Peru 7

Visit: Train: Cuzco to Puno Photo Gallery

Toward the end of the train journey to Puno and our destination of Lake Titicaca, we had a scheduled stop at an altitude of over 14,000 feet. A few vendors were set up to greet us. Snowcapped mountains surrounded us, and the air felt light and chill. The area felt as if it had been undisturbed for eons. The jagged, snowy, mountains greeted me like old friends. The peace and beauty of the area embraced me, and fed my soul. I felt home.

Lake Titicaca (Photo Gallery) the highest navigable lake on earth, welcomed us. It is so massive and deep that it feels and looks more like an ocean than a lake. It can be amazingly rough, windy and wavy. Our first time upon the lake’s water was in a small boat whose rudder also functioned as an anchor. We were awed by the absolute, pure blueness of both the water, and the sky. There seemed to be no edges to the views. Distant snowcapped mountains framed the lake's waters. It was other-worldly, and magical.

The local boats are made entirely of fresh reeds, as has been the custom for many generations. They have a fairly short life as lake-worthy craft before the reeds break down and return to the waters of the lake.

We visited Uros, an island built entirely of reeds. When our boat docked we were the first visitors of the day, and we were greeted warmly. It was a bit disconcerting to sink into the soft reeds when walking, the island literally moved slightly under our feet. New layers of reeds were constantly added to the surface of floating island, a process not repeated any place else in the world.

The island's people were set up to sell their wares and have their pictures taken. By the time we left the island it was teaming with tourists, and business was good. I snapped one woman in her activities without paying her and caught her less than pleased look. We bought some woven articles that were adorned with Pachamama and Pachatata images. They personify Earth Mother and Earth Father and now grace the walls of my healing room in Sedona.

Our next stop was the island of Tequile. As soon as we left our boat, we began climbing the first of many steep flights of stairs on the island. The island has hundreds and hundreds of stone steps, and I felt every one of them as we slowly climbed upward at our altitude of over 12,000 feet. Three young ladies, giggling, approached us and gifted us with small woven bracelets. We were quite touched by their generosity and kind greeting, until our guide informed us that payment was expected. Since the bracelets were tied on with tight little knots, we complied. We were starting to see a pattern with this, as tourists were singled out and given "gifts" and photo opportunities that weren't free all over the world!

The indigenous people were adorned in their traditional clothing. Women and girls wore full woolen skirts, and the woolen capes that flowed atop their blouses were usually draped upon their heads, also. The men and boys wore woolen pants and hats, white blouses, and vests. The males traditionally were trained in knitting, and they would often stand practicing their art where it pleased them about the island.