Lake Titicaca

After a few restful days in Cusco following our Machu Picchu trek we once again hit the road towards eastern Peru, and the town of Puno. Since being in Peru we have heard non-stop talk about strikes, blockades and protests that are happening all around the country, but for the first time we experienced them first hand. Due to the blockades we were stuck in Puno for three days, and unexpectedly got mixed up in the middle of a miners' protest in the main square. It was actually a little scary, and we decided to escape the town and visit the nearby islands of Lake Titicaca for a few days.

Our first stop was on Uros, more commonly known as Islas Flotantes or the Floating Islands. The islands are completely made of reeds from Lake Titicaca, and we spent a freezing, freezing night under 8 blankets (it was still freezing) in a little hut. It was a fun experience though, particularly when one of the island's residents took us out fishing in the evening and early morning. I loved how simply the residents of the islands live, and their stress free way of life.

The following morning we latched onto a tour group (I think we got scammed with our boat ticket, and it was the only boat we could catch), and made the 3 hour journey to Isla Amantani. On Amantani we got shuffled in to a homestay with a lovely local couple, Gregorio and his wife. Gregorio's wife was an amazing cook, and we filled ourselves up with soup and potatoes while they taught us a few words in Quechua. In the evening the locals of Amantani held a "fiesta" for the tourists, and they dressed us up in their clothes and danced around an old hall with us. It was actually kind of fun, but we did feel a bit silly.

After the night on Isla Amantani we stuck with the tour group and headed towards Isla Taquile. Taquile is a stunning island, with the main town perched high up from the lake (500 steps up to be exact!). We only stayed for a few hours on Taquile, and then headed back for a shower and comfortable bed in Puno.

We had a lot of fun on Lago Titicaca, and would recommend anyone to make a visit to the islands. It was particularly great being able to stay the night in the homestays, as the atmosphere completely changes when the last tour boat leaves. Go if you can!