Por Miriam / by Miriam

Representan una de las partes más turística del Titicaca, docenas de barcos van y regresan trayendo visitantes que descubren sus islas, sus costumbres que se toman fotos junto a los pequeños vestidos con trajes típicos enmarcados por las aguas azules. Son una comunidad originalmente de pescadores y cazadores de aves pero  que estrictamente se alimenta del turismo. Los tiempos cambian, la vida corre, el hambre obliga: lo que antes era la rutina de los que quehaceres diarios ahora es la rutina sobre eso mismo pero con la intención de alcanzar la curiosidad del espectador que llega y compra los productos artesanales.

Represent one of the most tourist regions of Lake Titicaca and dozens of ships are bringing visitors everyday who discover their islands, their habits and enjoy taking pictures with little children in their regional costumes framed by the blue waters. Originally, they were a fishermen and bird hunter community but nowadays their main activity is tourism. Times change, life goes on, hunger requires: what once was daily routine now is accompanied with the intention of delighting the visitor who buy their traditional crafts.

Llegando a las islas flotantes / Arriving to the floating islands

Los Uros han vivido centenares de años sobre las aguas, las huellas de sus pasos son siempre crujidos de tola seca que obliga a dar pasos largos a los recién llegados. A pesar de tantos turistas, la vida allí se percibe armoniosa, las comunidades están organizadas en más de un centenar de islas dispuestas estratégicamente sobre las aguas del lago más alto.

“Vivir en las ciudades casi representa para un Uro, vivir en la marginalidad. Es por eso que nuestra gente prefiere quedarse en las islas y esperar a los turistas”, son las palabras de Roberto, un joven de veintidós años que trabaja de lanchero y nos introduce ligeramente en la vida sobre el Titicaca.

The Uros have lived on the water since hundreds of years ago, the traces of their steps are always crunches made by reed forcing newcomers to take long steps. Despite the large amount of tourists, life there is still harmonious, communities are organized in more than a hundred islands strategically arranged across the lake. “Uro inhabitant thinks that living in cities is living in poverty. Our people prefer to stay in the islands and wait for tourists” Roberto quote, a 22 years old man who works as a boatman and briefly explain us how is living in Lake Titicaca.

Venta de artesanias / Handcraft sale

Antes de visitar la escuela, nos lleva a una isla (estimo que es donde él vive), nos explican sobre las construcciones flotantes, sobre la vida de la gente, hacemos preguntas, miramos artesanías, compramos y seguimos el camino. Todo dentro de los Uros se percibe alucinante, como si fuera una entrada a lo surrealista o como un cuento del pasado, quizás tenga que ver con esa sensación de estar a punto de perder el equilibrio a cada paso.

Just before visiting the school, he leads us to an island (I guess the one where he lives), they explained about floating buildings and people´s habits, we ask a lot of questions, look at and shop handmade crafts, and follow our path. Everything there is perceived as an amazing experience, you feel like you were in a place stuck in time, such a surreal situation that probably has to do with the feeling of losing balance when you walk on the islands.

Trabajando con los niños / Working with the children

Roberto conversa conmigo durante el viaje, lo noto preocupado por contarme todo lo que puede sobre el lugar, tiene buena mirada sobre las cosas, es crítico, despierto, se muestra maduro pero sus ojos oscuros, bajo el gorro blanco siguen siendo de niño.

La actividad con los pequeños nos resulta atractiva, nos derrite, hablan español y Aymara, se sorprenden con el “Earth Ball”, con el experimento de los anillos de Saturno y con el Señor Galileo, el ambiente se convierte en suspenso cuando Fabio y Phil arman el Galilescope y en delirio cuando hay que hacer una fila para observar.

Roberto chats with me during the trip, he tried hard to tell me everything he knows about Uro’s community, he has a good point of view on things, he is critical and a sharp person, he seems to be a mature man but if you stare at his dark brown eyes beneath his white hat you can see that he is still a kid.

