a self-supported bicycle tour through South America

8 - 11^th September. Puno - Lake Titicaca, Uros, and Taquile

Lake Titicaca is the world’s highest navigable body of water 3,830m above sea level covering more than 8, 500 sq km. When we arrived in Puno at dusk it felt strange to see such a large body of water stretching to the horizon. It looks like an ocean and it takes some reminding to appreciate that it is actually a lake.

After a little research and a degree of reluctance to take an organised tour, we decided to bite the bullet and pay our £5 to take a tour of the Lake with a group. It was surprisingly very, very enjoyable despite us feeling a little like we were the ones being exploited by the locals.

Uros are a group of islands that are made entirely out of floating reeds. The experience of being on them was rather surreal and perhaps a little like walking on water. The islands are kept afloat simply by adding more layers of chopped reed, and as the layers rot away more reeds are added. We were told that when the islanders have a wedding or a party (that usually go on for 4 days) the island begins to sink because of all the visitors and they have been too busy partying to bother with chopping the reeds, so for days after they are kept busy “rebuilding”.

The whole scenario of Uros and people living on floating reeds with solar powered panels attached precariously to their reed houses is rather improbable. The boat loads of tourists descend each day to “select” islands to be met by the island leader who explains how the islands are built. You are then entertained by singing, a ride in a reed boat and then of course you are shown local tat to buy at a nominal rate. You are being fleeced at every given opportunity, but at the same time you feel an obligation as you are in their home…so to speak.

One does wonder, however, whether it is all for show and whether as soon as the tourists are gone, the girls change back into blue jeans and plug into their ipods before thumbing a ride back into Puno on a passing jet-ski! We did see some outboards, so this is probable…and very cynical of us we know.

After Uros we jumped back on the boat to find that our driver had been drinking beer with one of the locals and was feeling rather sleepy so swapped with the tour guide and sat down the back snoozing. Lucky for us our guide could multi task. Three hours later we arrived at Taquile Island, which has been inhabited for 10,000 years and where life remains starkly traditional with no electricity or cars. The textiles made on Tequile, however are supposed to be the best in Peru, but as we had been fleeced for lunch with a local family we didn’t even have any money left to buy anything. Probably a good thing!

So, one more night in Puno and then off to Copacobana via Juli. We promise not to cycle through the border this time even if we do have a tail wind. [Jen]

Final thought: On the boat home from Tequile, we discovered a few additional passengers onboard. The dudes who’s house we dined at for lunch plus two girls from the same family. What was concerning was the fact that these girls were sat in their traditional dress looking so last century but with the addition of an iPod! Do we feel ripped off…?