Lake Titicaca
Peru
In just over 24 hours, we had travelled by bus from Cabanaconde in the Colca Canyon to Puno on Lake Titicaca, crossed the border into Bolivia, then continued on to Copacabana, on the opposite side of the lake to Puno. Along the way, we passed herds of llamas, alpacas, vicuñas and flamingos, chilling out on the sparse plains and shallow pools of water.
Sitting on buses for so many hours had been exhausting, resulting in Danny taking it easy when we finally arrived in Copacabana. I did no such thing. Instead, I opted for a 17 km hike along the coast of Lake Titicaca, the largest lake in South America (it was so big I often couldn't see the other side, making me feel like I was beside the ocean). A slow taxi ride dropped me off at Yampupata, a point that looked out at the popular Isla del Sol. It was an easy walk back to town down a dirt road with little traffic. The hike was mostly flat with a few small hills thrown in, each through a shady eucalyptus forest. Views of the water were few and far between, and most of the time was spent on long stretches of road between crumbling villages rather than by the lake. I couldn't say the scenery was mind-blowing, but I appreciated the brief occasions I had to hear the water lapping against the shore.
When I eventually arrived back in Copacabana, I picked up Danny and we spent the evening hopping between rooftop bars overlooking the boat-filled harbour and watching the sunset over the water. Away from the touts it was a peaceful, if ramshackle, place, with a surprising number of vegan options. It was also much cheaper than Peru, and the favourable exchange rate meant our money went a long way in Bolivia.
Our next stop was Amantani Island, much further out in the lake. I had chosen a tour with a stop on Amantani over the more commonly visited Taquile Island, as all the reviews had described Taquile as being exceedingly touristy and essentially a giant sales pitch, whereas Amantani was more natural and underdeveloped. I can't comment on Taquile, but they were right about Amantani. We only passed 2 mats set out next to the pavement with trinkets for sale, and no one called out to try to sell us anything.
Unfortunately, while it appeared authentic, it was also fairly uninspiring. We were told we would be going for a 1-hour hike through one of the 10 communities on the island. This involved walking steeply uphill past a few houses for 10 minutes, standing around the centre square that was devoid of anyone other than our tour group for 20 minutes, then walking back downhill for 10 minutes to return to the boat. We were given a couple of quick facts about Amantani, but I can't say I had a better understanding of their lives or culture.
A 45-minute boat ride took us to our lunch spot at Llachon, a point on the mainland that jutted out into the water. Here we were served very simple traditional food then rapidly herded back onto the boat to return to Puno. There were no cultural lessons here either. That was it for the tour. Sadly, the second half of the day hadn't been as insightful as the first.
Even though we spent 3 nights in Puno, we only had a couple of hours to actually see the town: one hour at night when looking for dinner (all we could find were pizza restaurants, which was disappointing), then one hour on our last morning before catching the bus to Cusco. In that hour I completed a quick sprint around the city to try to take in as many sights as I could.
First stop was Mirador Kuntur Wasi, also known as Mirador El Condor due to the giant bird statue at the top. Puno already sits over 3,800 m, so having to climb 616 steps (by my count) to almost 4,000 m on a time crunch almost killed me. Once I managed to suck in some oxygen, I briefly absorbed the view over Puno and the lake, partially obscured by trees and lamp posts, before running back down again.
The next viewpoint, Cerrito de Huajsapata, was thankfully nowhere near as high. This time I could see the town more clearly, but the lake wasn't as prominent.
Plaza Mayor, in the middle of town, was enormous, as was the fairly plain basilica sitting at one end. Nearby was the vibrant blue and yellow Casa del Corregidor, one of the oldest colonial buildings in Puno and a popular tourist cafe. Finally, I managed a quick dash along the pedestrianised main street, Jiron Lima, with its thousands of pizza restaurants, before having to make my way to the bus stop.
