Let's Go! It's me and you exploring Peru (May 23)

Not much to report today. We were told to be ready for pick up at just after 5am. We sat outside on the street,one a pair of waifs and strays. The bus turned up at 5.45!! Off we went, on our way Puno, which is at 3,800 metre above sea level. We stopped for a comfort break. I stepped out of the bus and immediately felt faint and struggled to breathe.  We arrived late in the day, had a walk round, had dinner and called it a day.

We were booked to go on a full day boat trip, so we were up and out early. There were so many boats waiting to leave the quay, we had to wait our turn. It was a peculiar day.  Most of it was spent on the water.  First stop was Uros.  The Uru or Uros people are believed to be descended from the earliest inhabitants of Lake Titicaca. They’ve preserved a floating lifestyle for hundreds of years. To protect themselves from invading groups, the Uros built mobile islands from the endemic totora plant. If a threat emerged, they could simply move their islands elsewhere in the lake. While this worked for a while, both the Incas and Spanish eventually discovered their islands.  Although the island was built in the traditional way, it's authenticity was in doubt! We were then taken by traditional boat to the next island which was a complete tourist trap. Three children under 5 were put on the boat and immediately began to beg by ...

This morning Colin and I decided to go on a walk about to try and mop up some of the places that we both wanted to see in Arequipa but haven't been able to fit them into the itinerary. Out came my little blue notebook and the local map and the crap Google maps. I wanted to see Juanita, the oldest, frozen preserved mummy. We arrived as the museum opened.  We had plackards stuck in our hands and our photos taken by the local news reporter and the museum!!!! Apparently, it was a special open day to promote the museum and it was free to enter. Excellent start to the day. Second stop of the day was the cathedral in the main square. We timed it right so we could do the guided tour and the rooftop/ bell tower as it only opens for 2 hours, twice a day. It was magnificent and certainly rung my bell!! After a break for more pancakes and milkshakes, we headed off to find the next museum. We were so lucky. This place had the biggest collection of...

So this morning we were picked up at 6.15 in the morning to go on a tour, which took us to an altitude of 4,600 metres above sea level. We had no idea how we were going to react. It was like an out of body experience. Within minutes my head felt really fussy and it was almost as if I was there but I wasn't. It's really hard to explain. First stop was a photo opportunity, with the volcanoes in the background. We stopped at some church to take some photographs which had some significance during the time when the Spanish we're trying to indoctrinate the indigenous people. Next was a quick stop for breakfast where we were all given the obligatory rolls and cheese and Coca leaf tea. Colin made a new friend. The first stop was the salt flats. This is normally filled with water but to due to the lack of rain we had to walk a good way out before we reached the lake. The salt is actually pumped up from underground is mainly used in agr...

After sleeping until after 11am, the first day was never going to be crazy. We climbed to 2400 metres, (7900 feet) above sea level and the next few days are all about taking it easy and acclimatising to dxthe altitude before climbing to Puno which is 3827 metres above sea level. We ambled into the plaza late in the morning and watched the world go by for a while. Arequipa is the colonial-era capital of Peru’s Arequipa Region. Framed by 3 volcanoes, it's filled with baroque buildings constructed from sillar, a white volcanic stone. Its historic center is anchored by the Plaza de Armas, a stately main square flanked on its north by the 17th-century neoclassical Basilica Cathedral. In the afternoon we took a trip to the Rota de Sillar, where you can witness the entire process of extraction and carving in detail of this mineral. Sillar Rosado, a canyon that, thanks to the particular combination of sand,...