Karen and Julie Just Back from Adventures in Peru
Oct 15th, 2007, 10:11 AM
#21
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One more question. Do you think it would be enough time if we took the early train to MP and then took the last train back to Ollantaytambo? I was thinking we wouldn't have to carry any bags at all. Do you know when the last train leaves for O? Thanks
Oct 15th, 2007, 02:18 PM
#22
Sorry to say I didn't get an email address from Sonia. Wish I had. We arrived around 9:30 and she was just waiting around the entrance. I think there were 2 or 3 other guides as well. She approached us asking if we wanted a guide. At first we said no, but then we hesitated and started walking away - talked about it for a few minutes - and she came over again. I think she knew we were thinking about it. So no guarantee, but I'd say if you get there reasonably early, chances are good you'll find a guide.
I'm sure you'd get varying answers to your question about whether a day at MP is enough, i.e., arrive on the first train and go home at the end of the day. For me, the answer was yes. We totally loved our visit and spent a little over 3 hours with Sonia. But at that point, we felt like we'd seen most of it - at least gotten a good overview. Yes, I'm sure we'd have enjoyed more time, but for one thing, it was HOT! The sun was beating down on us, and we were tired. So after those 3 hours, we were ready for lunch - and then we just didn't feel any desire to go back in. We were ready to head down the mountain. I wouldn't have minded if our train had left that afternoon to go back to Ollantaytambo - but we did enjoy our evening in Agua Caliente (and I'll fill you in on what we did after our MP visit in my next installment!). I believe the last train back to Ollantaytambo departs MP at 1645. The first and last train require a 10-day advance reservation, so you'd definitely want to do that if you're planning just a one-day visit. I think the Ollantaytambo option (esp if you can stay overnight there) is MUCH better than coming from Cusco since the train ride is less than an hour and a half each way compared to about 4 hours!
I'm sure you'd get varying answers to your question about whether a day at MP is enough, i.e., arrive on the first train and go home at the end of the day. For me, the answer was yes. We totally loved our visit and spent a little over 3 hours with Sonia. But at that point, we felt like we'd seen most of it - at least gotten a good overview. Yes, I'm sure we'd have enjoyed more time, but for one thing, it was HOT! The sun was beating down on us, and we were tired. So after those 3 hours, we were ready for lunch - and then we just didn't feel any desire to go back in. We were ready to head down the mountain. I wouldn't have minded if our train had left that afternoon to go back to Ollantaytambo - but we did enjoy our evening in Agua Caliente (and I'll fill you in on what we did after our MP visit in my next installment!). I believe the last train back to Ollantaytambo departs MP at 1645. The first and last train require a 10-day advance reservation, so you'd definitely want to do that if you're planning just a one-day visit. I think the Ollantaytambo option (esp if you can stay overnight there) is MUCH better than coming from Cusco since the train ride is less than an hour and a half each way compared to about 4 hours!
Oct 15th, 2007, 04:31 PM
#23
MACHU PICCHU DAY CONTINUED
After touring the ruins with Sonia (and taking tons of pictures), Julie and I had pretty much had our fill. We used plenty of sunscreen but didn't have hats, and we were both feeling a strong need to get out of the sun. (We're both light and burn easily.)
For lunch at MP, there are two options (well, three if you bring your own): the expensive buffet that's part of the Sanctuary Lodge (I think Sonia told us the buffet was $26 per person or something like that) or a small snack bar with picnic tables outside (but with umbrellas so you could get out of the sun). We chose the latter and had sandwiches, chips, and drink, for about $10-$12 total.
