We left Ollantaytambo after 6 wonderful weeks to visit Puno and Arequipa. Because we got stranded in La Paz the first time we planned to visit Lake Titicaca now. And Emma´s visa was expired so we had to hop over the border which was also very convenient.
We headed to Puno to get our bus to Copacabana, Bolivia. Before we arrived in Puno we noticed that our videophone had been stolen. We guess it was one of these guys that entered the bus in Cusco and got off again. The bus company was not a very good one... The chairs didn´t work. (We booked ´cama´ bus but that obviously wasn´t true) So when we arrived in Puno I went to the local Touristic Police Office and had a report made so we can send it to our insurance company. The person who stole it can´t use it anyway because the language was set in Dutch. Ha! We got our bus to Copacabana and when we arrived we booked into a Hotel (Mirador) at the lake. Our room had lakeview but all in all we figured that the hotel just had changed owner and that they were still doing renovations. We had a nice room so that was all good. Copacabana is cool. You notice it is Bolivia but in a way it looks very Peruvian too. A lot of restaurants and shops make it a bit touristy but we had a good time. We went to see Isla del Sol where we did a 3,5 hours walk. When you have seen Machu Picchu Isla del Sol isn´t very exciting but it was a nice trip. The boat trip to and from the island takes about 2 hours tho, which I thought was a bit much. Time goes slowly on water...
After 2 days Copacabana we went back to Puno. We wanted to visit the floating islands and Taquila. Puno is cold at night, very cold... During the day when the sun is out it is nice and warm but in the shade it can be really cold... We had a very nice hostel with hot showers. A lot of people say Puno isn´t very exciting but we think it´s not too bad. It has good restaurants where you can eat lovely meals, but also tiny restaurants where we had a Menu del Dia (for 2 to 4 pounds per person) that served a good menu. The trip to the floating islands was amazing. It´s strange when you see how tiny the islands actually are. And every island has its own president! About 5 to 6 families are living on each island and all transport has to be done by boats. We where wondering how people actually meet at these islands. (Are there special singles meetings being held?) After the sialnds we headed towards Taquila. This island has a strange story. It was bought by a rich Spaniard who kind of made all the rules as well. The people on the island don´t pay taxes to the country but instead they have a regular payment to the island itself. By the hats you can tell whether people are married or not and man are supposed to be good knitters. When you want to ask a girl for her hand you have to ask her dad first and he checks how well you knitted your hat by pouring water into it. When it leaks you have to try again. Strange customs... The island itself isn´t shocking, it´s just the way they live that makes it interesting. And to be honest the walk on the island is done too quickly. I would have rather spent more time at the floating islands. And like the boat trip to Isla del Sol this trip was again a bit too long.
After 3 nights Puno we headed towards Arequipa. And what a change! First the climate is so much nicer. During the day it can get really hot and in the evenings it doesn´t get cold. The city centre looks very pretty with the Plaza and the 3 mountains and vulcanos in the background. Arequipa even has a pedestrian zone. Although Arequipa is much bigger than Cusco it doesn´t has that hectic feeling. The taxis honk much less than in Cusco. But whereas Cusco has a lot of visible Inca history in the city Arequipa doesn´t. It looks a kind Spanish which would make sence because they builded the city. We decided to stay a bit longer in Arequip to relax and head back to Cusco just before the Fiesta in Ollantaytambo starts. 6 days of relaxing has been really nice...
Now we are back in Ollantaytambo. We have been invited by our host family to visit the Fiesta del Senor de Choquekillca. We can´t exactly explain what it really is but it is all about 4 days of dance, drinks and food. We will surely be able to tell you more about it in a week or so!
And more sadly... We almost have come to the end of our long journey. On June 2nd we will be flying from Lima to Madrid and then to London. We already have been looking in to places to live at Birghton. And in the tab Brighton at the top we will update you all about that new adventure!
So long!
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