20.03.2008 Puno, Lake Titicaca

Early morning departure, the same hassle as usual at the Terminal terrestre (bus terminal) after queueing to pay the departure tax, we got outside to register our bags and to wait for the bus. This time we had chosen company San Cristobal, the trip lasted about 5h30 and cost 25 soles (6.25€). We were expecting to be the only tourists in the bus, but we were completely wrong! The moment of the departure about 25 norwegians showed up and got into the bus! It was a school class visiting Peru for three weeks... During the trip the bus stopped once and all the girls run to the nature for pipi and the guys used the "toilets" (disgusting hole on the ground). Once we got a bit higher we started to see llamas and alpacas, some wild and some in a herd with a shepherd. The norwegians left the bus in Juliaca, about an hour before Puno, and after that it was only us and 3 peruvians in the bus.

Arriving in Puno (3850m) early afternoon, this time in the city center(!), we got a taxi to our hotel Manco Capac Inn, got a nice very large room with three beds for 92 soles / night, including heating, which was very much needed and breakfast (23€ for the two of us). We started to feel the altitude while carrying our bags up the stairs to our room... In the afternoon we booked a excursion to the floating islands, including one night sleeping with some local Uros family for the next day. After that we continued to the colorful handcraft market to buy some peruvian hats (9 soles = 2€ instead of the 100 $ in Lima!!!) and had a wondeful lunch by the lake Titicaca.

For once we were in a city with a lot of people in the streets in the evening and plenty of bars, but unfortunately Steph had a little stomach problem and Jo had a horrible flu, so at 23h we were asleep... Hoping to feel better for next day´s excursion!