Puno - Salar De Uyuni

Puno
Lake Titicaca
Amantani and Taquile Islands
La Paz
potosi
Salar De Uyuni

A recount of the past week...

Our journey from Cuzco to Puno was set back a day as there was a strike in Oruro which we pass through on the way. We were held back one night in La Paz but spirits were not dampened as there was more shopping and partying to be done.

We get to our destination, Puno, for an overnight stay before heading to Amantani Island. On the way we visit the Floating Reed Islands of Uros. They are quite a sight. When you walk you sink a little in to the ground. We have a demonstration by some of the local women of the particular island we are on, of how they do business in the buying and selling of produce. After we have visited the reed islands our boat trip sees us to the middle of Lake Titicaca where we stay with families overnight for a homestay and an utterly amazing look into the lives of the locals. We have a quick lesson on the language which is spoken, Quetchan, and practise before meeting our families which have been designated to take us in to their homes.

I found this experience truly unforgettable. Myself and my two room mates had dinner cooked for us by two fourteen year old girls and were shown to our comfortable but small room with the doorway no higher than your shoulder. After dinner there was time for the boys to have a quick soccer match with the locals and then we were all shooed back to our rooms where each one of us was dressed in the traditional attire. The girls had to wear two skirts, a petticoat, a cardigan, a shawl and a traditional hand sewn hat. The boys wore large ponchos over their clothes. Once we were all kitted up we made our way to a large hall with two Peruvian musical groups set up on either side. Each local family gave us a quick instruction on how to dance and then we all tried our best to keep up.

The next day on the boat trip back we stopped off at Taquile Island where I tried King Fish for the first time. It was delicious. Here you will find that the men walk around knitting sweaters and typical woollen hats while the women are off tending the fields.

I found La Paz a very curious place. At first I was overwhelmed by the amount of people milling all over the streets and the traffic which was merciless as you cautiously tried to negotiate a path through the cars jam packed on the roads. We arrived in the afternoon and by the time night came I felt a little more accustomed to this new way of life. We had dinner at a great restaurant called Mungo´s and at 10.30 a live Cuban band played. Very enjoyable and it was good to get a feel for yet another type of traditional music.

During our second day in La Paz we each had the option of doing a 3 hour city tour or a full day bicycle ride down ´Death Road´. This is most dangerous road in the world and not for the faint at heart. It is a steep ride down a mountain while cars and trucks came from the opposite direction, forcing you to veer as far to the side as you can so as not to be sent hurtling off the edge. I opted for the city tour as I did not fancy this dare devilish excursion. The people from our group thankfully made it back with no injuries and have t-shirts and a CD to show just how brave they were for doing it.

On the city tour the first stop was the museum, then on to the Witches Market where some of the most revolting things I have ever seen were on display. These included llama foetuses, bones, dead cats and other such lifeless objects of some description. We then went to the ´Moon Valley´ with its strange rock formations of varying colours, shaped by the weather. We also saw the highest golf course in the world where it costs $80 to tee off...

We travel on to Potosi, where a half day excursion sees us to the Potosi Mines. On the way we passed through the miners market where we purchased coca leaves, fizzy drink and sticks of dynamite (!) for gifts to the miners. We geared up in protective clothing, boots, a hard hat and a power pack round our waists with a head lamp attached to our hard hats before setting off again for the mines. It was all very interesting, bending over not to hit your head on the low roof, but a little eerie to think just how far underground you were. We witnessed a stuffed lion being blown up by 4 sticks of dynamite, what a show.

Yesterday we made our way to the Salt Flats in Uyuni. I have heard this is supposed to be quite a spectacle. When we got there, to our dismay, we saw that it was flooded. Although, on further inspection, we realised just how beautiful what we saw in front of us really was. With about a foot of water immersing the salt there were perfect reflections of the clouds and sky above making for some fantastic photos. Lunch was prepared for us, we sat there and enjoyed chicken, pasta and salad while the salt crystallised on our legs. On the way back we sat on top of our 4 wheel drives for a thrilling ride across the flats which were actually drying out at a rapid rate.

Tomorrow we leave for Argentina. I have a fourteen hour drive to look forward to. We will then be free camping before we arrive in Salta.

The week has definitely been busy and I look forward to more Altiplano adventures!

Louisa