22nd - 23rd Oct - Lake Titicaca

Our first stop is at the Uros Islands out in the bay of Puno on Lake Titicaca. They are famous as the reed islands as the locals pick the local reeds to make their islands, boats, houses and tat for tourists. They even eat the reeds which we were offered and taste like nothing really - just very watery - can`t see it becoming a delicacy anywhere else.
The islands are really strange, with every foot step you`re worried you`ll fall through into the water. The second island we visited, by a reed boat, was really large and had numerous building on it including a phone box - made out of reeds ofcourse - but with a satelite phone inside it. Mairi took a photo of me with a local lady with her bowler hat on - I love them - how they manage to keep them on their heads I`ll never know, cos they look at least 4 sizes to small.
A few hours cruising across the lake to Amantani a real Island in the middle of the massive lake. Lake Titcaca is the highest navigable lake in the world and is massive. It`s at 3820 meters above sea level and as the air is so thin it`s actually really hot and sunny and the water is an amazing blue colour - absolutely beautiful.
We are met at the island by a bunch of local ladies in full local costume. We are going to be staying with one of them for the night - no idea what to expect but I hoped we weren`t getting the little old lady with no teeth! Luckily a nice young girl came forward - Norma - and was going to be our hostess for the night.
With little introduction we followed her back to her house up hill all the way, which at this altitude is not easy and we are quickly out of breath - not so Norma - she`s used to this. But she stops to let us catch our breath while she knits waiting. The woman carry knitting with them at all times either knitting something or spinning the wool.
At the house we shown into a lovely room with 3 beds, a table, a couple of chairs and a candle in it - no electricity. Norma leaves us to get unpacked - we only brought an overnight bag anyway so not really much to unpack. Norma disapeared and after a while, feeling a bit abandoned I thought I would go to the toilet and have a scout around. The toilet was in an orange tin box outside the cottage. A bucket of water outside for flushing. It was really clean and nicely kept - we did laugh at the thought of us going in the dark though.
Norma called us for lunch, first a really nice veggie soup with tiny maize in it then rice, chips and fried cheese washed down with mint tea - all served in the kitchen which had an open fireplace which Norma squatted infront to cook. The mint tea is supposed to be good for altitude we drank it cos it tasted fine. At lunch in our limited Spanish we were able to ascertain, Norma was 23, unmarried with a 5 year old boy called William. She lived with her parents who were off working in the fields.
After lunch we went to met up with the rest of the group to walk to the top of the island to see an Inca ruin, Norma gave us a couple of knitted hats which we weren`t sure if we were to buy so thanked her and took them. The meeting point was a football pitch and boys being boys there was an impromptu game of footie, Peru versus the world. We cheered on Peru cos it was only the guide and a few local boys who ran rings round the breathless world. I suppose they do have an excuse for being thrashed by kids the altitude and all.
The guide took us along an old path, stopping often to let us breathe and to tell us the history of the islands. The Incas ideas about respect for the earth (the Pachamama) are really nice - even I could follow a religion like that. The guides ancestors were all shamen and he too could one day follow their path and find out all the secrets. I would be dying to know and have signed up straight away. Normas hats now came in very useful as, at this altitide, in the evening, it was fairly cold. The Inka ruin at the top wasn`t very impressive but the sunset over the lake was amazing. The sky turned from blue to orange, red and yellow with purple and grey rays dancing between the clouds. A lightning storm broke out in the distance, massive silver strands illuminating the sky it was all quite magical and romantic, watching with the lovely Israli boy Tomar, unfortunately both Mairi and I thought this!
The only other people joining us for the sunset were three little girls trying to sell us tat. When they wouldn`t go away and we wouldn`t buy anything, one of them started to reapeat what can only be described as a chant. So Mairi chanted back in her best Gaelic acent, a poem about witches. It certainly did the trick and the three of them fled scared for their lives.
Back at the house Normas mother and son fed us more soup and rice and veg - which was all very tasty and really apreciated.
After dinner Norma and her mother arrived with local costume in hand and dressed us for the local dance! We started with a white shirt with embroidery, then a massive underskirt (mine dark green with light green embroidery, Mairis orange), a top skirt with load of material (both purple) and a tightly tied colourful large belt. To finsh off the ensemble we wore a black shawl over our heads and off to the dance. Thankfully most of the other tourists were dressed equally as nice and we all danced local dances for the evening. The locals really put a lot of time into it and each local lady got her guests up to dance. Some of the local children also get you up to dance and I danced with a rather sweaty dirty wee boy of nine. I know I alway say I like them young but that was a bit much.
Funnily all the locals sat at one side and the tourists at the other. A woman in the corner sold drinks all the tourists had beer and the locals would only accept a coke or other soft drink. We danced nearly every dance but a couple of the undressed tourists declined even from dancing - why bother coming to a place like this if your not going to get involved - I thought it was rude.
We both slept like logs after the dance and Norma served us a sort of deep fried bread with mint tea for breakfast which was fab.
We thanked her and her parents for their hospitality and gave her money for the hats which we wanted to keep as she had knitted them and a bar of chocolate which they shared between them and daddy eat quickly. We then went back to the boat kissing Norma, William and the parents and wishing them farewell. We got Norma to teach us a bit of Quetchuan (their local language) to say bye to her parents and they seemed delighted with it.

Back on the boat everybody totally happy with their stay we motored for another few hours to Taquile and an hours hike to the main town. The scenery was amazing, the road winding around the island overlooking beautiful bays with bright blue and green water lapping at the shore line. We had dinner in a wee restaurant over looking the sea. Mairi got stung by a bee - shes OK - but we were all a bit worried that she would have an allergic reation and we were in the middle of no where.
We descended back to the boat via Inca steps - they do love all this climbing malarky - wheres the ancient people who like the flat!
Back in Puno really happy with our wee trip.