Activities with children are very enjoyable, melted our hearts, they speak both Spanish and Aymara, they were surprised by “Earth Ball”, Saturn’s rings experiment and Mr. Galileo puppet, everybody focus when Phil and Fabio mount the Galileoscope and erupts in joy when it is time to look trough the telescope.

También hubo lugar para el juego / Also there was time to play

Las actividades de GalileoMobile terminan, nos llevamos abrazos en el alma, caricias de niños. Me conmueve la calidez, me sorprende tanta belleza, me apenan algunas cosas. Pienso en los turistas que visitan cada día estas islas, pienso en esa vida del pasado, días apaciguados y tranquilos, iguales a los de hoy pero con espectadores fugaces como yo.

GalileoMobile’s activities reach an end, we feel touched in the heart with these children’s caresses. It moves me the warmth and beauty of the place, but I am saddened by another things. I think of tourist visiting these islands everyday, I think of old times, as calm as nowadays but without any fleeting witness like me.

Más fotos aquí / More pictures here

And here are the floating islands. (istock/Carlesfb)

I’m pretty sure I can’t think of anything more adorable than a community of people who live on a lily pad in the middle of a lake.

That’s not exactly what’s happening in Peru, but it’s close. If you watched Rachel and Matt’s video podcast on Lake Titicaca, then you know what I’m talking about: The Uros people of Peru inhabit 40 man-made floating islands in the middle of Lake Titicaca, which is the second largest lake in South America. The story isn’t exactly a happy one: The Uros took up residence on the water centuries ago when the Incas took over all the land. At the time, they had two choices: become Inca slaves or create a floating civilization out of reeds. They decided to create a floating civilization out of reeds.

The interesting thing is that they still live on those floating islands today. Since the islands are made out of reeds, they rot in the water. So to maintain them, the people regularly pile new reeds on top of old ones. According to the BBC, the islands are tied by rope to stakes that are driven into the bottom of the lake. And during the rainy season, the islands tend to move around more on the water’s surface. Your feet are likely to dip a bit with each step as you walk the island.

Yes, that’s right — you can walk the islands if you would like. For better or for worse, the floating islands of Lake Titicaca are a tourist attraction. You can take a boat ride out to the islands to have a look and meet the people who call the Uros home.

Isn’t Peru such an interesting place? I’m beginning to think it’s the coolest on the whole planet.

For more curious communities…
How the Donner Party Worked
How Sherpas Work
Were the Clovis the first Americans?

Podróż nocnym autobusem do Puno, największego peruwiańskiego miasta na południu kraju, nie obeszła się bez przygód, jak na komunikację peruwiańską przystało. Wykupiliśmy miejsca leżące na dolnym pokładzie autobusu szybkich linii w nadziei, że obejdzie się bez przygód typu: autobus zatrzymuje się w szczerym polu w środku nocy i wchodzą jacyś nowi pasażerowie. Niestety weszli jacyś nowi i spokojnie siedli sobie między górnym i dolnym pokładem, nie płacąc pewnie za bilet. Widzieliśmy w TV dosyć sporo wiadomości o napadach na autobusy, o kradzieżach bagaży itp. i stąd zawsze wybieraliśmy linie autobusowe znane z obsługi turystów, oferujące standardy europejskie, ceny niestety też europejskie, zupełnie niemożliwe do zapłacenia dla przeciętnego Peruwiańczyka. Przed wejściem do autobusu takich linii sprawdzano nam dokładnie dokumenty, spisując dane osobowe, robiono zdjęcie twarzy i opisywano dokładnie bagaż, zupełnie jak w jakimś filmie akcji. Niestety czasami zdarzało się, że w czasie takiej 6-8 godzinnej podróży autobus zatrzymywał się gdzieś i zabierał jakieś osoby z tobołami.

