of the other host families served fish - two different kinds - to their guests. I guess our host family wasn't the fishing kind...

We hiked and toured Taquila island that day, and then sat down to a luncheon.

At the lunch, our trusty tour guide explained some of the local customs, including the wearing of hats and pom-poms that signify amorous interest or disinterest...

And then a long boat ride back to the port city of Puno, a pizza-fueled five-hour wait for the bus, and a sleepless overnighter back to Cusco. Well, not everybody was sleepless...