Day 8

Yes I know there is no Day 7. Thats because I spent it all day in the bus and nothing interesting happened at all.We spent the whole day traveling from Cusco to Puno. We werent sure we were going to be able to go. Puno has been on strike and having political protests for over a month now. Beacuse of the recent presidential ellections and them feeling like no one pays attention to them. But the were resolved the day before we arrived.

We woke up in Puno and headed straight to Lake Titcaca. I honestly had no idea why it was famous other than for its name. Its the highest elevation lake that you can travel in motor boat in, in the world. We were at around 15,000 feet.


As we got closed the guide explained to us that the lake has a serious of floating man made islands that people live on called las islas Uros. Apparently there are wild boar too out in the middle of this lake.



The people make the islands out of the bamboo like grass that grows in the lake. Here the women are demonstrating how when they go into town they trade with the other women from the different areas for the things that they need.


This is an example of what one of the islands has. Usually around 20 or so people live on each island. They are usually all related as well. each separate family has their own little home.

This is what the homes look like on the inside, they are just rooms with beds usually.


Cooking is complicated on the island since they are made out of straw. They usually lay a layer of dirt under the pots that they use to cook. This is a picture of their kitchen. Apparently a few years back there was a fire that burned 5 islands and several children actually died as well. So they take cooking very seriously.


Peru's last president Fugimori helped out alot the people of the islands and in Puno. The main thing he did was install solar panels on the islands so that now the people can have electricity usually enough to power a light and a very small television or radio. This is part of the reason that the city was upset of the elections because even though Fugimori is in jail his daughter Keiko ran in these elections and lost so they were mad because to these people Fugimori is like God.

Now you would ask why would you ever want to live on these islands? No taxes. Alot of people live there for that reason they dont pay any taxes whatsoever on their islands. Also when you get mad or in a flight with the other people you live with you simply cut the island and make your own. Thats why they never know exactly how many islands there are.
Then we headed back to Puno and we had the rest of the day free to do what we wanted. Caty and I headed to the local market just to check it out and I thought i would share with you what the meat department looks like. Its all open air, the meat is just there and it smells and its disgusting.