Saturday, May 30 - Cusco

We woke up at 5:00am as breakfast was at 5:30am and the boat was going to leave for the airstrip at 6:00am. It was still raining hard. The consensus in our bungalow was that there was at most a 30 minute break in the rain overnight. Other than that it had been raining solid ever since the morning prior. Before leaving we saw the group that had arrived the day before in the lodge. They were supposed to have gone to the clay lick to view the parrots and macaws. However, the birds do not visit the clay lick if it is raining. It made me feel lucky to have seen all the wildlife we had seen. In fact we had seen just about everything that was advertised, except for a nice view accross the jungle canopy.

We boarded the boat, it was going to be a 2 hour ride to the airstrip. We were all pleased to have had rain gear. We had went out and purchased rain pants for this trip, it turned out to be a great investment. The lodge let us borrow rubber boots for the boat ride as well. Although there was a canopy on the boat, it didn't stop the heavy rain. Of course when we got to the airstrip the plane was still in Cusco because of the weather. A native tribe runs the airstrip and also had a small restaurant/lodge where we could hang out. While we waited I entertained a couple of young local children with my iPhone. We probably waited a good 3 hours before the plane arrived.

We arrived in Cusco and checked into our hotel. Upon entering our hotel room we opened our suitcases. The stench was unbearable. Our sweaty wet clothes needed immediate attention. After washing our clothes in the sink we went to look for lunch. It was sunny and warm. We had the rest of the day free. We had a late lunch at a pizza place that was recommended in Fodor's. The food in Peru is really quite good. The pizza was made fresh and it was delicious. After wondering around a bit we decided to go back to the hotel for the rest of the evening. I called my Mom and Dad from my cell phone, it was my Dad's birthday the day before. Then it was bed time.

A rather large spider hanging around the Amazon airstrip lodge Our Cusco hotel Plaza outside the hotel Cusco - Population 348,000

Friday, May 29 - Jungle Boogie

Our breakfast was at 5:30am. On this morning we were to tour an oxbow lake. An oxbow lake is a body of water that was once a part of the river. Often the river will make a new path leaving a lake behind. That is how an oxbow lake is formed. It is of course a feature that attracts a wide variety of wildlife.

We took off on the motorized canoe down the river and then docked against the river bank. It was a short walk to the lake. At the lake we sat down on a platform that was fixed across two canoes. We sat down on chairs attached to the platform as 2 men sat at the back of each canoe and paddled us around the lake. At first we watched mostly birds, but then we caught the site of a large black caiman. Tristan estimated it at about 8 feet long, we kept our distance. A little later we came up very close to another caiman, this one was much smaller and we were able to take photos. We continued to explore the lake and were able to view another group of Red Howler Monkeys. They were feasting on young shoots of leaves high in a tree. Then we watched as they followed one another to another tree.

The last animal we saw was a Three Toed Sloth. This is a large mammal with, you guessed it, three toes on each leg. It is a tree climber and it must be the slowest creature alive. Its defense is its slowness, other animals don't notice it is there. We watched it eating some leaves, and it really does take a long time for the sloth to grab the leaves and bring them to its mouth. Apparently it can take two days to get down from a tree. We were rather pleased to have seen this exotic animal. As we started to paddle back it started to rain, we didn't know at the time of course but it was going to be well into the next day before it stopped.

We arrived back at the lodge well before lunch, I decided to have a beer and talk to Louis the bartender. He did not know much English so we used both English, Spanish, hand waving, and pen/paper to communicate. A funny thing happened then, let me explain. On the first day when we were first welcomed into the lodge, there was a lady lounging around having a beer. It was 11:00am and I thought, "what kind of guest just hangs around the lodge drinking beer in the morning?". Later I found out that many of the people in that group were from our neck of the woods, Berkeley. At that time we were seated for our welcome/introduction to the lodge which included a juice drink prepared for us. So now, it is about 11:00am in the morning and I am lounging around the bar with Louis and guess what? In comes a new group just off the plane. They come in and sit down for their welcome/introduction and Louis makes up their juice drinks. I wonder what they were thinking about me!! It didn't matter, one of them was probably drinking beer at 11:00am a couple of days later.

