Puno, and Lake Titicaca

This photo was taken on the Island of Taquile, in Lake Titicaca, after a very steep hike. I was breathless after climbing at such a very high altitude. Yet the effort was worthwhile, because the views I enjoyed from the island were breathtakingly beautiful.

Lake Titicaca is known for being the world's highest navigable lake. Lake Titicaca lies more than 12,500 feet above sea level and covers 3,200 square miles in the Andes Mountains between the border of Peru to the west and Bolivia to the east.

Puno itself is a relatively poor town, at least compared with Arequipa. I found the people friendly, and valued seeing so many indigenous people on the streets. I loved the all day tour on Lake Titicaca, and visiting the Uros Islands as well as Taquile.  The Museo Carlos Dreyer was a highlight of my stay in Puno. Seeing the Yavari, a rehabilitated ship anchored at the dock of the Hotel Sonesta Posada del Inca Puno, was also a treat. I'll start with my day on Lake Titicaca.

Below is a view from the Island of Taquile, after hiking up quite a steep hill. One of the most breathtaking features of this island is the cultivation of the land, and the way the island has been terraced by the people who live there for maximum benefit.

I received much encouragement on the hike uphill and throughout the day from this remarkable family hailing from Mexico City. They were visiting Peru to celebrate the 60th birthday of their grandfather, seen in the following photo with his wife, daughter and grandson.

Below are some other photos from the Island of Taquile. We were served a delicious lunch of quinoa soup and trout with potatoes and rice, and then given a demonstration of the types of clothing worn by the locals, including various colors according to marital status. The third photo shows the view of the island as we were leaving.

I have to show a photo of the boat we were on and a few of the passengers on the trip! I feel I have been remiss in that I jumped into the middle of things in my tale of our day's voyage. We visited the islands of Uros long before arriving at Taquile. I was so taken with that hike and the vistas available from Taquile that I started out there rather than at the beginning of our day. The following photos start from the outset of our tour, giving a more comprehensive perspective.

The Floating Islands of Lake Titicaca are the home of the Uros. These islands are made and re-made from the totora reeds which provide home. Above, our guide is shown giving us a demonstration of textiles made by the Islanders. 

As always, visitors are encouraged to purchase items. I never bought anything that was shown, lest my pack swell to unmanageable proportion. I noticed that a few other visitors bought small items, while most, like myself, did not buy anything. I felt badly about the lack of sales for tourist dependent locals, yet also felt imposed upon by frequent requests for revenue when I had already spent so much.

Below are canoes made of reed. We took one of these canoes out for a ride on the ocean, and were able to observe a remarkable number of birds and ducks making their home on Lake Titicaca. 

All good boat rides must come to an end, although ours was not over until dusk. I found the day on the lake to be very peaceful and deeply satisfying. I truly enjoyed the other visitors aboard, as they were quite an international set. Among them were young people traveling from Austria and Germany, but there were also older people aboard. I particularly enjoyed meeting a couple from Brazil, and interacting with the family from Mexico previously mentioned. Additionally, this family was very patient and respectful with me while practicing my Spanish. In fact they seemed happy to know me!

Next I will include photos from the Museo Carlos Dreyer. I was impressed with this museum. Carlos Dreyer was a German who married a woman from Puno and lived in the area for many years. He forged strong relationships with Lake Titicaca Islanders. He was also a very fine painter and many of his paintings, along with others of the school of painting he co-founded during the 1930's, were on display at the Museo Carlos Dreyer.  Below is a photo of Mr. Dreyer with a former mayor of the Island of Taquile. In another photo he appears with a group of Islanders. Carlos Dreyer often looks stiff in his photos and I imagine that his friendships with Peruvians helped loosen him up. Perhaps the reason many Germans are attracted to Peru and have helped Peruvians advance is so that they can relax and soften up a bit around the edges.

Below are photos of some of the artifacts on display at the Museum, including pottery, funerary objects,  and paintings that I especially valued.

The Museo Carlos Dreyer is located nearby Puno's Plaza de Armas, which may not be as impressive a the Plaza de Armas in Trujillo or Arequipa, but nonetheless is worth viewing in the next photos.

Next is the hostel I stayed, which was OK. I was glad it was located near the Plaza de Armas, although I have stayed in better places. I wish I had saved money by staying in the dorm. Also, I've learned not to book through Booking.com, because they charge a commission. It's best to book directly through the hostel. The next photo is a typical Puno street scene.

The following are photos from my visit to the Yavari, docked at the Hotel Sonesta Posada on Lake Titicaca. The Yavari and her sister ship Yapura were built in "knock down" form; that is, they were assembled with bolts and nuts at the shipyard, dismantled into thousands of parts small enough to transport, and shipped to their final destination to be assembled with rivets and launched on the lake.

Each piece was no more than what a mule could carry, because the railway from the port of Arica went only 40 miles, as far as Tacna. From there pack mules had to carry them the remaining 220 miles to Puno on the lake. In 1987 charitable interests bought Yavari to restore her. She is now moored at Puno Bay where she provides tourist accommodation while undergoing full restoration.

Below are 2 photos of the combi I took to the lake the day I decided to make my visit to the ship. The following photos are from my tour of the Yavari. 

So I leave this blog posting for now, and soon will be posting an update all about my 3 weeks in Cusco. During this time I visited Machu Picchu, and went to the Madre de Dios (Amazonia) region of Peru for several days as well. My update will be posted in the next few days. Thank you for reading my post about Puno and Lake Titicaca. I hope you will check in soon for my next update.