Lake Titicaca. The world´s highest lake. The world´s biggest high altitude lake. The lake containing the most sacred Incan site. The only lake containing man-made floating islands. I guess in these competitive times one can´t just rely on the fact that it is a really big, really beautiful lake, it has to be the best really big, really beautiful lake.
Back to the boat for the long trip to Taquile island, a beautiful spot where we lunched and were entertained by two very old blokes playing drums and Andean flutes and a lady dancing prettily with a handkerchief. On this island, men have to be able to knit a water tight hat in order to win a wife. Sure enough, all the men were knitting skilfully in their idle moments, further evidence (as if required) of the utility of sex (or the withholding of it) as a motivational tool. Apparently all the Taquile men used to have very long hair until this tradition was quashed by compulsory national service and the military`s conservative approach to hairstyles. Nowadays, once married a man cuts off all his wife`s hair and makes himself a long wig to wear on special occasions.
The walk across the island afforded brilliant views across the lake. Above the water the enormous skies were clear, and clouds gathered thickly over the edges of the lake as if getting together to build up courage to come storming across the sky to smother the perfect clear blue. Sometimes distant snow-capped mountains, probably in Bolivia, were visible. The boat ride back to Puno was long but still lovely due to the beautiful and peaceful ambience.
From Puno we proceeded into Bolivia. At the border Mel observed an Australian woman rather similar in appearance and sound to the ocker red headed older woman that inhabits Summer Bay and every other Australian soap opera town. She complimented a chap near to her in the queue on his jacket, before informing him that he had been foolish to buy it in Peru because "everything`s cheaper in Bolivia". She then sang (like a crow sings) "I`m gonna get a baaaaaaaarrrrgain" while doing a little dance, cigarette in hand. Astonishingly, the border guards allowed us through despite sharing this person`s nationality.
There had been some discussion of visiting La Isla del Sol, the sacred island mentioned above, before the long trip to Uros and Taquile the previous day infected us with boat fatigue. We almost skipped it but finally decided to spend a night on the island, rather than just take a day tour. Thank Pachamama we did. When I asked people what locales we should not miss in South America, they said Machu Picchu, Buenos Aires, etc etc. When I am asked the same question in future I will say La Isla del Sol. The island lay about two hours by boat from the town of Copacabana and we played Travel Scrabble on the way (bravo Lucy and Anthony), glancing up every now and then from trying to win the 50 point bonus for using all our letters to see again the deep blue of the water, the sun sparkling off it, and numerous islands scattered into the distance where the massive peaks of the Cordillera Real stood. Once docked we had to climb a steep stairway but with accommodation organised we walked to the crest of the island where we could see the 50 or 100kms of 6000m snowy peaks in Bolivia on one side before looking back in the other direction to Peru, where a massive storm lashed the water. We spent a lovely relaxing day strolling on the island and I can`t say that I have seen anything more beautiful and awe-inspiring and "Gosh I`m insignificant really"-comment-triggering on the trip so far. Later, an Australian scoffed when I said how much I loved the island. "There`s nothing to do there, everything`s closed after 9" he said. He was right in a way I guess.
The walk across the island afforded brilliant views across the lake. Above the water the enormous skies were clear, and clouds gathered thickly over the edges of the lake as if getting together to build up courage to come storming across the sky to smother the perfect clear blue. Sometimes distant snow-capped mountains, probably in Bolivia, were visible. The boat ride back to Puno was long but still lovely due to the beautiful and peaceful ambience.
From Puno we proceeded into Bolivia. At the border Mel observed an Australian woman rather similar in appearance and sound to the ocker red headed older woman that inhabits Summer Bay and every other Australian soap opera town. She complimented a chap near to her in the queue on his jacket, before informing him that he had been foolish to buy it in Peru because "everything`s cheaper in Bolivia". She then sang (like a crow sings) "I`m gonna get a baaaaaaaarrrrgain" while doing a little dance, cigarette in hand. Astonishingly, the border guards allowed us through despite sharing this person`s nationality.
There had been some discussion of visiting La Isla del Sol, the sacred island mentioned above, before the long trip to Uros and Taquile the previous day infected us with boat fatigue. We almost skipped it but finally decided to spend a night on the island, rather than just take a day tour. Thank Pachamama we did. When I asked people what locales we should not miss in South America, they said Machu Picchu, Buenos Aires, etc etc. When I am asked the same question in future I will say La Isla del Sol. The island lay about two hours by boat from the town of Copacabana and we played Travel Scrabble on the way (bravo Lucy and Anthony), glancing up every now and then from trying to win the 50 point bonus for using all our letters to see again the deep blue of the water, the sun sparkling off it, and numerous islands scattered into the distance where the massive peaks of the Cordillera Real stood. Once docked we had to climb a steep stairway but with accommodation organised we walked to the crest of the island where we could see the 50 or 100kms of 6000m snowy peaks in Bolivia on one side before looking back in the other direction to Peru, where a massive storm lashed the water. We spent a lovely relaxing day strolling on the island and I can`t say that I have seen anything more beautiful and awe-inspiring and "Gosh I`m insignificant really"-comment-triggering on the trip so far. Later, an Australian scoffed when I said how much I loved the island. "There`s nothing to do there, everything`s closed after 9" he said. He was right in a way I guess.
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