Dojechaliśmy szczęśliwie do Puno o świcie i znaleźliśmy na szybko jakiś hotel. Miasto dosyć duże, z kolorowym i ładnym ryneczkiem (Plaza de Armas, jak zwykle) i mnóstwem sklepów, targowiskiem, restauracjami itp. Typowo turystyczna miejscowość. Świeciło pięknie słońce, było dosyć ciepło. Zaczęliśmy szukać ofert wycieczek na wyspy jeziora Titicaca, jedyną właściwie atrakcję turystyczną w tej części kraju. Jedyną, ale jaką!! Nie ma chyba nikogo, kto będąc przy zdrowych zmysłach i zwiedzając Peru podarowałby sobie wizytę w Puno leżącym nad magicznym jeziorem Titicaca. Tak więc wykupiliśmy weekendową wycieczkę po wyspach: Uros, Amantani i Taquile.

Wyspy Uros są tak dziwne i niesamowite, że aż trudno je sobie wyobrazić nie widząc zdjęcia. Są to sztuczne wyspy, tzn. utworzone przez człowieka, tylko i wyłącznie z lokalnej trzciny (totora), rosnacej przy brzegach jeziora. Mieszkańcy od wieków zaplatają “wyspę”, mniej więcej co roku zmieniając lub dodając nowe “pokłady”, warstwy trzciny totora. Taka wyspa jest ruchoma, można ją przeciągnąć na drugi brzeg jeziora w razie potrzeby. Na wyspach plemię Uros wyplata swoje domy, łodzie. Żywią się tym, co wyhodują na wyspie (widziałam grządki z ziemią przywiezioną z lądu), rybami i samą trzciną. Totora jest jadalna i bardzo słodka i soczysta. Dostaliśmy na powitanie świeże łodygi do żucia i żuliśmy razem z Uros. Mieszkańcy kontaktują się regularnie z miastem Puno, innymi wyspami na Titicaca za pomocą łodzi, również wyplatanych z trzciny. Niektóre z tych łodzi to prawdziwe dzieła sztuki.

Kobiety Uros wykonują na wyspie, oprócz typowych domowych prac, pracę rękodzielniczą, wytwarzając pamiątki dla turystów. Mówią swoim własnym dialektem, mieszanką keczua i aymara. Legenda o Uros głosi, że nie byli i do dzisiaj nie są szczególnie lubiani wśród innych plemion lokalnych ze względu na swoje lenistwo i niechęć do utrzymywania higieny osobistej, stąd też mieszkańcy lądu cieszyli się, że Uros żyli odosobnieni na wyspie, bo przynajmniej pcheł nie roznosili. Nas na szczęście nic nie pogryzło, za to pływaliśmy po jeziorze jedną z tych pięknych łodzi i po południu popłynęliśmy na kolejną wyspę: Amantani.

Amantani to naturalna, duża wyspa na jeziorze Titicaca. Ma niewielkie górki, bujną zieloną roślinność, oryginalnych mieszkanców i fantastyczne widoki. Tutaj nocowaliśmy, w domu jednej z rodzin, które przyjmują turystów. Jest to dla odwiedzających tę wyspę niesamowita atrakcja, bo czekają na nich ciekawe rzeczy:) Mieszkańcy Amantani podzieleni są na klany, które ubierają się według swoich własnych zwyczajów, ale jedno mają wspólne: ogólny wygląd stroju dla kobiet i mężczyzn jest taki sam, zmieniają się tylko kolory strojów. Cechą wspólną tych ludzi jest też ich ciemniejsza od innych mieszkańców Peru skóra, bardzo niski wzrost, zwłaszcza kobiet, charakterystyczne rysy twarzy. Są oni wszyscy do siebie bardzo podobni. Kobiety noszą szerokie spódnice do kolan, składające się z wielu warstw cienkiej, kolorowej wełny, białe haftowane koszule i czarne chustki na głowach.