After lunch we went to get a view of the jungle canopy. Many jungle lodges have these platforms that you climb up on to get a view over the top of the jungle. However, it was still raining. The platform was about 100 feet high. We climbed up a circular staircase to the top. Just think of a large pole planted in the ground, secured by cables and a circular staircase built around the pole. When we got to the top, well there wasn't a lot to see because of the rain. It was still fun to have climbed up there though. Well that was our last event for our visit. We relaxed in the lodge, had dinner and called it a night.

Bats Can you find the Caiman? Click to enlarge Of course I can't remember the name of this bird Can you get fresher bananas? Hammocks in the lodge Up on the platform

Thursday, May 28 - Amazon Wildlife

Can you believe it, it's another early rising. On this morning we had to be at the boat at 5:00am! We traveled down the river in the pre-dawn darkness. We had to get to the clay lick before any of the birds so as not to scare them off.

The program at this lodge gives you a dedicated guide for your entire visit. On the day we arrived there were the 3 of us and 2 others who flew with us from Cusco. We were all assigned to the same guide. Of the 2 that had joined us, one was an ER doctor from Atlanta and the other was a technical writer from Seattle. So the 6 of us did everything together (OK, we didn't all sleep or shower together), activities and meals.

One thing we have discovered is that it is hard to dress for the jungle. If the sun comes out you are a sweaty mess. But you want to wear long sleeves for bug protection. There are also times when you want to wear rain gear, but even with breathable materials the extra layer keeps you extra warm. The temperature range was 70 degrees to 85 degrees day or night. I found that rain pants seemed comfortable enough and would protect from rain and wet foliage. Typically I would not wear a rain jacket, it was a little too cumbersome and if my shirt wasn't getting wet from the rain it was wet from the sweat.

I have never thought bird watching would be interesting, but in this case it was fascinating. First of all the dynamics of the clay lick. The clay lick is just that, a section of exposed clay on the bank of the river that the birds lick. The birds lick the clay to get salt and minerals, they especially need to do this if they are eating unripened fruits.

We set up in the blind, an elevated structure near the river on the opposite side of the clay lick. We all had our binoculars and we had brought a tri-pod and zoom lens for the camera. Our guide also set up a telescope. Breakfast was served while we waited for the birds. Well then came the birds. First the parrots, there were two types of species, both of them a light shade of green with some yellow, one was larger than the other. The birds do not go straight to the clay lick. On the clay lick the birds are vulnerable to predators, so they start to gather in the high tree branches and then slowly make their way down. All the birds play a game of "Who's going to be first on the clay lick?". Once the first bird lands on the lick and survives the rest follow suit. But if anything spooks them they all fly off, then they have to start to gather all over again.

Finally a parrot landed on the clay lick and sure enough the rest followed suit. There were probably 60-70 parrots on the lick at one time, it made for good wildlife viewing. We could also see a monkey in the distance swinging from limb to limb in the trees that formed the background.

Next it was time for the Macaws. The Macaws are impressive birds, they are about 3 feet long with red, blue, and green feathers. They mate for life and therefore always fly in pairs. Same story as the parrots, they gather up in the higher branches and then start to make their way down until one brave soul lands on the lick (and survives I might add). Then it's "everybody in the pool". While waiting for the Macaws we saw several other species of birds and a Black Caiman. If only that Egret had landed a little closer we might have seen the Caiman take him down.

Next it was back for lunch and a little rest before the next activity

The next activity was another clay lick to wait for a Tapir. A Tapir is a nocturnal animal that is a close relative of the Hippopotamus. We had to hike through the jungle for at least one and a half hours to reach the lick. On the way we saw more monkeys and observed an owl for awhile. This lick was not along a river but just a large section of deep clay that was really a muddy mess. We went up into the viewing platform and there were individual mattresses with a pillow and blanket. Each mattress had its own mosquito netting. We climbed under the mosquito netting and each of us ate our box dinners. Then as the sun went down we waited in silence for the Tapir

We had waited for many hours and no sign of the Tapir. It didn't matter to me as I was able to get quite a few winks in. It was after 10:00pm and the guide wanted to know if everyone still wanted to wait. I said yes, knowing that the guide had been sawing logs as well instead of watching for the Tapir. Everyone else said yes and so we continued to wait. Finally at midnight there was this large sucking sound, there was the Tapir! It was a huge beast, kind of a cross between a Hippo and a pig. The sucking sound was made as the Tapir lifted its leg up out of the mud while walking through the lick. It did not mind flash photography either. For all of us it was worth the wait, plus how often do you get to camp out in the middle of the Amazon.

