March 9, 2009

La Paz was spectacular.  These pictures cannot possibly capture this city built on the sides of the mountains.  We all marveled at the skills of the drivers who had to handle a clutch on such hills.  And the people who walk up and down the streets carrying huge loads and not even breathing hard.  They clearly are genetically created to handle the altitude.   We stayed less than 48 hours, but we all unanimously agreed that this was the best place we had been yet. 

 

From La Paz we drove 3 hours to a small town on the shores of Lake Titicaca (13,800 ft).  Though we continue to acclimatize, this was a difficult test.  The next morning we got up early and took a boat ride out to Isla del Sol.  This island was the most sacred place for the Inca nation and as we walked across the 7 mile ridge of the island we saw both Inca ruins and panoramic views. It was cold, windy and a little rainy most of the day, but we still managed to get sunburned.  The sun is so strong at this altitude that you have to be constantly diligent.

 

Today we took a bus from Copacobana, along the shores of Titicaca to a Peruvian city also on the lake called Puno. As soon as we arrived we jumped on a boat to see the floating islands.  There are about 50 of these islands made of reeds that house the Uros people.  It's hard to believe that these islands, are floating in over 40 feet of water. They have homes, watch towers and even schools on these islands. It was truly fascinating to learn how they built and maintained their homes.  

 

Tomorrow we bus to Arequipa.  It has been a busy travel period, and not something we could do for long.  Getting Alexander to complete his history paper while battling the exhaustion of the Titicaca altitude was a challenge.  But after a two-week stay in Santiago and another one coming up near Lima it seemed worth the sprint to see so much.