Jedna z tych “mam” była naszą przyszłą gospodynią i gościła nas w swoim malutkim domku. Gotowała nam i opowiadała ze swoim mężem o zwyczajach mieszkańców wyspy. Nazywała się Isabel. Isabel i jej rodzina mieszkają w małym domku ulepionym z glinianych bloków z ogródkiem, działką, gankiem i górnym piętrem dla gości. Ubikacja jest na dworze przed domem. Wody bierzącej nie ma, myliśmy ręce i zęby przed domem używając wody mienralnej. Trochę hardkorowo, ale za to czuliśmy się naprawdę na łonie natury;)

Kuchnia w domu Isabel to centrum życia rodzinnego. Stół i krzesła zarezerwowane dla gości, rodzina jadła albo na podłodze, albo gdzieś po kątach. Mąż Isabel jadł pierwszy, potem ona.  Dzieci jedzą w kolejności, tzn. z tego samego plastikowego wiadereczka najpierw je najstarsze dziecko, a potem te młodsze, a mama dolewa, by nikomu nie zabrakło. Nam “podawano do stołu” w normalnych (dzięki Bogu) talerzach i mieliśmy nawet sztućce. Jedzenie typowe dla regionu, typowym tutaj daniem jest pożywna i smaczna zupa z quinoa (rodzaj kaszy) i gorący napar z pobudzających ziół.

Nasz pokoik był tak malutki, że jak się wyprostowałam, to prawie dotykałam głową sufitu, ale dla Isabel i jej sympatycznej rodzinki to był duży dom. Tego samego wieczoru czekała na nas niespodzianka w postaci  imprezy zorganizowanej dla gości. Ale obowiązkowym warunkiem uczestniczenia w tej zabawie było przebranie się w stroje miejscowych, tzn. ja miałam założyć strój świąteczny Isabel a Jose musiał ubrać ponczo jej męża. Nikogo nie zdziwię pisząc, że te stroje były na nas za małe, ale ubraliśmy je z wielką chęcią. Było tego wieczoru bardzo zimno, więc ja pod strojem Isabel nosiłam 2 pary spodni,  szalik, czapkę i rękawiczki.

Isabel ubiera mnie w swoje rzeczy.

Zabawa składała się z wieczorku zapoznawczego )) i prawdziwej indiańskiej potańcówy. Przygrywała nam kapela indiańska i muszę przyznać, że po prawie miesiącu pobytu w Peru, dopiero na Amantani usłyszałam moją ukochaną muzykę Indian peruwiańskich, ognistą, wesołą, pełną radości i wigoru. Tańczyliśmy z mieszkańcami Amantani, ja wirowałam w tańcu z gospodarzem, a Jose onieśmielał biedną Isabel, która sięgała mu do pasa…

Z Isabel

Z mężem Isabel.

Nastepnego dnia zwiedziliśmy wyspę, ciesząc oczy pieknymi widokami przyrody i popłynęliśmy na kolejną, ostatnią zaplanowaną w wycieczce wyspę, Taquile. To była krótka wizyta, ale zdążyliśmy obejrzeć miejscowe muzeum, poznać wyroby rękodzielnicze mieszkańców i zjeść pyszną truczę, czyli świeżutką rybkę, podobną do pstrąga, z jeziora Titicaca.

Taquile i jej fantastyczne widoki na jezioro Titicaca.

Pod koniec dnia znów byliśmy w Puno, szykując się do podróży do innego świata…Za miedzą czekała na nas Boliwia.

cdn.