We left the clay lick at about 12:30am, donning our headlamps we walked back to the lodge. It had stopped raining and there were a lot of things that came out in the night. All kinds of spiders, frogs, and ants. Army ants and leaf cutter ants. Huge moths would fly up into our faces. And by huge, I mean moths that are 4-5 inches wide! We saw huge termite nests and who knows what we didn't see. It was after 2:00am when we got to bed

Our guide identifying birds for Becky and Tristan The clay lick Our comfortable viewing location The Parrots and a single Macaw The Macaws on the lick It's a jungle out there Our bungalow Our accommodations while we waited for the Tapir The Tapir arrives

Wednesday, May 27 - Into The Amazon

On this day we traveled to the Amazon. I must say that I never thought I would travel into the Amazon. You hear about all the strange creatures that call the Amazon home. But now I realize that the exotic nature is the intrigue. Again we are up before 5:00am. We had to meet the shuttle at 6:00am. The schedule that I had read did not have us leaving that early. But, the night before while taking the taxi to the hotel there were cops on almost every corner. I asked the taxi driver, Jesus, about it. He said it was the "huelga", which means the strike. Maybe they wanted to get us to the airport early before we ran into any trouble.

After arriving at the airport we found out that take-off would be delayed. It was raining at the Boca Manu air field where we were to land. We would need to wait for a break. About 2 hours later the break came and we took off from Cusco. The plane was a twin engine prop plane that could seat about 15 passengers. It was un-pressurized, so we needed to put on oxygen masks over the crest of the Andes. Before landing we flew under the last layer of clouds to see the jungle below us. It was quite a site, a thick mass of vegatation as far as the eye could see.

We landed on the narrow grass air field at Boca Manu. We were in the jungle and it felt like it. The air was thick. There was little need for the jackets we were wearing. However, insect repellent was definitely required. Our luggage was gathered and we took off in a large canoe. The canoe could seat about 10 people in 2 columns of seats on each side of the canoe. A hefty outboard motor pushed us along. We then traveled downstream on the Madre de Dios River, a major tributary to the Amazon River. We arrived at the Manu Wildlife Center about 90 minutes later. The facilities were rather nice. The very large lodge had a dining area on one side, a bar in the middle, and a relaxation area including hammocks on the other side. Our bungalow was nice as well, it was raised on stilts. It was completely enclosed with a tight screen mesh covered by latice and topped with a thatch roof. It was made to let the air flow in but keep the bugs out. Inside it had a large bathroom with a propane heated shower. The beds all came with mosquito netting. Our only source of light in the evening was candlelight. We did see one cockroach in the bathroom. It was the only pest we had in the room and if I was in the middle of the Amazon and only had to worry about one cockroach, well that was a good bargain.

After lunch and a rest we had to find some rubber boots that fit. The lodge provides rubber boots for use. You can not hike around the jungle without rubber boots. We then proceeded on our afternoon hike. The amount of plantlife was amazing. Pretty quick into our hike we found some monkeys. These were Red Howler Monkeys. They were about 50-75 feet above us in a tree. They were not happy about our presence. First they tried to defacate on us, then there was the urination, and finally they resorted to throwing branches at us. So amusing. We then continued on and saw two other species of monkeys, Capuchin and a White Faced something or other. We headed back for candle light dinner as that was the only kind of light to be had. The food was pretty good, local Peruvian dishes. Then after another long day it was bedtime.