On the way back down the mountain, we decided to stop at the Museo de Sitio Manuel Chavez Ballon. According to the Lonely Planet guidebook, if you ask the bus driver, he'll let you off and then you have a half hour walk back to town. So we did, and he did. The museum was out of the way but an interesting stop. There were only two other people there during our visit. The museum contained quite a bit of Inca pottery and utensils, but what I found most interesting were the pictures taken during Hiram Bingham's excavations showing what the ruins looked like when they were still largely covered with jungle. We spent a half hour or so there, then headed back to town. And we had a great time on the walk! We were on our own (a bus would pass by every 10 minutes or so!), walking along a jungle road in Peru - mother and daughter. It was awesome. We laughed and took lots of pictures and crossed a footbridge, which shook as we were out in the middle. Yikes! It was a great afternoon. Guess we were still on a high after Machu Picchu. (Although Lonely Planet says the museum is free if you have a MP ticket, that was not the case - we were charged anyway.)
That evening, after showers and a brief rest in our room, we did a bit of souvenir shopping at the market next to the train station, then had an excellent dinner at Inka Wasi - great atmosphere, great food. I had a vegetable omelette, and Julie had some sort of Hawaiian chicken dish. And we tried our first Pisco sours - yum! That pretty much did us in for the day, and we went to bed for a good night's sleep. We were pretty happy with our hotel - clean room, comfortable beds, decent shower, good location.
Next morning we got up, had breakfast (granola and bananas in addition to the usual rolls), and headed back to the train station for our 8:35 departure back to Ollantaytambo.
More later!
After touring the ruins with Sonia (and taking tons of pictures), Julie and I had pretty much had our fill. We used plenty of sunscreen but didn't have hats, and we were both feeling a strong need to get out of the sun. (We're both light and burn easily.)
For lunch at MP, there are two options (well, three if you bring your own): the expensive buffet that's part of the Sanctuary Lodge (I think Sonia told us the buffet was $26 per person or something like that) or a small snack bar with picnic tables outside (but with umbrellas so you could get out of the sun). We chose the latter and had sandwiches, chips, and drink, for about $10-$12 total.
On the way back down the mountain, we decided to stop at the Museo de Sitio Manuel Chavez Ballon. According to the Lonely Planet guidebook, if you ask the bus driver, he'll let you off and then you have a half hour walk back to town. So we did, and he did. The museum was out of the way but an interesting stop. There were only two other people there during our visit. The museum contained quite a bit of Inca pottery and utensils, but what I found most interesting were the pictures taken during Hiram Bingham's excavations showing what the ruins looked like when they were still largely covered with jungle. We spent a half hour or so there, then headed back to town. And we had a great time on the walk! We were on our own (a bus would pass by every 10 minutes or so!), walking along a jungle road in Peru - mother and daughter. It was awesome. We laughed and took lots of pictures and crossed a footbridge, which shook as we were out in the middle. Yikes! It was a great afternoon. Guess we were still on a high after Machu Picchu. (Although Lonely Planet says the museum is free if you have a MP ticket, that was not the case - we were charged anyway.)
That evening, after showers and a brief rest in our room, we did a bit of souvenir shopping at the market next to the train station, then had an excellent dinner at Inka Wasi - great atmosphere, great food. I had a vegetable omelette, and Julie had some sort of Hawaiian chicken dish. And we tried our first Pisco sours - yum! That pretty much did us in for the day, and we went to bed for a good night's sleep. We were pretty happy with our hotel - clean room, comfortable beds, decent shower, good location.
Next morning we got up, had breakfast (granola and bananas in addition to the usual rolls), and headed back to the train station for our 8:35 departure back to Ollantaytambo.
More later!
Oct 16th, 2007, 02:59 PM
#25
The museum is a little ways off the road at the bottom of the mountain, just before the bridge. So in fact you ride the bus most of the way back to town and get off at the bottom. The driver knows where. We were the only ones who got off, though. And then, yes, the walk the rest of the way back to town was a hour or so. It was really fun, and the museum worthwhile.
Oct 16th, 2007, 04:41 PM
#26
BACK TO SACRED VALLEY / CUSCO
The train ride back to Ollantaytambo flew by. They had a fashion show, of all things, on the train of various alpaca sweaters. They were pricey but beautiful, and I ended up buying one.