28.October:
Left the hostel at around 8am after having a nice little breakfast for 6 Soles (12 NOK). Took a bus to the harbour and witnessed a small fight between two locals on the way. At the dock we got on a boat and cruised off onto Lake Titicaca. Lake Titicaca is a lake located on the border of Peru and Bolivia. It sits at a staggering height of 3,812 m above sea level, making it one of the highest commercially navigable lakes in the world. This is also largely the reason to why it is a bit cold as the average temperature is about 9 degrees. Another reason may be its depth as its average depth is 107 m. By volume of water it is also the largest lake in South America. The lake itself is massive with a maximum width of 80 km and length of 190 km. It is said that the name Titicaca actually means rock/stone view perhaps because of its more than 42 islands.. The big islands houses from 10-15 families and altogether about 350 families resides on the Titicaca islands.

map of Lake Titicaca

First off we went to visit one of the straw islands of Uros. The Uros people came originally from Polonesia a long time ago. They settled at what is now known as the Uros islands at Lake Titicaca and started fishing a local fish called carachi. It turned out that Thor Heyerdahl was very famous here due to his straw ships Ra ans Ra2 which demonstrted that it was feasible to travel by a boat made of straw from Polonesia.

Carachi

At the first island the Uros demonstrated how the islands where constructed using layers of straws. We also witnessed how everyday trading of food and handicrafts transpired on the islands. Afterwards the locals on the island were kind enough to show us their homes. We followed a little lady into her straw

hut where she even had a small black and wgite TV set(!) She handed us some of her own and her husbands clothing and we put it on straight away. We immediately felt a bit more at home walking around on the little straw island wearing these traditional outfits =) We then bought some handicraft from the lady that showed us her house and borrowed us the clothes as a token of our gratitude.

one of the straw islands of Uros

food being exchanged at the daily market

local family at Uros

happy couple at Uros

everyday's work

(pic of souvenirs)

Next thing we knew we left the island by hitching a ride with a strawboat that were considered the Merzedes Benz of strawboats and was powered by two rowers heading to another straw island. As we were leaving the island, the locals gathered around the shore to sing goodbye songs to us in their mothertongue (Quechua and Ayamara).

the locals waving goodbye

kicking back relaxing in the strawboat

Kris in one of the straw houses at the second island

showing off some straw boat padling skills

After a short visit to the next island, we had a three hour boat ride in front of us before reaching Taquile island.

Nous sommes partis à 7:30 pour aller prendre le bateau pour les îles.

Îles flottantes d’Uros

Elles sont construites en roseaux, ainsi que les maisons. Elles durent environ 30 ans. Leurs pirogues en roseaux, quant à elles, ne durent quʼun an. Il y a plusieurs îles, où vivent plusieurs familles formant une communauté. Ces communautés sont encore très traditionnelles, vivant de la pêche, de leurs broderies et tapisserie, et du tourisme. Les habitants nous ont tous vêtus de leurs costumes et nous avons dansé.

Don Manuel connaissait bien la communauté de l’île où nous nous sommes arrêtés. Le chef a fait une cérémonie Despacho très différente de celle à laquelle nous sommes maintenant habitués. Nous n’y avons mis que des Kintus contenant nos désirs, aucune offrande. La Despacho emballée fut ensuite offerte à Mamacocha (mère-eau) à l’endroit où le lac est le plus profond (300 mètres) lors dʼun autre magnifique rituel en chansons, en fleurs et autres offrandes… Cʼétait vraiment magnifique de voir lʼamour et la joie pure rayonner sur leurs visages, et de les regarder cajoler et choyer leurs enfants. À un moment, une petite fille d’environ 5 ans a relevé sa petite soeur (bébé) qui était tombée, l’a flattée dans le dos pour la consoler. Puis elle a fait le signe de la croix, comme pour remercier Dieu et demander sa protection.

Île dʼAmantani

Nous sommes ensuite arrivés, après 3 heures de navigation, à l’île dʼAmantani où un délicieux lunch nous attendait, à notre petit gîte familial et modeste, mais très confortable. Nous avons poursuivi par une excursion nous amenant  à 4,200m d’altitude, soit un dénivellé de 400m, marchant un petit pas à la fois. C’était vraiment comme un pélerinage, ressemblant à un Saint-Jacques-de-Compostelle, nous arrêtant à l’autel de pierre pour y déposer aussi un Kintus et une petite pierre en offrande. Au sommet se trouve un temple pour la Pachamama (Mère-terre) à l’Ouest, et à lʼEst un temple pour le Pachatata (Père-terre). Chaque année, le 13 janvier, tous les habitants de l’île (10,000 personnes) sʼy rendent pour rendre hommage et remercier Pachamama pour leur récolte fructueuse.