Flying over the Andes, O2 required Our plane Airport terminal at Boca Manu Our beds, equipped with mosquito netting Tromping thru the jungle Red Howler Monkeys

Tuesday, May 26 - Machu Picchu

So on this day we were going to Machu Picchu. We needed to meet our guide at 6:30am so we could be some of the first visitors in the park. There would be fewer crowds at that time and hopefully the light would be good for photos. But before we could meet up with our guide we had to get down to the train station when it opened at 5:30am so we could replace Becky's lost ticket. We got there right when it opened. They told us that they had been successful in getting us the replacement ticket. The ticket would be sent via one of the trains from Cusco and be here in the afternoon. It was going to cost us $20 US. It seemed very odd that they had the ability to print tickets right there in that office, but a lost ticket had to be sent all the way from Cusco. When we received the ticket that afternoon it was a small form in triplicate that had been filled out by hand. Oh the mysteries of Peru Rail.

Since we didn't have to spend much time at the train station we were able to have the sumptuous hotel breakfast before our outing. We met up with our guide, we were the only ones in the tour, so we had a personal guide. We got on the bus, it was a 30 minute ride to Machu Picchu. These shuttle buses are constantly carrying tourists up and down the mountain side via a bunch of switchbacks.

We entered the park and it was a beautiful morning, with warm sunshine and cloudless skies. The first thing we did was hike up to the guard gate that overlooks Machu Picchu. This is where all the postcard pictures are taken. Machu Picchu is really quite magical. The combination of these old Inca ruins set in a high subtropical mountainous region really makes for unique sight. After a lot of picure taking we sat down overlooking Machu Picchu as our guide gave us a review of the known history. Because the Incas had no written language, most of what is know about the Incas is theory. No one really knows why Machu Picchu was built, or why it was built in this location. It is known that the Incas did not pocess iron tools nor did they have animals to help in the construction. It was all done with primitive stone tools and human muscle.

After our history review, we took off to wander the ruins. Machu Picchu can be divided into three areas, the agricultural area, the urban area, and the temple area. The Incas were sun worshippers, and much of the construction is made to match the rising and setting of the sun at winter and summer soltices. The most odd thing about Inca construction is that they did not carve out uniform stone bricks, instead they would take a huge piece of stone and fit it into place carving out any number of angles in the stone. They would then shape subsequent stones for a precise fit. Some of the stones are several tons. They did this without the use of mortar, you cannot even insert a piece of paper between the joints.

We had lunch in the midst of the ruins and I had to deal with a work issue. Yes, I received email on my iPhone while at Machu Picchu and then made a telephone call to my partner, Eric, to work on a problem. After that we continued on with the tour until about 1:00pm. After the tour we decided hike to the drawbridge, a part of the trail that hugged the side of a cliff. There was a spot where wooden planks were used to cross a section of the path. The planks could be removed in case of attack, and so the name "drawbridge".

It was about 3:00pm and we decided to get back down to town. We caught a shuttle bus back down and went to the train station to inquire about Becky's ticket. Interestingly, Machu Picchu is about at 8,000 feet in elevation. We had no problem with our vigorus hike at that altitude. I guess after being at 14,000 feet, 8,000 is a piece of cake.

We got off the bus and there was quite a commotion in town. There was a demonstration for the protection of Indigenous people of the Amazon. Many of the signs were written in English. I guess if you want the world to know of your plight, Machu Picchu is a good place to get your message out. We went to the train station and there was a very long line. Many people were trying to get out of town before the transportation strike began at midnight. We waited in line for about an hour and received Becky's train ticket. Hopefully we would be able to leave without incident.

We went back to the hotel to enjoy the afternoon tea service and then went back to the train station to board the train

The train we were riding back to Cusco was the Hiram Bingham. This was supposed to be an elegant train ride with entertainment and a 4 course meal. It was expensive but turned out to be a great time. Wine and drinks were included, and we went to the bar car to sing along with the band. Some songs in Spanish, some in English. What fun! Then we had a very enjoyable dinner and struck up a conversation with a couple from Chile.

There was one problem, the train was about 1 or 2 hours delayed. Unknown to us at the time, some of the activists had already blocked the train tracks, the police had to be called. The police let them know that their "strike" was not to begin until midnight, so they unblocked the tracks and we went through without incident. But this meant we might not meet up with our cab driver. At one point on our route I was able to get cell phone service, I called him. We had a conversation in Spanish, hopefully we had communicated! When we arrived in Cusco there was our cabbie, Jesus, waiting for us. We took off for our hotel after a very long day. The cabbies in Peru are the best. I don't think the country could run without them.

