After
an early night we were up early and well rested. We packed our bags and headed
down to breakfast where I finally didn't have to eat jam. I had avo on bread
and some other normal items. The first tour picked us up on time and we made
our way to the boat which took us to the Uros Islands. These are a group of
about 87 floating islands which are made from reeds as is everything on the
island. The tour was very disappointing as the people on the islands no longer
practice their traditions as tourism is their main source of income and it
showed. It was interesting to see but you don't get the feeling that this is
how they live at all and it comes across as extremely touristy.
After
visiting one island we went to another one which was the capital. Here they
tried to sell us snacks like snickers, skittles, lays, etc. Nothing was unique
to the region which was again, very disappointing. After a little walk around
we made our way back to Puno for some lunch where I had some kebabs (chicken,
beef and Al paca). I also finally tried Inca Cola which I had seen since
entering Peru and it tastes like bubble gum ice cream. The alpaca was nice and
had a taste similar to venison.
After
lunch we had an ice cream and made our way back to the hostel where we chilled
while waiting for the next tour. We got picked up and walked to Plaza de Armas
where we waited for the bus before making our way to Sillustani. We all managed
to get some sleep along the way before stopping at the site.
We
walked to the tombs which were made of stones which were brought all the way
from Bolivia and transported across Lake Titicaca by Reed boats. After walking
around and seeing multiple rock tombs and great views we made our way back to
the bus and went to visit a local family. Here the man showed us how they used
traditional tools for farming and the woman showed us some dried potatoes and
other traditional food. We then headed back to Puno where we got some more
sleep.
We
went back to the rock bar for a drink before going in search of dinner. We
found a great local place where we had grilled chicken (La choza de Oscar)
before going back to the rock bar for some more beer and Andre found us there.
We then took a walk back to the hostel and killed a few minutes before grabbing
a cab to the bus station. I'm rather excited because apparently we have found a
bus with all the bells and whistles, except the free booze.