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Burnt to a very pink crisp

Yes....forgot my hat didn't I, on a very long boat trip on Lake Titicaca. Went yesterday morning at 8am, after being kept awake for a long long time by all the wandering festival bands. Spent a little time on the floating islands, which are built on reed roots, with great piles of reeds on top, about 2 metres thick. It's disconcerting to sink into the ground on an island where there is no real solid ground. They eat the reeds too, and build boats out of them and there are surely some other multiple uses for them! Nice with a bit of sugar probably. Arrived at our little island for lunch, walked up another steep hill! Yes another one. Our house and the family we stayed with were very cool. Theodocio and Epifania, and their children Bryan Elvis and Jhony Richard. Bryan Elvis! Yehar. Tourism only started on the island about 3 years ago, and looks so far to have been a positive thing. My more multilingual compatriots who could communicate with their family said that generally it is viewed as positive, the islanders appreciate the money and enjoy the extra influx of people...who generally bring fruit as presents as no fruit and few vegetables are grown there....not too often in the low season....and the fiestas are for them as much as the touristsGathered tour group together again at 4pm for football against the locals...looked violent cos it was all boys on concrete pitch so obviously didn't join in. That and being at an altitude of 4000 metres is my excuse. Was very cute that youngest child Bryan seemed very keen on holding my hand all the way up the hill. Then more hill to the top of Pachamama to watch the sun set....but got cloudy and stormy so what we got was a stunning display of lightning...absolutely huge bolts of lightning reaching out from under the clouds. The storm didn't hit our island till 2am when hail on the corrugated iron roof made me think we were under attack. Had lovely dinner all crammed into tiny little warm kitchen, and some great tea that is just a herb of some kind and hot water. And another treat...the amount of stars you can see when you're away from cities! And being trussed up into traditional dress of three layers of skirts and a white embroidered top, a cummerbund tied so tight I thought I might die and a long heavy headscarf (discovered this morning that these were very bright colours, but with no electricity it seemed like just black) and went dancing. Felt very wide and "encased", and we could at last tell why women here look like they have no shape. Apparently on very special occasions they wear 9 or 10 skirts. Was in bed by 10 and aside from storm had very good sleep. Discovered that a French girl from our group went to the IEP in Lyon and did her ERASMUS year at the uni of B'ham. Nice surprise and I even attempted to speak some French. Got back to Puno at 4, having spent a couple of hours on Taquile island, having lunch, walking up more hills and down lots of steps! 540. Steps. My boots are earning their keep I can tell you.

posted by Katie @ 2/16/2004 10:48:00 pm