Last Minute Cup Winner!

After a month in our luxury apartment in Cusco we had to bite the bullet and move on. We loved Cusco and it was great meeting up with other Gringos during our time there to celebrate Christmas and New Year.

We travelled south to Puno an ugly town that borders Lake Titicaca. Puno though is positively Cuscoesque compared to a place called Juliaca on the way, apart from about 5 buildings everywhere seemed to be on the way up or down.

Lake Titicaca is 5 times the size of Lake Geneva, so Bec tells me, and acts as a natural border between Peru and Bolivia (I knew that myself). We had a 2 day trip exploring the lake. First stop were the Uros floating islands where the islanders make their homes and the islands themselves from reeds. The reeds are 6 metres deep and ably supported my weight when we boarded from the boat (I was a bit tentative at first though). We saw more solid looking houses with mud bricks and tin roofs on the way back today so I reckon they commute to the islands where their "traditional" homes are in time for the tourists every day.

Our overnight stay was on Amantini the 2nd largest island on the lake. Having forgotten to take the camera out for our trek to the 4100m peak you´ll have to take my word for it that the views were stunning. The lake itself is at an altitude of 3800m.

The rest of our group didn´t seem to want to join me on the top deck of the boat on Day 1, Bec remarked that if may have had something to do with the freezing cold weather and gale force wind but it was so peaceful up there taking in the lake the Incas thought was the meeting of the Gods and Mother Earth. On the way back today the borders of the lake were topped of by fluffy clouds even though overhead was completely clear (pics 5&6).

I arrived back at the hotel to see on CNN that Solskjaer had scored a last minute winner, City could only draw with Sheff Weds and Liverpool were out.

Tomorrow we are off to the Bolivian side of the lake and then on to La Paz.