Percy was there waiting for us at the station. Since we hadn't managed to fit in the Ollantaytambo ruins on our Sacred Valley tour, we did it before heading back to Cusco. I found it fascinating! The ruins consist of massive terraces going straight up from town - with many, many stairs. It was tough on Julie (she wished she hadn't gone up) because she has a phobia about long sets of stairs - gets a feeling of vertigo and is afraid she'll fall forward and fall all the way down. So it was hard for her. It was beautiful, though, and I thought well worth it. As usual, Percy gave a good overview of what we were seeing. Next time I'd like to see the Pisac ruins also to be able to compare (there's never time for everything!).
Afterwards, we headed to Cusco, arriving mid-afternoon. Percy took us to our hotel (Amaru Hostal), and we were on our own the rest of the day. We didn't do much in the way of sightseeing. Strolled around town, did a little shopping, ate out, and had a nice, relaxing day.
More about Cusco tomorrow.
The train ride back to Ollantaytambo flew by. They had a fashion show, of all things, on the train of various alpaca sweaters. They were pricey but beautiful, and I ended up buying one.
Percy was there waiting for us at the station. Since we hadn't managed to fit in the Ollantaytambo ruins on our Sacred Valley tour, we did it before heading back to Cusco. I found it fascinating! The ruins consist of massive terraces going straight up from town - with many, many stairs. It was tough on Julie (she wished she hadn't gone up) because she has a phobia about long sets of stairs - gets a feeling of vertigo and is afraid she'll fall forward and fall all the way down. So it was hard for her. It was beautiful, though, and I thought well worth it. As usual, Percy gave a good overview of what we were seeing. Next time I'd like to see the Pisac ruins also to be able to compare (there's never time for everything!).
Afterwards, we headed to Cusco, arriving mid-afternoon. Percy took us to our hotel (Amaru Hostal), and we were on our own the rest of the day. We didn't do much in the way of sightseeing. Strolled around town, did a little shopping, ate out, and had a nice, relaxing day.
More about Cusco tomorrow.
Oct 16th, 2007, 04:44 PM
#27
Actually, now that I think about it, we did the Inca Museum that afternoon. I wouldn't say it was a must-see (had similar stuff to the one at Machu Picchu), but it was worth a look. It did have some mummies, though, and they were pretty cool.
I'll continue tomorrow.
I'll continue tomorrow.
Oct 24th, 2007, 10:10 AM
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Let me try this again (I thought I just posted this, but it didn't appear - if it does, sorry for the double-posting).
I'm back finally! This is Karen (althom1122). I lost my password and have been trying for several days to get a new one (without success). Apparently, there's a bug. Finally, I gave up and just created a new account.
I'll resume my report later today, but in the meantime, wanted to let you know I've posted my photos. Here's the link:
http://kbutler1122.zenfolio.com/
I'm back finally! This is Karen (althom1122). I lost my password and have been trying for several days to get a new one (without success). Apparently, there's a bug. Finally, I gave up and just created a new account.
I'll resume my report later today, but in the meantime, wanted to let you know I've posted my photos. Here's the link:
http://kbutler1122.zenfolio.com/
Oct 24th, 2007, 03:47 PM
#33
CUSCO
The next morning, our only full day in Cusco, Percy picked me up for a city tour. Julie decided to sleep in and spend some time on her own (24/7 even for a mother and daughter who have a good relationship gets to be a bit much after awhile - occasional breaks do us good!).
Percy and I first visited a number of sites out of town, starting with Sacsyhuaman. I loved the stonework there. Engineering perfection. I thought it was well worth a stop. Then we visited a few other places, and I must confess, I don't remember what they were all called!
Around mid-morning, we stopped at the Alpaca Factory - although I'd use the term "factory" loosely. When we pulled up, I didn't realize what it was. The building was right along the street on the outskirts of Cusco, and there were llamas and alpacas right out front by the door. I got a few good pictures and got to plunge my hand into the wool of an alpaca - ah - so soft. Inside, a woman gave me the spiel on the difference between synthetics, sheep wool, alpaca, and baby alpaca. It was interesting. Then, of course, I checked out the sweater - they were stacked in cubbies lining the walls from floor to higher than I could reach. I ended up buying a couple - wish I'd bought more. Although they were a bit expensive, considering the quality, I think they were a decent deal.
