So, of course, 10 Sep was very hungover. But, we head to the english pub to watch a replay of France vs Argentina rugby/ruggaz/ruggy. Unfortunately, I had the wrong day in my head. It’s tomorrow. As we leave, the kiwi girl from last night turns up – so Ben stays to have breakfast. Pen & I have already done that – so we went shopping. Then, back to the hotel. Ben ends up spending afternoon at pub. Drunkard. I think that’s all that happened today, but it was a long time ago, and memories from that period of my life are hazy at best.
11 Sep, still hazy. But – we again tried to watch France vs Argentina. This time – the scheduling seemed to be running about 3 hours late. So, instead, we bought tickets for a tourist bus to Puno for tomorrow, then returned to hostel and watched NZ vs Italy on the internet. Best performance we could get was watching 2 minutes of it, then waiting for one minute while the internet caught up. Annoying. Guy from travel agency turned up with our tickets. Well – one ticket, with all three names/seat numbers/etc on it.
12 Sep – we’re picked up from our hotel very early, and taken to the bus company. Bus company doesn’t like one ticket for three people. They reckon it means we’ve only paid for one ticket, but have three seats booked. I can’t find the receipt – so can’t tell them which agency sold us the tickets (and took our money). But, I try to tell them that they have a computer system, and it must be in there. They want me to call the agency. I again explain that I can’t – and that they can. I am not about to back down, and after a while of looking at two big angry strong kiwis (and cute little Ben in the background), they put us on the bus, and tell us they’ll try to sort it out during the trip. So, we get going. Overpriced tourist bus – but it has a bilingual guide, and we stop at four places of interest. First – some incan ruins. Big wall that used to be the centre of some temple. Some houses. Tourists complaining about having to pay an old lady to take a photo of her. When she is obviously standing around with big bundle of sticks on her back solely in order to pose for photos – as that is her livelihood. I hate tourists. Second stop – just a little collection of handicraft stalls. And a couple of llama tied up in a lawn in the middle. Llama spat at me. Very happy with myself – one of the ‘must-do’ items checked off the list. Third stop – lunch. This is when I expect the ticket fiasco to reraise it’s head – but no problems. We eat lunch, drink some cerveza, and listen to the mariachis. Fourth stop – some boring museum. Then, we finally get to Puno. Barge our way through the touts crowding around the gate to bus ’station’, and start walking. Find tiny restaurant -where they serve us what seems to be deep fried donuts with a slightly-sambuca tasting sauce. Then, find a hotel. Dinner at a joint called Macchu Pizza. Ha! Very tired – back to hotel. Our shower has a huge hole in the wall. Big enough to crawl through. It leads to the shower of the room across the hall. Sweet.
13 Sep – we’re picked up early from our hotel. Taken to the port – and get onboard a boat. All the boats are white. Except ours. Ours is gold. Cool. Boat takes us and several others to the famous floating islands of Lake Titicaca. Manmade islands constructed of reeds – with communities living on them. We have the construction techniques explained to us. Then given a reed each – and told to taste it. The locals also eat the reeds for breakfast. Very important to them – the reeds. Walking on an island made of reeds is pretty cool. Like a giant waterbed. Then, of course, they try to sell us some handicrafts and stuff. Baby herons try to eat me. Then, catch a reed boat across to the main floating island. This one has little restaurants, and places for tourists to sleep. Big floating island made of reeds. Cool. I buy some beers for breakfast, while Pen opts for chocolate biscuits. Back onto the boat – and onwards. Drink my beers, then fall asleep. Eventually arrive at a proper island. Climb to the top – beating heaps of people. I’m a very fast walker up of islands and inca ruins and stuff. Sit in the courtyard. Ben reckons he hates llama hats. You know the ones that everybody who’s been to South America has? Woollen hat with earflaps and pictures of llamas on them. But I find half a llama hat in the market. Pretty much a headband with earflaps. Or a llama hat with the top cut off. I buy it, wrap it in the chocolate biscuit wrapper, and give it to him. He likes it. Then, watch the irish man in our group pose for photos with the double thumbs up – and mouth open in an ‘O’ of amazement. I then pose for several photos using same awful pose. Some great photos coming your way sometime soon, people. We have lunch, and irish guy talks to us. Talk gets to La Paz, and when I say I’ve been there (he has too), he says “So you’d know Vivian’s then?” Me – “Is that a gringo pub?” Him – “Yeah.” Me – “I never went to those sorts of places until these guys turned up. I hate talking to gringos.” Didn’t quite come out the way I’d intended, but close enough. Then, we walk to the other side of the island, and catch the boat back. Buy some more beers for the trip – and sit up top for the ride home. Much sun. Boat seems to break halfway home – and the captain is forced to steer the boat manually from the back. With a huge grin on his face the entire time, except when we’re trying to take a photo of him. We get back to Puno safely though – and then book our bus ticket for tomorrow morning to Bolivia, and go for dinner. Guinea pig, of course, seeing as it is our last night in Peru for some time. Perhaps ever.
Next update – we get to Bolivia. Cheap prices again – sweet. More Lake Titicaca, and then La Paz. And Ben & Kruse get drunk. Smashed.