Lake Titicaca 2

Wednesday, October 22nd, 2008

Day 115 on The Big Trip. “What Else’s in a Lake?”

We say goodbye to the captain, his family, and Isle Amantani. It was a fun visit. Of course, as visits often do, this visit ends. I wonder if Amelie will ever get beyond the Islas Flotantes and Puno to Arequipa.


I do a lot of thinking on the boat ride to Isle Taquile, another touristy island of Lake Titicaca. Of course, I shade myself from the sun in order to think more clearly.


We are stuck with a group of tourists on the island of Taquile, which we don’t like because we like going our own pace, we don’t like listening to someone repeat themselves in two languages if we understand them both, and like my dad, we like to walk unencumbered. Oh well. Soon we break away from the group on the path from the boat dock to the plaza. So we are free from them at least until lunch when we have to rejoin them. We take a few pictures of the gorgeous, blue Lake Titicaca that seems to be an ocean. In some of the pictures, Isle Amantani can be seen in the blue.

After lunch we walk to the dock to board. Again, we walk quicker than many of the other tourists so we end up waiting at the dock. I see a metal ex-quadripod, now rusted tripod on the beach. I’m not sure what it was once intended for, but I know that while I wait I will be most happy if I climb it and hang on it for awhile. So I do! (SEE: Top of page for photo.) I think everyone’s watching me – locals and tourists alike – and wondering, “What does he think he’s doing?” It doesn’t matter. I’m playing! That’s what I’m doing! I’m climbing something! And climbing things is fun! And a great way to end a visit – that ends – on an island in – not on, like the Isles Flotantes - Lake Titicaca.

As we leave Isle Taquile, we realize that we’re also leaving Lake Titicaca. And sections of reeds on Lake Titicac are being burned. Look! So, our plan after Lake TC is this: 1) get to Puno from Isle Taquile, 2) taxi to the plaza and pick up our laundry nearby, 3) walk to the hostel to pick up our luggage that we left there because we didn’t need it for two days and one night on Lake Titicaca, and 4) taxi to the Terminal Terrestre where we will take the earliest bus to Arequipa because really, once you’ve seen Lake Titicaca, you’ve seen all you need to of Puno!

We take the bus and get the front seats on the 2nd floor that overlook the large windshield-wiperless windshield. Great seats! Unfortunatley, even though this bus leaves the station on time at 4:45, the 5 hour busride that should arrive in Arequipa by 10pm arrives past midnight. Here are two reasons why: 1) the bus hadn’t filled it seats at the station so it took 1 ½ hours cruising around town looking for passengers 2) someone on board was caught at a Control station for embezzling illegal goods from Bolivia to Peru. Or so we gathered.

AREQUIPA, FINALLY! Escaping more lands, your landescaper, n8