Adventures in Peru: Part 1

Lake Titicaca, Puno & Sillustani 

My dad came to visit Sean and I for two weeks at the end of June. So, we set off on a week long adventure through Peru. This was the first time that Sean and I had travelled in the country we live in and we were pretty excited to get to know other regions of Peru besides Lima. 

On Friday morning we headed to the Jorge Chavez airport and boarded a short flight to Juliaca- the closest airport to Puno, the town that lies on the shores of Lake Titicaca. We spent three days in Puno before we continued on our journey to Cusco and Aguas Calientes (more to come on that in Part 2). Puno and Lake Titicaca are in the southeastern region of Peru and they sit at about 12,500 ft, making Lake Titicaca the highest navigable lake in the world. Also, this is the highest elevation Sean, my dad, and myself had ever been to so we all were taking altitude sickness meds which definitely helped acclimatize us to the elevation, but on our first day there we were all feeling pretty short of breath and head ache-y.

Military formation outside the entrance to our hotel in preparation for the Bolivan & Peruvian presidents joint meeting 

Creme brûlée for desert because we're on vacation!

The hour long taxi ride from Juliaca to Puno gave us the opportunity to see some of the country side. And lots of alpacas (or llamas, I can never tell the difference). I've found that  the majority of taxi drivers in Peru (and in South America in general) love to play tour guide once they determine that you're American. So, for me it's a great way to practice my Spanish and I can also learn a little bit more about the country that I'm calling my home for a year. Our driver told us about a pre-Incan burial site called Sillustani that is about halfway between Puno and Juliaca. He offered to take us there, but we decided to go back to it later during the weekend if we had free time. 

First glimpse of Lake Titicaca from the hotel room

We arrived at the Hotel Liberator which is situation on a small peninsula that juts out into Lake Titicaca, offering amazing views of the lake and the sunrise. As the car was pulling up to the entrance we noticed tons of groups of military and police all standing around. The concierge told us that apparent in three days the Peruvian and Bolivian presidents were holding a large meeting here. So, over the course of the weekend the place filled up with tons of reporters and even more government officials. Pretty interesting stuff. 

Side view of the cathedral at the plaza des armas in Puno

After checking into our rooms, we hailed a taxi to bring us back into Puno. Puno is a quiet and small town, with not a lot for tourists to do- the big draw is obviously Lake Titicaca and the Uros floating islands. The Plaza des armas is really all that Puno has to offer. Surrounding is a small cathedral, the Carlos Dreyer historical museum, some restaurants, and local artisanal craft shops. We also booked a day trip tour of the Uros floating islands and Taquile Island with All Ways Travel company. After we walked through the cathedral, went to the Carlos Dryer history museum, and then had dinner in one of the Trip Advisor recommended restaurants called Mosja (which I'm still trying to figure out how to pronounce). At Mosja is where I had my first bowl of Andean quinoa soup. Probably the most comforting and delicious soup I've had yet. And really good pizza, for the middle of nowhere Peru.

The only photo I took in the Carlos Dreyer Museum 

On Saturday we got up bright and early to head down to the harbor for the 7 am departure to voyage on Lake Titicaca. The boat took off at 7:30 and within half an hour we arrived at one of the many raft/islands that make up the Uros Floating Island Community. Our tour guide and the family that live on this particular island showed us around the small raft they call home. They also demonstrated how the make their rafts, houses, and boats out of the reeds that grow in the lake. The women were dressed in gorgeous bright colored skirts and shirts and they adorn the ends of their long brains with brightly colored pompoms (if they are unmarried) or black pompoms (if they are married.) The men tend to wear plain pants and shirts- our tour guide told us this is because they believe that women are 'the roses of the community and the men are the cactus.' After we learned a bit about living life on a floating island we got to take a peaceful boat ride in one of their large rafts that also served as a tour of the other raft/islands in the area. 

First glimpse of Uros from the boat

Ladies in traditional clothing

Two children happily hammering away on a reed canoe

Soon we boarded our original boat and sped off over the open lake towards Taquile Island. Taquile Island is a small community of native Quechua speakers who are also renowned for their textile arts. The men excellent knitters; and are taught starting at age eight, while the women exclusively weave and make yarn. Taquile Island is also a pretty cool place because as a community they've been able to control the influx of tourism to the island in their own terms so that the island is not completely overrun by foreign visitors. Our guide took us on a walking tour from the port up to the town center at the highest point of the island and we enjoyed a wonderful lunch of grilled trout and quinoa soup. We were also lucky enough to be able to see some traditional dances in the plaza des armas. Afterwards we hiked back down the other side of the island to where our boat was waiting to take us back to Puno. 

Always making friends with the animals anywhere I go

Touring around the floating islands in reed canoes

Views of the other floating islands from the back of the reed canoe

Traditional dancers in the main square on Taquile Island

View of the terraced farmland and houses from the town square

Looking out across Lake Titicaca towards Bolivia

Gate marking the boundaries between villages

Just a couple a punks 

The next day we took a walk around the small peninsula our hotel is located on. We stumbled upon a herd of llamas/alpacas that the hotel keeps on the island (for weed control??) Cue many photos of Sean, my father and myself posing in front of them. This whole trip I seriously couldn't get enough of the llamas. 

Following the llama/alpaca herd along the edge of the marsh

SO CUTE! 

I think one thing that I really enjoyed during this trip (besides the absolutely breath taking scenery) is how quiet it is. In Lima there is the ever present din of city life & traffic, even at 3 am! It was really refreshing to be able to walk outside and breath fresh air and not get hearing damage from a thousand cars all honking at the same time. 

After lunch we hired a driver to take us to Sillustani- a small village halfway between Puno and Juliaca. Sillustani is the site of pre-Incan tombs. The tombs are above ground structures called chullpas. The site is located up on a bluff over looking a smaller Lake Umayo. Each structure housed the remains of different family groups since ancestor worship was a very important part of the pre-Incan Aymara culture. Only a few complete tombs still stand since many were destroyed by grave robbers and many were unfinished. 

Partially intact chullpa

Chullpas over-looking Lake Umayo

Above Lake Umayo 

MORE LLAMAS (I had to pay for this photo- so I took like 20)

While hiking around the funerary towers we came across yet more llamas!! And as I snapped a photo a small boy bolted across the field and demanded some soles for the photo. I obliged, but for the rest of my trip I made sure I didn't take photos of any more Peruvians standing with their llamas. 

Snuck this photo too- she also definitely didn't want me to take any. 

We hiked back down to our driver and headed back to the hotel to enjoy some dinner and drinks by the fire in the hotel lounge. 

Enjoying some late night drinks by the fire

The next morning we headed off on the next part of our trip to Cusco!