Afterwards, we headed back to town for a tour of Qoriancha - well worth it. This site is not included in the tourist ticket, but it's worth the extra charge. It started as an Inca temple - and the typical stonework can be seen. But when the Spanish showed up, they turned it into a convent. It's a fascinating mixture of architecture, art, etc.
By this time, it was around noon, so Percy dropped me off at the hotel. That afternoon Julie and I used the tourist ticket and visited several museums. We especially enjoyed the Monasterio de Santa Catalina - worth seeing for the building (inside) alone. We also checked out the cathedral, which required a separate entrance ticket. I climbed the stairs to the tower for the view of the city - definitely worth doing. It's not that many stairs.
That evening we went to the folk dance that was included in the tourist ticket and it was, well, touristy. We enjoyed it, but left early (after the first couple of dances, they all started looking alike). We took a taxi from the main square (and also back). Although you could walk, it was a good ways.
Other than that, we just did some shopping and strolling. We were ready for the next part of our adventure - the trip to Lake Titicaca... tomorrow!
The next morning, our only full day in Cusco, Percy picked me up for a city tour. Julie decided to sleep in and spend some time on her own (24/7 even for a mother and daughter who have a good relationship gets to be a bit much after awhile - occasional breaks do us good!).
Percy and I first visited a number of sites out of town, starting with Sacsyhuaman. I loved the stonework there. Engineering perfection. I thought it was well worth a stop. Then we visited a few other places, and I must confess, I don't remember what they were all called!
Around mid-morning, we stopped at the Alpaca Factory - although I'd use the term "factory" loosely. When we pulled up, I didn't realize what it was. The building was right along the street on the outskirts of Cusco, and there were llamas and alpacas right out front by the door. I got a few good pictures and got to plunge my hand into the wool of an alpaca - ah - so soft. Inside, a woman gave me the spiel on the difference between synthetics, sheep wool, alpaca, and baby alpaca. It was interesting. Then, of course, I checked out the sweater - they were stacked in cubbies lining the walls from floor to higher than I could reach. I ended up buying a couple - wish I'd bought more. Although they were a bit expensive, considering the quality, I think they were a decent deal.
Afterwards, we headed back to town for a tour of Qoriancha - well worth it. This site is not included in the tourist ticket, but it's worth the extra charge. It started as an Inca temple - and the typical stonework can be seen. But when the Spanish showed up, they turned it into a convent. It's a fascinating mixture of architecture, art, etc.
By this time, it was around noon, so Percy dropped me off at the hotel. That afternoon Julie and I used the tourist ticket and visited several museums. We especially enjoyed the Monasterio de Santa Catalina - worth seeing for the building (inside) alone. We also checked out the cathedral, which required a separate entrance ticket. I climbed the stairs to the tower for the view of the city - definitely worth doing. It's not that many stairs.
That evening we went to the folk dance that was included in the tourist ticket and it was, well, touristy. We enjoyed it, but left early (after the first couple of dances, they all started looking alike). We took a taxi from the main square (and also back). Although you could walk, it was a good ways.
Other than that, we just did some shopping and strolling. We were ready for the next part of our adventure - the trip to Lake Titicaca... tomorrow!
Oct 24th, 2007, 04:03 PM
#34
One thing I forgot to mention - Julie had been looking for an alpaca throw, but hadn't found what she wanted. So she decided to make her own (she knits and crochets - I have no idea where that skill came from - certainly not her mom!). We found several yarn shops in Cusco, and she came home with quite a bit of alpaca yarn. I can't wait to see how her blanket turns out! She'll have plenty left over to make a scarf or two - or three - maybe a gift - maybe for mom... 
Oct 25th, 2007, 03:23 AM
#35
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Karen -- your pics are fantastic.
May I ask -- what is the price range for the alpaca sweaters? I'm researching what prices are like for baby alpaca and even vicuna sweaters and blankets or other items.
Thank you.
