We started at 1410m altitude and went straight into the climbing,
twisting and turning road inland. This road steadily climbed with a relentless
series of sweeping and tight bends. The vegetation changed once more from the
oasis of green around Moquegua, to sandy desert, then tussock land with
numerous Lama and Alpaca (some sheep also) then into sandy dessert again. I was
bothered by abdominal pains and diarrhea again which I had just recovered from,
which took some of the fun out of it. As we climbed the temperature slowly
dropped for the balmy conditions in Moquegua to more and more alpine
temperatures. The sun beat down on us the whole time of course. At one point
there was sudden drop in temperature as we climbed through some sort of
thermocline. We stopped at the top to rug up and peat the cold, which was now
really bighting in on us. We were at 4500m altitudes. Another stunning climb.
Geert caught up and we raided the truck for the jacket liners and winter
gloves. I used the convenience at this very basis hill top set of shops. There
was a series of small huts with open doors all facing the same way to a view of
the mountains in the distance, with a hole in the concrete floor. Very smelly
and dirty but lead to great relief all the same.
We continued along a high plateau and into a thermal area with a geyser
with pink and white deposits all around it and the associated river flowed
under the road through a natural land bridge. After a few photos of this area
we just pushed on to Puno at he shores of lake Titicaca. We had been on the
road for a good four hours by the time we stopped and we were all over it. This
is a bit too long to ride in one stretch for me, as I start to daydream and
loos focus, which is potentially dangerous on a bike. We fueled up, found the
hotel and changed then off for some lunch. We were very excited to see a photo
of a real espresso on the door menu, but on inspection the machine was cold. We
wasted no time in getting the thing turned on. Sadly once again the end result
was very disappointing. Geert seems to be correct in his opinion that despite
the fact that they grow coffee they do not have a clue how to make the stuff.
We wandered down to the lakefront to go on a boat trip out to the
reed islands. A few vital statistics were divulged, this is the highest navigable
lake in the world, with a steam ship having been bought in from the UK in
pieces and assembled to ply the waters here. The lake is 160km long, 60km wide
and 270m deep. Bolivia is on one side and Peru on the other.
The Indians that live on the reed islands were forced there over 500
years ago by the Incas. They made a life for themselves out there building
floating islands of reed roots, layered with criss crossed reeds on top which
need to be topped up every 15 days as they rot down. The islands are anchored
at four corners to prevent them from sailing away. Reed boats are also used for
transport, and their houses on the islands are made from reed also. They have
the houses on an extra high piece of reed bedding which keeps it comfy, and
four people can pick the house up to move it. I guess they did not get the memo
about the downfall of the Inca Empire and just kept living on the reed islands.
It is now mostly a tourist attraction and are they set up for the tourists. We
took an old boat out to the islands, with a purring ford V8 engine pushing it
along at a very leisurely pace. The steering failed on the boat and it started
on its own ours at one point which necessitated the captain coming to the back
of the boat (stern that is) and steering the boat manually with a lever that
was attached to the rudder.
On docking to the designated island we were given a lecture on life
in the islands, there are about 88 islands al together. The president of our
island described the manufacturing process of the island and their maintenance
requirements. He then talked to us about going on a boat ride to another island
for a fee but before this happened we got thief hard sell of their crafts and a
lecture on how important it was for them to have the crafts sell so they can
buy medicine for there arthritis and abdominal problems that are apparently
common. We were then separated and taken into the houses. I was offered
traditional clothes to put on in the presidents bedroom which had me
questioning what the motives were, Harry had the same treatment and we both had
photos taken. Hax was sadly left out of this ritual, I guess his tour guide
thought he wouldn’t fit. We then got sat down and offered various arts and
crafts to purchase. The choice was limited by the family that was talking to
us, I was interested in an embroidered rug that told a story of the islands but
no that was a different family, so had to settle for the one of the Inca gods.
I was OK with that.
Off we went on our reed boat trip in a big circle then landing on
the island that was right next door to the one we had been on. You could have
jumped. Still it was a neat experience and three young schoolgirls sung a
series of songs in various languages that they had been learning at their
school. For a tip no less. These guys are masters at the up selling. Very cute
all the same. The island we landed on was the shopping mall version of these
islands, with numerous stalls selling more crafts and food etc.
The sun was getting low on the horizon so we headed back on the now
repaired boat, that seemed to have fully functional steering now.
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