Au coucher du soleil, nous avons fait une cérémonie entre les 2 temples dans un cylindre de pierre, pour remercier Pachamama et honorer le féminin en nous. Le tout sʼest terminé avec notre chant crédo “Vive la Vie, vive l’Amour,  vive la Compagnie” puis “Om Shanti”. Et finalement des câlins chaleureux et joyeux.

Hélène, Estelles, moi et notre guide sommes montés encore une centaine de mètres pour visiter le temple de la Pachamama. Même si le soleil était alors déjà couché, c’était très touchant d’être là. Nous avons toutes les trois demandé à Pachamama en notre nom et au nom de toutes les femmes, la purification et la guérison de nos entrailles. Puis nous avons chanté le chant de Pachamama (tiré de lʼalbum de Carioca)

Off the coast of Lake Titicaca the Islas Flotantes, or Floating Islands, of the Uros people are built using layers of the buoyant totora reeds that grow abundantly in the lake.  The reeds are constantly replenished from the top down as they rot away and the ground is always soft and springy.  These days the islands have become shockingly commercialized and a tour to visit them is little more than an opportunity to purchase crafts from the islanders.

We woke up in Puno today, on lake Titicaca – the highest lake in the
world.  Our hotel sits right on the lake and from our window we saw
the lake, the reeds, and the mountains on the Bolivian side.  We
embarked on a motor boat for a trip to some of the islands.  The first
one, Uros, was not one but a colony of man-made islands lined up in a
huge 0.  The islands themselves, the houses, and the boats were all
made of reeds.  Once upon a time, the islands had to be anchored in place
because the wind used to move them across the lake to different
locations.  The inhabitants of these reed islands are mostly fishermen
but in the last 10 years tourism became their second biggest industry.
Stocky women in brightly colored skirts with several layers of
petticoats, just as brightly colored embroidered jackets,
local variations on top hats, and colorful pompoms in their black
braids, greeted us at the peer.  We were invited to visit one of the reed huts – a
one room dwelling in which half of the floor was taken by a mattress covered with a decorative
blanket, the brightly-colored women’s clothes hanging on the walls, and, to
make it all so more surreal, a tiny TV set in a corner.  We took a reed boat shaped like
Viking vessel complete with an animal head and tail on either end.
The whole place looked like a set from a Hollywood movie, except it
was very real!  As we were leaving, we saw the locals converging in
their boats onto one of the islands for a community meeting with a
mayor.
The next island was Taquile.  If the first island was the stuff of
science fiction, this one was as close as you can get to going back in
time.  The inhabitants of this island have maintained the same
lifestyle from, it seems, the prehistoric times.  They live in
unadorned mud-n-brick houses with tiny windows growing basic crops
and raising sheep.  As simple as their houses are, the people stand
out like bright spots against the brown background.  The women wear
the same bright skirts with multiple petticoats as the Uros women, but
instead of the bright jackets they wear black shawls adorned with
multi-colored pompoms.  Unmarried women have big pompoms, and the
married womens´ pompoms shrink.  The men wear hats they have to knit
themselves, otherwise no woman is going to marry them.  Married men
wear red hats with blue design, and single men’s hats are red and
white.  Now here is the significance of these hats: if a man is not
interested in finding a mate, his pompom is in the back, if he is
looking, the pompom moves to the left, if he has a permanent
girlfriend, the pompom is flipped to the right.  That is cheaper than
buying a diamond ring, huh?
The island itself, austere as it is, has an understated beauty owing
to its architecturally minimalist topography.  Terraced fields line
the hills descending into the lake, 525 stone steps lead to the top of
the mountain and into the main square, there are stone walls
separating the farmhouses, and the mountains behind them.
Ascending those 525 steps was a bit of a challenge, at least for me,
the altitude is definitely making an impact.  I was huffing and
puffing and had to stop to catch my breath every ten steps.  We all
have some degree of a headache and are very thirsty.  Yesterday at
dinner we all sported blue lips and bluish nails.  Some of us feel
some nausea once in a while, but overall the pills are working.
Tomorrow we are heading to Cuzco which is some 1000 feet lower, so we
should start breathing easier.  Until then,

