Booked a two days, one night trip to three islands in Lake Titicaca. It was through company called All Ways travel in Lonely Planet. Cost was 45 soles, I would certainly recommend this company for trip to Lake Titicaca island.

Sept 17th, 2004

I was picked up at the hotel at 7.50AM. We took a 30 minute bus ride to the first island called Uros Floring island.

These are famous floating islands made out of reeds that grows in the Lake Titicaca itself.

The edges of the islands show any kind of work, otherwise in the middle they just put on these reeds, they are not woven together or anything. The floor is about 4-5 meter tall in the middle and at the edges its about 2 meter tall. The bottom portion rots so they have to keep on putting new layer at the top every month. The main business of the folks living on these islands is now Tourism. They do not make any more of these islands as younger generation seems to prefer living in Puno, do not know how long these islands will last. I am sure they will be around to take tourist $s for long time. It must have been interesting place say 50 or 30 years ago.

We also took a ride on boat similar to one below for about 30 minutes.

Our next stop was Isla Amantani. We arrived here at 12.45, there were women from host families waiting for us at the port. Upto 2-4 tourists stay with a single family. I stayed with a Canadian from Calgary at a family house.

We had room upstairs, it was clearly made for the tourist as the house downstairs was more traditional house without fancy colors etc. The tourist rooms had light, TV all powered by solar panel.

At 2PM we had very good lunch in family kitchen it was soup, rice with some kind of green vegetable and potatos. It was good. We went for a hike to top of the mountain (4200 met), to see temple of Punchamama (mother earth). The temple itself of nothing impressive just a round structure made out of rocks. However the view of the lake and surrounding islands was beautiful.

We got back to the house around 7.00, had good dinner again of soup, rice and some kind of fried thing, not bad. Then we went to the community center for fiesta (party) we learned some interesting dance. Returned to the house around 10.

Sat 18th Sept.

Got up around 6.30, the sunrise was around 5.15AM, so by the time I took a walk to the port it was warm. Had a breakfast of something that looked like cross between pancake and crepes.

The food that I had with the family was excellent. Everyone on this trip had nothing but good things to say about the food. If you do visit the family on these islands do take few books for the children, some candles or rice or sugar, as a gift. The people on Amantani islands are mainly farmers and its collective farm, nobody owns the farm land. However, in last few year, men from the family go to Puno or other places to make money and women, old men and kids tend to the farms. Before that it used to be a barter economy. Is progress good or bad?

We arrived at Taquille island around 10.30AM. The men on these islands were specific hats depending on their social situation. The married men wear one type of hat, single men wear one hat, single men with girl friends wear that hat in different style. The same goes for women. Interesting idea, wish the world adopts this fashion some day ;) It makes job of single guys so much easier.

On this boat ride there were about 7 french people, 5 from UK, 1 from NZ and another guy from Canada and me. It is interesting to see people travel 1000 of miles but when meet folks of their kind they just stick together, the French hardly talked to anybody outside their group, same with folks from UK. I did get opportunity to talk to 62 year old cool dude from NZ, who basically rents his property in NZ and travels round the world for 10 months a year. He has been doing that for last four years. What a tough life!