3510 Peru X

Lake Titicaca
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We decided to spend some time at the beautiful lake Titikaka, but in a remote area and after having filled up with food and got the washing out of the way we started a journey on a rather rough dirt road down to a tip of land opposite of Puno. Having set out pretty late, we were treated along the drive to an endless pageant of farm animals being brought home from pasture by their owners. Each family seemed to have a mixed heard of sheep and cows, each with a string attached and trailing along the road. Mother and baby and several children accompanied the heard shouting and throwing stones to prevent any animals from wandering off. The downside of this late journey was that it got dark long before we reached our intended destination. When we finally struggled into the small village of Llachon (no electricity or running water) in the pitch dark. After asking around we were lucky enough to find somebody who showed us to an "suitable" parking area in his neighbors field right at the edge of the lake. The view was splendid as it turned out the following morning.There we spend three days on the plot of a little farm. It was not exactly deserted, hundreds of people roamed up and down the track every day by foot, donkey or very occasional car.
From there we made a beautiful walk up the 300 meter hill with a stunning view across the lake and the islands and the white snow capped peaks of Bolivia in the background. We enjoyed the relaxing time and the friendly hosts who left us mainly in peace, being busy with their harvest. We went on from there back to Puno almost running out of petrol. We spent a couple of days on the parking of a new hotel just at the lake side where we could use all the facilities for free!!
The following day we went to the floating islands - made of reeds - on the lake and learned how the people live from fishing and tourism. ᥾z
When we were leaving Puno we were quite confident that we would go to and have a nice time in Bolivia. We had studied newspapers and websites, had called people in Bolivia to find out whether any of the famous roadblocks (yes my friends, this is even better in than in France) was going to stop us. Everything seemed calm and so we were happily driving towards the Bolivian boarder. On top, my assistant Odile had sent us a parcel to LaPaz that would arrive a few days later. 湯朠楯杮漠瑮⁯桴⁥牴a
At the border the same comments. A strike by the transport union was planned for in two days. My decision was taken quickly: we would go around Bolivia into Chile and enjoy the mountains further South. However that was not so easy with Kate. She had read and heard that just across the border in the lovely town of Copacabana at lake Titicaca was a major fiesta going on and despite a family dispute she absolutely wanted to check it out. Due to my refusal to take the camper on the other side of the border she decided to go with the girls in a taxi for the afternoon. I was obviously not in a good mood when they came back a few hours later. However, not only had they enjoyed the waterfights, dancing and drunken Bolivians, but they had found ÿ
Before the border we stopped when we saw at the roadside an animal market. The whole family went for a stroll to find out about the prices of cattle (a calf fetched around 130 $ and a big bull would go as far as 400 $ - a lot of money for the farmers out there!). When we wanted to get back into the camper we met two cyclists - one from Mexico the other from Peru - who were on there way down to Patagonia. They alerted us on some news they got from Bolivian travelers that in two days there would be a major strike with roadblocks in Bolivia and they wanted to get quickly to LaPaz to wait out the stoppage. We were shocked but nevertheless decided to get closer to the border to find out with the police and border officials what would really happen. ÿ
out from the locals as well that the strike was only minor and only the buses would not go. But no roadblocks or anything else was expected. We stayed the night at the border and grudgingly I admitted that it was a good idea to get into Bolivia the following day. And we would not be disappointed.
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Lake Titicaca

We decided to spend some time at the beautiful lake Titikaka, but in a remote area and after having filled up with food and got the washing out of the way we started a journey on a rather rough dirt road down to a tip of land opposite of Puno. Having set out pretty late, we were treated along the drive to an endless pageant of farm animals being brought home from pasture by their owners. Each family seemed to have a mixed heard of sheep and cows, each with a string attached and trailing along the road. Mother and baby and several children accompanied the heard shouting and throwing stones to prevent any animals from wandering off. The downside of this late journey was that it got dark long before we reached our intended destination. When we finally struggled into the small village of Llachon (no electricity or running water) in the pitch dark. After asking around we were lucky enough to find somebody who showed us to an "suitable" parking area in his neighbors field right at the edge of the lake. The view was splendid as it turned out the following morning.There we spend three days on the plot of a little farm. It was not exactly deserted, hundreds of people roamed up and down the track every day by foot, donkey or very occasional car.

From there we made a beautiful walk up the 300 meter hill with a stunning view across the lake and the islands and the white snow capped peaks of Bolivia in the background. We enjoyed the relaxing time and the friendly hosts who left us mainly in peace, being busy with their harvest.
We went on from there back to Puno almost running out of petrol. We spent a couple of days on the parking of a new hotel just at the lake side where we could use all the facilities for free!!

The following day we went to the floating islands - made of reeds - on the lake and learned how the people live from fishing and tourism.

When we were leaving Puno we were quite confident that we would go to and have a nice time in Bolivia. We had studied newspapers and websites, had called people in Bolivia to find out whether any of the famous roadblocks (yes my friends, this is even better in than in France) was going to stop us. Everything seemed calm and so we were happily driving towards the Bolivian boarder. On top, my assistant Odile had sent us a parcel to LaPaz that would arrive a few days later.

At the border the same comments. A strike by the transport union was planned for in two days. My decision was taken quickly: we would go around Bolivia into Chile and enjoy the mountains further South. However that was not so easy with Kate. She had read and heard that just across the border in the lovely town of Copacabana at lake Titicaca was a major fiesta going on and despite a family dispute she absolutely wanted to check it out. Due to my refusal to take the camper on the other side of the border she decided to go with the girls in a taxi for the afternoon. I was obviously not in a good mood when they came back a few hours later. However, not only had they enjoyed the waterfights, dancing and drunken Bolivians, but they had found

Before the border we stopped when we saw at the roadside an animal market. The whole family went for a stroll to find out about the prices of cattle (a calf fetched around 130 $ and a big bull would go as far as 400 $ - a lot of money for the farmers out there!). When we wanted to get back into the camper we met two cyclists - one from Mexico the other from Peru - who were on there way down to Patagonia. They alerted us on some news they got from Bolivian travelers that in two days there would be a major strike with roadblocks in Bolivia and they wanted to get quickly to LaPaz to wait out the stoppage. We were shocked but nevertheless decided to get closer to the border to find out with the police and border officials what would really happen.

out from the locals as well that the strike was only minor and only the buses would not go. But no roadblocks or anything else was expected.
We stayed the night at the border and grudgingly I admitted that it was a good idea to get into Bolivia the following day. And we would not be disappointed.