May I ask -- what is the price range for the alpaca sweaters? I'm researching what prices are like for baby alpaca and even vicuna sweaters and blankets or other items.
Thank you.
Oct 25th, 2007, 09:25 AM
#36
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Karen,
Have really been enjoying your trip report. And your wonderful pictures! I especially liked the ones in the market in the Sacred Valley. Did you pay each person that you took a picture of? What about if you took a picture of what they were selling? (I'm asking because I know that I'll want to be taking similar pictures when we're there--and I just want to make sure we do the right thing!).
Have really been enjoying your trip report. And your wonderful pictures! I especially liked the ones in the market in the Sacred Valley. Did you pay each person that you took a picture of? What about if you took a picture of what they were selling? (I'm asking because I know that I'll want to be taking similar pictures when we're there--and I just want to make sure we do the right thing!).
Oct 25th, 2007, 03:33 PM
#37
bkk - regarding the sweaters (actually, I bought 3 - one on the train back from Machu Picchu and two at the Alpaca Factory)... the two from the factory were, I think, $75 and $85 or something like that. They have multiple colors. Both are cardigans - one buttons and one zips. (Maybe I'll take pics and post them with my photos online!) The one from the train was - ouch - $148. I saw the same sweater at one of the nice alpaca shops (Alpaca III or one of those?) in Cusco for the same price. It's heavier than the two from the factory - a pull-over. Extremely stylish. I saw sweaters in the street markets for less than $20, but it's obvious they weren't 100 percent alpaca. I think if you want the really good stuff, it's going to be fairly expensive. But the cheaper ones (and I wish I'd bought a couple!) make nice souvenirs and would be great for casual wear. All three of mine are somewhat dressy (one's a gift for my sister - shhh) and will be great with dress slacks or a skirt for work.
caligirl - I did pay most of the people i took pictures of. Usually 1 sole. For the market shots, I'd ask before taking the picture and would give them money if it was just a picture of, say, one person - although not always. In some cases, it was clear they weren't looking for money. In other cases, they were. For shots that included a lot of people, no, I didn't give anyone anything. I kind of did what "felt right" at the moment. In some cases, I was quite a distance away and used a telephoto. In that situation, I didn't give them any money. And lastly, if we bought something from someone I'd ask to take a picture, but didn't tip them since I figured I'd already given them business. I guess bottom-line - it depended on the situation.
Glad you're enjoying my pics/report! I'll keep adding to it until you've got the whole story.
caligirl - I did pay most of the people i took pictures of. Usually 1 sole. For the market shots, I'd ask before taking the picture and would give them money if it was just a picture of, say, one person - although not always. In some cases, it was clear they weren't looking for money. In other cases, they were. For shots that included a lot of people, no, I didn't give anyone anything. I kind of did what "felt right" at the moment. In some cases, I was quite a distance away and used a telephoto. In that situation, I didn't give them any money. And lastly, if we bought something from someone I'd ask to take a picture, but didn't tip them since I figured I'd already given them business. I guess bottom-line - it depended on the situation.
Glad you're enjoying my pics/report! I'll keep adding to it until you've got the whole story.
Oct 25th, 2007, 04:34 PM
#38
Also, by the way, my daughter brought along quite a few small bottles of bubbles, which she'd give to kids (see my photos, esp the homestay album). In that situation, I'd take pics without giving any money - the bubbles were a gift so no money was expected. One one of the islands, I saw a couple tourists ask kids to pose for pictures and then they gave them candy. I'd read not to give out candy so we didn't do that, but some other token for kids (pens, pencils, something like that) would, I'm sure, be welcome. I must admit I had mixed feelings about it - the dynamic that has been set up between tourists/locals - that we tourists want pictures and the locals, who are obviously much poorer, want money for the photos. It felt uncomfortable to me. Is it exploitation? Is it zoo-like? The ethical dilemmas of traveling... (and I hope this doesn't sidetrack my trip report!)
Interestingly, I traveled to Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia last year and did not find the same expectation to be paid to take someone's picture.