That's us at Machu Picchu (not Photoshopped) Machu Picchu Machu Picchu Ruins The agricultural terraces in the background Drawbridge Tristan on the Inca Trail Becky and Tristan making their way through the ruins

Monday, May 25 - Travel to Machu Picchu

Today we were taking the train to Machu Picchu. This was certainly going to be one of the big highlights of our trip. After seeing all the photos of Machu Picchu we were finally going to get to see it for ourselves. We had to leave our hotel at 5:45am to get to the train station. Not to get into all the details of dealing with PeruRail, but we had to pick our tickets up at the train station. Special handling was required of our tickets because of various procedural rules and restrictions. We also had to make special arrangements for our luggage at the hotel, as PeruRail did not permit more than a small backpack on the train. The hotel was accomodating.

Our taxi driver, Jesus, met us right on time. He did not speak much english, but was very helpful. He came into the train station to ensure we got on the train. Good thing he came. The station agent did not seem to know anything about our tickets. She pulled up our reservation number on the computer, it said cancelled!! She was pre-occupied with another task and then all of a sudden she pulled out a bunch of tickets from the desk drawer. There were our tickets. We proceeded to board the train with Jesus's direction. Jesus said he would pick us up the next evening when we arrived back in town.

We boarded the train and took our seats. This was a Vistadome train. It had large windows both on the sides and the ceiling. It was cold when we boarded, so we were hoping that the heat would kick in when the train headed out. The train started on its way but it was still cold. The attendants began to hand out small blankets for our laps. I guess that meant there was no heat on the train. We were discovering that heat is not a high priority in Peru. The temperature was probably in the high 30's that morning and the train attendants all wore wool trench coats.

We were a bit concerned about a "strike". We were told by some travelers in Puno that there had been a transportation strike a few days prior. They were calling it a strike, but we would probably call it more of a demonstration against the government. Many of the local residents and farmers were protesting a water rights proposal. So they would block the rails and roads to Machu Picchu. They would do this by blocking paths to Machu Picchu with debri. One of the travelers had told us that they were on a guided motorcycle tour when they reached one of the blockades. They went through anyway but were harrassed and one of the girls was hit in the back as they roded past the blockade. The next strike was to be on Wednesday, we were returning on Tuesday. The exact timing of these strikes is planned out ahead of time, in this case it was to be one day in duration, midnight to midnight, so hopefully we would avoid any problems.

The train takes about 4 hours to reach Aguas Caliente, the main town that services Machu Picchu. There were a lot of Americans on the train and we chatted with a few. Upon arrival we were met by some hotel staff members. We were a little tired so we decided not to go to Machu Picchu on this day. We had all of the following day availble to us. Even thought I was tired I was feeling much better. We were in a subtropical zone at an elevation of about 6,000 feet, the same as Lake Tahoe. They call this area the "Cloud Forest", an area between the desert of the high Andes and the tropical rain forest of the Amazon. Technically we were still in the Andes. But the weather was extremely comfortable, warm and sunny.

Many things were included in the price of our hotel. Three meals and some optional tours. The grounds are beautifully landscaped. We took an orchid tour of the grounds. It lasted about an hour. We then checked into our rooms and had lunch. I was not expecting much from the meals since they were included with the room. But it turned out we had a full menu to choose from and the meals were excellent. We went back to our room for a rest. Then we went to afternoon tea by the pond, followed by cocktails in the lobby, and then finally dinner. Now we were getting comfortable. I booked a half day tour of Machu Picchu for the next day. We needed to meet our guide at 6:30am. One thing I had not anticipated was all the early morning starts we were having on this trip.

It would have been the end to a relaxing day, but we realized that Becky's return train ticket was missing. That meant dealing with PeurRail, a model of efficiency. We went to the train station that evening, it took 3 people about an hour attempting to handle a lost ticket. Finally, they told us to come back in the morning, they opened at 5:30am. We went to bed not that happy with another very early rise the next morning.

