Lake Titicaca, Peru

Dec 2001 - Jan 2002

Left Cuzco on New Years Eve to travel to Puno and see Lake Titicaca.  Puno was a hole.  Lake Titicaca was stunning. 

The Orient Express From Cuzco to Puno

The train journey from Cuzco to Puno takes about 12 hours, costs USD$30 for a first class ticket and is well worth the money for being able to see the Andes roll by.  I'm also glad we took the train there as I was feeling hung-over, sick as a dog and extremely guilty at running out on Vanessa at 7 in the morning.  Bygones.

Watching life go by on the Cuzco to Puno express.  We travelled first class.  Not that that says much in third world countries but it's definitely a great way to travel ... and recover from one's hangover and mis-deeds the previous night.

La Raya ... a mid way stop 4319m high in the Andes. 

There's not much in La Raya but it's pretty cool to get off the train in the middle of nowhere, walk around, check out the markets and breath in the rarefied air.

Church tower.

The train.

Lake Titicaca

Lake Titicaca - the worlds highest navigable lake at 3820m.  It's also South America's largest lake at 170km in length and the largest lake in the world above 2000m.

Mmmm...well there are higher navigable lakes at altitudes over 4000m, such as Lake Junin in Peru's central Andes, but Lake Titicaca is called the world's highest simply because it has frequent passenger boats and is better known than other lakes, which lack passenger craft.

Also on the lake are the Uros Floating Islands.  These are reed islands where some natie folks are meant to live although one gets the feeling they are just occupied during the day for tourists.  Still, it's interesting to check out.

Floating islands.  Love this photo.  It's a money shot in my book.

Life among the water reeds.

Boat made out of water reeds with cat like bow decoration.  Amazing to look at.

Dan standing on one of the islands.  it's a weird feeling walking on these squishy reeds.  If you push down hard enough with your foots, you can see water (and feel it if you put your foot through).

Boats

Scary.

Dan steering the boat.  Me showing off my mythical surfing ability.

New Years Eve in Puno

What a mistake.  We should have stayed in Cuzco for New Years Eve as that's where all action was.  Puno was as dead as a doornail and I was sick as a dog.  Still, it was New Year's Eve and Dan and I (dosed up to the eye balls on cold and flu medicine) were determined to make the most of it.  We pretty much did every club in Puno and had very little to show for it at the end of the night.  Ended up chatting to the local boss of the Policia National and trying to thwart Dan's  plan to 'go ugly, let's go very ugly'.

Strange chicken shaped bush a feature of one of the main squares of Puno.

The most beautiful girl in Puno.

Me and Dan with our party hats ... courtesy of the club.

Dan chatting up a sixteen year old.

Big Pinto or whatever they call it.  Members of the crowd are encourage to hit with a bat to split it open so all the Xmas presents come out.

Anti-American effigy at 3 in the morning.