Whatever Floats Your Boat - Day 4

After leaving Copacabana, Bolivia, Kyla and I traveled by bus to Puno, Peru. The 4hr drive was smooth and once again gave us a flavour for the landscape and lifestyle of the people living enroute. Monte... you would agree there was a definite lack of prosperity in this region of the world (both in Bolivia and Peru) but it was still interesting to see and reinforced to B and I how lucky we are.
Of course we took the time at the Bolivia/Peru boarder to ensure we got a photo of the crossing since Peru is AKA country #41 for me but who's counting. ;) 


There was one main difference in Peru vs Bolivia or anywhere else I´d been in SA so far and that was the ¨tuk tuks¨. Well that is what I called them when I was in Asia, I haven´t asked what they are called here. As usual they create a fair (no wait let me restate that an unfair) amount of exhaust but we are learning to cover our faces quickly when almost anything motorized passes us by. Actually with the sidewalks as thin to non existant as they are it almost makes more sense to just try to keep running ahead for as long as your lungs will allow at this altitude.


By 3pm we had made it to Peru and we figured we needed to check out the Floating Islands of Puno. I had heard mixed reviews of the experience (mostly that they are put on for tourists... well that is what we are I´ll have to admit one day) so felt we needed to decide for ourselves since every once in a while my opinion differs from those around me. (yes that was sarcasm).

Arriving at the bus terminal we had zero soles (Peruvian cash) and needed to use the toilet. That in itself was an adventure. As is typical of South America, you are required to pay for the public restrooms. Okay we could deal with that, however, when we tried to change $5 US the lady at the cambio office felt the 2mm tear in the side made the bill unacceptable and refused to take it. Legs crossed even more tightly we tried a $1 bill. What a joke. Taking the time to change $1. Hello? (of course she gave us a terrible exchange rate because we were changing such a small amount) Right moving on to the filthy stinky toilets so we could hurry up and get on a tour of these floating islands already! Also worth a mention and photograph to the left is the iPhone case Kyla has created while we travel. It really is the perfect size and if you have to carry your own toilet paper why not make it multi function. That´s my B. 

Right, okay, so on to the floating islands. No, No, don´t be nervous... there is no risk we would fall into the water. The fear was mostly based on the fact that it was freezing cold and raining still so the idea of being in the water didn´t sit well with Kyla.  Here´s a quick glance back at Puno . I swear if you put some colourful boats into a photo everything just perks up.

The above is a pretty accurate view of what the floating islands look like although a little blurry. Or at least the ones we visited.  We were taugh how the root system breaks away from the ground during the raining season + rough waters that come with that season and so they tie them together and stack reeds ontop to make the islands they ¨live on¨. Famous Kyla quote.... hmmm smelly. I´d hate to get left here let alone move here. Helllllooooo Bennington!


They do get pretty creative with the reeds though I will have to admit.
Here´s Kyla doing her most respectful pose of appreciation for their culture and way of life. Okay that isn´t fair...  we really didn´t believe they lived here.

When we looked inside one of the houses they had a tv set up and some school bags strewn around but it just seemed like a place they came to ¨work¨ and sell crafts to the tourists which is understandable. You do what you have to do.

Here´s a look at our hotel room in Puno. Let me tell you how nice it was to be in a warm dry, clean place for the night knowing we had to once again set our alarms (this time for 5.30am) so we could eat and catch our cab to the Juliaca airport 45mins away) to fly to Cusco. This early morning thing is sooo not my bag. Good thing you gain an hour in Peru so it feels more like 6.30am... listen to me glass half full. xox b