Mount Salcantay at 20,574 feet with Mount Pumasillo in the distance at 19,928 feet The "Vistadome" train An orchid Only firewood for heat here. Gratefully we didn't need it. Most comfortable

Sunday, May 24 - Puno to Cusco

Our transportation to the bus terminal was to arrive at 7:10am. We all slept a lot better than the previous night, not necessarially great but better than the night before. Now I could make it up the four flights of stairs to our room without stopping. But I was still not 100%. We could not be rushed as we would run short of breath. Tristan tried to rush since he was running late and threw up in the sink. Apparently the body adjusts to the thin air at high altitudes by increasng the supply of red blood cells. But it takes a little bit of time.

I went down to the lobby early to check out and get some breakfast. Our ride to the Bus Terminal was already there. They were expecting us to go, but I resisted. This would not be the first time that a ride would be scheduled for a particular time, but they really wanted you to go earlier. I never figured out what was going on.

We were taken to the Bus Terminal. We had a driver and a host in the Van. To get on the bus it was going to take another host, a bus coordinator, the guide, and a Police officer doing security duty to get us on the bus. I didn't know what was happening, but after a few passport checks and some kind of "tax" we were on our way. The bus took off at about 8:00am. We were to arrive in Cusco at about 5:00pm. In the meantime we were going to visit a few points of interest and be served lunch.

As we drove to our first point of interest we drove through the city of Juliaca. Juliaca is a city of about 250,000 people. From discussions with others we knew that it was a city of commerce. It turns out that Juliaca basically manufactures what we would consider illegal goods. Many of the garments sold on the streets of Peru to tourists are made here. That means they are massed produced with nylon materials not handmade from Alpaca wool as the street vendor would have you believe. They also sell copies of well know brands and put a brand name on it. Apparently many of these products also come from Bolivia. So there are a lot of low paying jobs in Juliaca. The main method of transportation is the Tricycle. These are taxis that are powered by peddle power. There are 25,000 taxi tricycles in Juliaca. The town is mostly unfinished buildings with dirt roads. Many people do not finish their construction in Peru, for once construction is finished the taxes are due. It was a fascinating city to see.

As we continued to make our way down the highway the worse I felt. We stopped at a museum to see some pre-Inca art. Then we stopped at the top of the pass, La Raya. This was to be the highest point in our travels, 14,232 feet above sea level. If you have altitude sickness you are not supposed to continue to higher elevations, . . . no kidding?!?

One other thing to mention. On our way to La Raya pass we got a good feel for the rural way of life in this part of Peru. We saw a lot of work done by hand. We saw groups of women doing laundry in the river. We saw harvests done by hand. We saw crops be carried on people's backs. We saw workers carry bundles of tree branches on their backs. We saw fields being tilled with animals. We did not see any tractors in use. No trucks or mechanization out in the fields. Most of the women wore what would be considered traditional Peruvian clothing. That type of dress is not just for tourists. It is difficult to get photos of this lifestyle. The buses do not stop for these scenes. Even though they are just as interesting to me as Inca ruins.

Next we stopped for lunch and of course I had no appetite. We sat next to a Canadian couple from Vancouver. They were both just out of college and this was there big fling before heading off to the workforce. The food was a buffet style lunch that was pretty good. We had a flutist as entertainment.

Our next two stops were quite interesting. First we stopped at Raqchi, an Inca temple. It is the only surviving Inca temple. As a matter of practice the Spanish tore down the Inca temples and used the materials to build a Catholic church. But in this case the locals did not tell the Spanish what the structure was for and so it was never tore down. The Raqchi archeological site also contains the dwellings and terraces built by the Incas. It is a large site and rather interesting. The last site is known as the Sistene chaple of South America, an ornate Catholic church whose interior is wrapped in mostly gold.

One observation I made will we were driving is that very few Peruvians own cars. The basic mode for long distance transportation is a commercial van. The people are packed into the van and any belongings or luggage they might have is tied on to the top of the van. There are many of these vans out on the roads and there seem to be certain crossroads that served as transfer points. Traveling as we were in a large roomy coach seemed to be only for white tourists from North America and Europe.

Finally we arrived in Cusco, it was about 5:00pm. We took a taxi to our hotel. The hotel was nice and roomy. I tried to eat dinner, but I was still not hungry and felt a slight fever. But we were at a lower elevation, about 11,500 feet. Hopefully I would start to feel better. We went to bed as we had to get our cab at 5:45am the next morning to catch the train to Machu Picchu.