Interestingly, I traveled to Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia last year and did not find the same expectation to be paid to take someone's picture.
Oct 25th, 2007, 06:09 PM
#39
BUS TO PUNO
The next morning Percy picked us up bright and early to get us to the bus station for our 7:30 departure. We went via Inka Express and were extremely happy with them. There were two buses (large tourist buses with a bathroom on each) traveling together. We were on the second one and it was only slightly more than half full, so there was plenty of room to stretch out. We had a tour guide who provided occasional commentary on the bus and more detailed information at each of the sites we stopped at along the way.
The scenery was breathtaking - fields of crops with mountains as a backdrop, which gave way to grassy plains and craggy peaks as we continued east (and climbed higher). Every curve in the road prompted me to take yet another picture. I was mesmerized by the scenery - not bored at all on the trip. Do check out my bus trip photos if you get a chance.
We had 5 stops, as I recall - a church, some Inca ruins, lunch (buffet-style and included in the cost of the bus ticket), a museum with some ancient artifacts from the local area (and another church), and the highest spot enroute (where there were some local vendors selling gloves and other typical wares).
Then we passed through Juliaca (a rather dreary-looking town from the bus route) and on to Puno. Our hotel had arranged a free transfer, and the driver was waiting for us at the bus station - we arrived around 5:00, right on time.
It was obvious that Puno was higher in altitude. Both Julie and I felt our heads spinning when we lay down to rest for a few minutes before going to dinner! We took some Ibuprofen and felt fine the next day - but we both agreed there just wasn't air there!
Our hotel, as I mentioned earlier, was Posada don Georgia - cheap, clean, great location, average breakfast (bread, ham, cheese). No one spoke much English, but they were very nice (and Internet was reasonable - I think 2 soles an hour).
Both Julie and I loved our bus day and would highly recommend it as a great way to get from Cusco to Puno - if you fly, you miss some spectacular scenery.
We asked the hotel to call AllWays for us to check on our pickup time in the morning for our Lake Titicaca homestay (which I'd arranged in advance over the internet)....
and I'll tell you about it tomorrow!
Karen
The next morning Percy picked us up bright and early to get us to the bus station for our 7:30 departure. We went via Inka Express and were extremely happy with them. There were two buses (large tourist buses with a bathroom on each) traveling together. We were on the second one and it was only slightly more than half full, so there was plenty of room to stretch out. We had a tour guide who provided occasional commentary on the bus and more detailed information at each of the sites we stopped at along the way.
The scenery was breathtaking - fields of crops with mountains as a backdrop, which gave way to grassy plains and craggy peaks as we continued east (and climbed higher). Every curve in the road prompted me to take yet another picture. I was mesmerized by the scenery - not bored at all on the trip. Do check out my bus trip photos if you get a chance.
We had 5 stops, as I recall - a church, some Inca ruins, lunch (buffet-style and included in the cost of the bus ticket), a museum with some ancient artifacts from the local area (and another church), and the highest spot enroute (where there were some local vendors selling gloves and other typical wares).
Then we passed through Juliaca (a rather dreary-looking town from the bus route) and on to Puno. Our hotel had arranged a free transfer, and the driver was waiting for us at the bus station - we arrived around 5:00, right on time.
It was obvious that Puno was higher in altitude. Both Julie and I felt our heads spinning when we lay down to rest for a few minutes before going to dinner! We took some Ibuprofen and felt fine the next day - but we both agreed there just wasn't air there!
Our hotel, as I mentioned earlier, was Posada don Georgia - cheap, clean, great location, average breakfast (bread, ham, cheese). No one spoke much English, but they were very nice (and Internet was reasonable - I think 2 soles an hour).
Both Julie and I loved our bus day and would highly recommend it as a great way to get from Cusco to Puno - if you fly, you miss some spectacular scenery.
We asked the hotel to call AllWays for us to check on our pickup time in the morning for our Lake Titicaca homestay (which I'd arranged in advance over the internet)....
and I'll tell you about it tomorrow!