Oi gente! Obrigado pelos comentarios! Estamos lendo todos =) Na medida do possivel vamos respondendo hehehe

Estou no Peru! Finalmente chegamos por aqui hoje e… QUE DIFERENCA! Aqui eh tudo MUITO mais organizado que na Bolivia. Mas calma, primeiro a Isla del Sol.

Copacabana eh uma cidadezinha as margens do lago Titicaca, que mais parece um oceano de tao grande! Tem um azul incrivel e eh cheio de barquinhos no porto. Mas nao tem muita coisa pra fazer por la, entao partimos pra Isla del Sol, uma das ilhas que ficam no meio do Titicaca, uma coisa incrivel. A ilha fica a 1 hora e meia de barco de Copacabana e eh bem alta. Tem varias ruinas incas, muito interessante! As vistas de qualquer lado da ilha sao espetaculares. Chego a me emocionar ao lembrar delas. Vimos o nascer e por do sol, caminhamos nela toda. Vimos povoados pitorescos, prainhas, vegetacao estranha, gente com cara de indio, comemos a truta salmonada que soh existe no titicaca, fizemos uma amizade super legal com a Dona Julia, do hotelito que ficamos. Nos 4 ou 5 dias que passamos por la algo muito lindo se acrescentou nas nossas visoes de mundo, acho. Talvez o estilo de vida do povo, talvez as vistas exuberantes, talvez a liberdade que a ilha oferece, talvez o misterio que ronda tudo por la. Nao sei, soh sei que me marcou bastante. =)

Com pesar, largamos ela pra tras hoje rumo a Copacabana novamente. Chegando la, compramos a passagem pra Puno, no Peru. Essa cidade tambem eh as margens do Titicaca, entao esperavamos algo parecido com Copacabana. Ledo engano.

Puno tem 180 mil habitantes (Copacabana, 11 mil), eh extremamente organizada, tem um suporte turistico de outro mundo, bares, restaurantes, mercados populares otimos, policia pra todo lado. Estamos em um hotel simples, mas com tudo que precisamos. Mas essa historia eh engracada:

Quando chegamos à rodoviaria, ja estavamos seguindo para o hotel que o guia indicava quando um homem simpatico nos abordou e ofereceu um hotel chamado La Casa del Abuelo com agua quente (sim, um luxo por aqui), cafe da manha, e tudo o mais por 20 soles, ou seja, o que estavamos dispostos a pagar. Fomos com ele, que nao parava de falar. Disse que um taxi ateh o hotel era 3 soles e ja foi nos enfiando dentro de um taxi. Reparei na estranheza da situacao quando um outro homem entrou atras conosco, e o cara que tinha nos abordado falou que ele era algo do hotel. Olhei pro Pignaton e vi nos olhos dele que concordava que estavamos numa fria.

Aih comecamos a perguntar um monte de coisas sobre o hotel, as ruas, etc. Aquele tratamento estava muito esquisito pra quem tinha se acostumado com os padroes bolivianos hehe Achamos mesmo que aqueles caras iam fazer algo com a gente. Por fim, chegamos ao tal hotel. Mais tranquilos, subimos e nos acomodamos no quarto. Mas este era muito melhor que esperavamos e aih a desconfianca continuou. Saimos do hotel pra saber se era confiavel. Perguntamos em varios lugares e realmente era tranquilo. Aqui no Peru o turista eh rei! Todo mundo te trata muito muito bem, como deve ser.