At La Raya pass, 14,232 feet Vendor stalls in front of the church The Inca Temple, Raqchi Artist's rendering of Raqchi during Inca times Inca Construction

Saturday, May 23 - More Pictures, Lake Titicaca

More pictures of Lake Titicaca. These are from the island of Taquille.

Isle of Taquille, Boliva in the distance Gringos Lunch is served Becky One of the families living on the island

Saturday, May 23 - Lake Titicaca

On this day we were scheduled for an all day tour on Lake Titicaca. It included the floating islands of UROS and the Island of Taquille. The van was scheduled to get us at 7:15am. I was not feeling well at all. I decided to get out the first aid book and take a look at the checklist of symptoms for Mild Altitude Sickness:

• Headache - Check
• Difficulty Sleeping - Check
• Loss of Appetite - Check
• Nausea - only if I lifted a finger

In addition there is this little description:

Sleep is often fitful, with frequent awakenings and an irregular pattern of breathing characterized by periods of rapid breathing alternating with periods of no breathing

Yeah, it was the periods of no breathing that I found most annoying. So I definitely had altitude sickness, I didn't think I would have this much problem but that's how it goes.

I started taking the altitude sickness prevention medicine my doctor gave me. I took an Advil, Pepto Bismal, and some coca tea. I still didn't feel well and asked one of the hotel employees about Sorroche. The locals call Altitude sickness Sorroche. I didn't think I would be able to go on the tour. She said it usually lasts one to two days and she made me an herbal tea, claiming it would calm my stomach.

Well, I was convinced to give the tour a try. As soon as we got in the Van my stomach settled down, maybe there was something to that herbal tea. We got on the boat and took off for the day.

Our first stop was at one of the floating islands. There are many floating islands in this particular area of the lake. On each island lives several families. The islands are made from reeds that grow in the lake. The dense pack of roots are cut out of the lake bottom. These acutally float and form the bottom of the island. Then the reeds are laid over the top about 2 feet thick and form the top of the island. Upon this are built the houses, also made of reeds. The reeds also used in their diet. It tastes similar to celery. Fascinating.

Upon arrival to one of the floating islands we were all seated on a bench, made of reeds of course, and listened to a short presentation by several of the residents. They talked a bit about how the islands are made and how they live. After the presentation a resident would invite you to see their home. I have to admit, the reed house I visited looked rather comfortable and included a TV powered by solar panels. My host also showed me his trout farm. Finally, we were taken to an area where each household had a set of crafts for sale. We were encourage to purchase the crafts and asked not to just give a donation. The ruling council of the islands wants the people to earn any money received. I bought a mobile for our Granddaughter, Tristan got a small reed boat, and Becky got a tapestry.

Next we took off for the Island of Taquille. This is a large island with an indigenous population that continues to maintain a traditional way of life. We had to hike a ways uphill to reach an outdoor area where we attended a demonstration. The demonstration showed how the natives lived off the land, grew crops, raised sheep, and used plants and herbs. They showed us how they weaved wool into cloth to create their colorful hats.

Lunch was provided by the natives. To get to lunch, we had to continue hiking nearly to the top of the island, now we were near 13,000 feet in elevation. I was still feeling fatigued, but none of the other Gringos were moving any faster than I. We arrived at the dining room, comfortable place even if it had a dirt floor. Lunch was a delicous vegatable soup, grilled trout or an omelette, rice and potatoes. And I felt a little better after eating. After dinner we were treated to a little music and dance. We then proceeded down the other side of the island and took the boat back to Puno.

For the evening we strolled around town for a bit and stopped into a place called Don Piero for pizza. We headed for bed hoping for a better night's sleep then the last.

One other thing about our hotel room. It had a nice modern interior. However, there was no heat. At least the locals could burn dung, we didn't have shit! In the mornings, Puno had an outside temperature of about 28 degrees. Inside our hotel room it was about 55 degrees. On this second night at the hotel they provided a portable electric heater and feet warmers inside the foot of the bed. Well, that bumped the temperture in the room to 60 degrees. Better than nothing.

One of the Reed Islands of UROS, Puno in the background Some of the residents Last known photo of Becky. Last seen in the desert plains of the Andes. Me with my host. Reed boats