My last stop in Peru was Amantani Island on Lake Titicaca. Stayed overnight with a local indigenous family. Great vegetarian food in cluding sage soup (the sage grows wild on the island), cups of wild peppermint tea for altitude and dressing up in local costume for a fiesta.
I also visited Los Uros floating islands where everything, boats huts the islands are made of todoro reed growing in the lake.
Now I´m back on the Bolivian mainland this morning after a couple of days on Isla del Sol - the birthplace of the Inca religion and in the 40% of Lake Titicaca controlled by Bolivia. I arrived in La Paz late this afternoon. Was a bit scared about going to La Paz - warnings from DFAT, a Peruvian friend I have made, other travellers, guidebooks etc. But it really is quite amazing. Went through the witchcraft market which is close by my hotel. Everything for sale there including llama foetuses! La Paz gives the impression of being a giant market!
I leave tomorrow for the lowland savannah region of the Bolivian Amazon which is north east of La Paz. Then I will go south to Uyuni salt lake, apparently one of the wonders of the world. After that I´ll head back to Peru towards Macchu Piccu.
What I have learned of the Incas in my travels in Guatemala, Peru and Bolivia has been such a revelation. But despite all the trekking and high altitude practice recently, I´m still quite unsure of my ability to make the steep inclines of the trek to Macchu Picu. Never mind, there´s always a train.
After that I´m heading up the Amazon on a 5-day boat trip to Iquitos where my Peruvian friend Jesil is taking up a health worker job. Would like to get to Ecuador but I think there may not be enough time. Can't believe my travel is coming to such a fast end....
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