Karen
Oct 28th, 2007, 12:43 PM
#40
Not sure if anyone's still reading, but I hope so, because we're getting to one of my favorite parts...
LAKE TITICACA
AllWays Travel picked us up at our hotel right on time at 7:40. There were already a half dozen people in the van, so we figured we'd head straight to boat - but no - they made 3 more stops and somehow managed to cram in about 6 more people! Fortunately, it was a short drive to the pier.
The boat was pretty good-sized. There were about 25 on the tour, with the English speakers in the minority (prob about 8 of us). We had plenty of room to make ourselves comfortable, as the boat had an inside cabin (where it was warm!) with a cushioned bench all the way around by the windows, an outside seating area in the back, and an upper viewing deck (only 8 could be up there at any one time). The boat also had a bathroom - but as our tour guide Walter told us -"only for pee-pee".
Most of our companions were closer to Julie's age than mine - quite a few 20-something backpackers, but with a few, ahem, more seasoned travelers mixed in.
It was a glorious morning, not a cloud in the sky, temperature around 65 - creeping into the 70s later that day. In less than an hour, we arrived at our first stop - the Uros (reed) islands. If you've never seen pictures, google it (or better yet, just look at mine!).
The native population literally makes the islands by weaving together the indigenous reeds that grow in the lake. The result is a huge floating blanket. It's like walking on straw, but if you stand in one place too long, you kind of sink down in just a little. They use the reeds for their houses, for boats, and even to eat - we got a sample and they're pretty good - taste a little like celery.
After hearing Walter's overview of the islands and their history (first in Spanish, then in English), we had about a half hour of free time to wander around. Julie had her bubbles and gave a bottle to, we think, every child on the island (about 15). We checked out the school house, a lookout tower (nice view), and the souvenirs the women were selling. Julie bought a yarn thing used to tie together braids - she doesn't have long enough hair to use it anymore - but it was really pretty. We also took a ride in one of the reed boats - glad we did because we had some wonderful interaction with a little girl blowing the bubbles Julie gave her (got some great pics of her).
After about 100 pictures, we departed for Amantani, our home for the night.
More later.
LAKE TITICACA
AllWays Travel picked us up at our hotel right on time at 7:40. There were already a half dozen people in the van, so we figured we'd head straight to boat - but no - they made 3 more stops and somehow managed to cram in about 6 more people! Fortunately, it was a short drive to the pier.
The boat was pretty good-sized. There were about 25 on the tour, with the English speakers in the minority (prob about 8 of us). We had plenty of room to make ourselves comfortable, as the boat had an inside cabin (where it was warm!) with a cushioned bench all the way around by the windows, an outside seating area in the back, and an upper viewing deck (only 8 could be up there at any one time). The boat also had a bathroom - but as our tour guide Walter told us -"only for pee-pee".
Most of our companions were closer to Julie's age than mine - quite a few 20-something backpackers, but with a few, ahem, more seasoned travelers mixed in.
It was a glorious morning, not a cloud in the sky, temperature around 65 - creeping into the 70s later that day. In less than an hour, we arrived at our first stop - the Uros (reed) islands. If you've never seen pictures, google it (or better yet, just look at mine!).
The native population literally makes the islands by weaving together the indigenous reeds that grow in the lake. The result is a huge floating blanket. It's like walking on straw, but if you stand in one place too long, you kind of sink down in just a little. They use the reeds for their houses, for boats, and even to eat - we got a sample and they're pretty good - taste a little like celery.
After hearing Walter's overview of the islands and their history (first in Spanish, then in English), we had about a half hour of free time to wander around. Julie had her bubbles and gave a bottle to, we think, every child on the island (about 15). We checked out the school house, a lookout tower (nice view), and the souvenirs the women were selling. Julie bought a yarn thing used to tie together braids - she doesn't have long enough hair to use it anymore - but it was really pretty. We also took a ride in one of the reed boats - glad we did because we had some wonderful interaction with a little girl blowing the bubbles Julie gave her (got some great pics of her).
After about 100 pictures, we departed for Amantani, our home for the night.
More later.
