I actually do not know where to start with this one! What to say about Puno...
We arrived to Puno on an overnight bus at 4am and checked into the most spotless hostel we have have stayed in so far, Quechuas Backpackers. It's a family run hostel with spotless bathrooms, really comfy beds and super fast wifi (which is great, cos there ain't much else to do in Puno!) The hostel is right beside a public park where the kids do PE at school and, as we discovered, the local pan-flute band come to practise - it was cute for about half an hour but they only knew one song so it got old pretty quickly!
The next day we went to the harbour to start our tour of Lake Titicaca, which is the highest navigable lake in the world at 3,812 metres and borders both Peru and Bolivia.
Our first stop was to the Floating Islands of Uros. We visited one of the 80 tiny islands and we were greeted by members of the 5 families who lived on it.
They showed us into their homes and demonstrated how they built the islands with cork and reeds. An island takes 30 years to build and lasts for about 80 years, they are about 2 metres thick and float on water that is 20 metres deep!
It feels a bit like walking on a waterbed, but there are so many kids around it's incredible that they don't fall in. There was one little girl living on our island who was so cute and so cheeky, she was 4 years old and well able to interact with us. She loved looking at herself in my phone and was fascinated by the "designer" holes in my jeans. She even managed to take a selfie:
The patriarch of the family explained (through a translator) that when families living on the same island fall out, they physically saw their part of the island off and let them float away. He had a great sense of humour too and offered us a ride in his Mercedes Benz:
Then it was time to make the 3 hour journey by boat to the island of Amantani where we would partake in homestay with a family. This is where things got interesting.
When we arrived to Amantai we saw some local women at the harbour washing their clothes on the rocks in the water. But on closer inspection it turned out they were actually washing their dinner, it was a load of chickens bobbing around in there! We gave each other a look that said "please god don't let that be our dinner!"
After about half an hour we were invited to the kitchen for lunch. A picture speaks a thousand words so I'm just going to let this do the talking:
It actually wasn't really that bad and at the end of the day we were invited into their home and they made us feel extremely welcome and were totally open about their lives.
But when a black shadow scuttled across the kitchen floor, myself and Karen and simultaneously put our feet up on our chairs expecting the worst. A rat. Of course we needn't have worried, it was just the family of guniea pigs who lived under the table. In fact, our new Island Daddy even offered to cook us one for dinner. We politely declined.
After lunch we discovered what the islanders must do for fun, you guessed it... Astro Turf?!
Our group tried to have a game while our proud Island Mommas knitted on the sidelines, but at 4000metres it didn't last very long before everyone was gasping for air. Luckily our guide had something else in store for us - a hike to a temple at the top of a mountain to watch the sunset. Seriously, these hikes are getting old, but this one was worth it:
That's enough for one day I hear you say? God no, the fun was just getting started. After we had our dinner (rice, chips and a tomato by candlelight) we were invited to a party in the town hall. There was no need to worry about what to wear beacuse Rufina hooked us up with traditional outfits and hairstyles for the evening:
Rufina regretfully explained that she couldn't attend the party with us but that her daughter Noddy would chaperone us. Noddy, who is around 18 years old, dutifully woke up her baby, strapped him screaming to her back and lead the way to the town hall. We felt awful but she genuinely didn't seem to mind. We bought her a coke to ease the guilt.
The party wasn't exactly bangin to begin with
But once the band (2 men with panpipes and 1 man with a drum) arrived, the local ladies showed us how to do the traditional dance and everyone really got into it. The band played the same song 3 times while we marched around like lunatics, and then it was time for home.
The next morning after a, eh, rustic experience it was time to day Adios to our Island Momma and to Amantani.
Our boat took us to another island on Lake Titicaca, this one named Tequilli. It is a beautiful and extremely traditional island. There have been numerous attempts to commercialise Tequilli with a hotel and restaurants for tourists, but the islanders ensure that this never happens and they maintain their culture. One custom on the island is that married men wear red hats and batchors wear white hats - genius if you ask me.
The town square was like something out of a western, unlike anything I have ever seen. We were also invited into a family home where they showed us how they weave clothing and even make their own shampoo from a plant that grows natuarally on the island (and apparently men who use it never go bald).
Eventually the time came when we had to leave and we made our journey back to dry land on Puno.
Other bits and pieces:
The islanders were just as interested in how we live as we were about their lives. I would have loved to have some photos of my house and family to show them.
They only speak Spanish so if you don't speak the language try to get grouped with someone who does. There are usually about 4 people in each house.
Bring lots of snacks!!
The rooms are fine, but we were glad to have our sleeping bag liners to sleep in under the covers.
Bring some rice/pasta as a gift for your new Island Momma! They really do look after you, so a tip is nice too.
We booked with Edgar Travel in Puno and everything left on time and our guide was fantastic.
Finally, there really is nothing to do in Puno. It's necessary to say there to do the lake Titicaca tours, but I wouldn't recommend staying there any longer than necessary.
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