Nem precisa dizer que amamos o lugar de cara neh? Hoje devemos ir a algum bar legalzinho (ha vaaaaaarios por aqui) e amanha bem cedinho partimos pra um passeio joia no Titicaca! Vamos visitar as ilhas flutuantes de Uros (feitas de totora, uma planta daqui), e dormir na ilha de Amantani, onde terao dancas e outras coisas pra gringo ver. No dia seguinte, seguiremos pra famosa ilha de Taquile e depois de volta a Puno. E aih… bom, depois disso seguimos pra Cusco! Isso quer dizer que estamos pertinho de chegar a Machu Picchu! Mas ja estou adiantando demais hehe

Ateh!

I had one of the best experiences of the trip in the Puno region, and unfortunately one of the worst.

Lake Titicaca

We (except Delphina who was slayed with soroche, altitude sickness) began with a trip to the Uros floating islands on Lake Titicaca. To get to the port we took taxis de cholo: pedal cards. It was invigorating to speed through Puno, narrowly missing oncoming cars as the 2C wind whipped through my still-wet hair.

When we boarded the boat we were instantly surrounded by children selling puppets, women selling hats and sweaters, and three young men playing musical instruments practically on top of Liette’s head.

The send off

As we launched I don’t know about the others but I was silently praying for the sun to warm us up. In this high altitude it becomes instantly clear why the sun is god: if it goes behind a cloud your shorts and t-shirt combo is rendered moot. Not that I was stupid enough to be scantily clad. I was wearing a t-shirt, fleece jacket and Gortex shell, and I was cold. Flobie, in her turtleneck, long sleeve shirt, down vest, Gortex jacket, hat, gloves and leopard-skin patterned ear muffs, was cold. When we arrived at one of the Uros islands, an American gringo visiting at the same time came up to her and, quite unsolicited, told her she looked ridiculous. He was quite right, but who asked him?

Unfortunately the Uros experience was a bit disillusioning because they are so completely geared to tourists. It was impossible to get an authentic feel for life on these islands when everyone is selling souvenirs. Nonetheless, it was an unusual experience to walk on floating beds of hay.  It was like walking on a stable floor, except that you felt like your foot might go through the ground at any time. If you stood in one place for more than a couple of seconds, you realized you were swaying.

We transferred to a traditional reed boat to the second island where a three-year old girl implanted on the boat by her father sang Japanese and French songs. So weird.

Antoni

Little girl on Uros floating island

Uros floating island

As the group amused itself watching Lorna trying to eat a grenadine, I chatted up Antoni, our captain. I broke the ice with my one and only Aymara word, “Komisaraki (hello)”, only to find out that he was a Quechua-speaking resident of Isla Taquile.  I told him I loved his hat. He had the softest hands, and kept some of his wife’s hair in his belt.

After Uros we went to the Acora market, an Aymara market seldomly visited by tourists.  This was obvious because we weren’t instantly swarmed by people trying to sell us stuff when we arrived. I practiced my one word to anyone who would listen. “Hello! Hello! Hello! Hello!” I chirped on and on, like a lost parrot.

Acora market

I noticed I was being followed by a little fan, and decided to try a cross-cultural experiment.

All the way from Toronto I schlepped a pair of goofy glasses, the kind with paper inserts with printed eyes and tiny cutouts to see through.  They are the kind of accessory that makes any reasonably intelligent person look like a moron.  Perfect for me.

I figured that if our little fan laughed, the humour would be okay to try on others.  She was very shy, but she couldn’t fight the shy grin that stretched across her face. So I became the Weird White Woman with goofy glasses who ran around saying “hello hello hello hello” to everyone. At one point I crouched across from an old lady selling chilies and spices.  I greeted her and then casually put on my glasses. Her eyes crinkled up and slowly she put her hand over her mouth in amazement. I took off the glasses and her hand lowered.  I put the glasses back on an got the same merry reaction. It was wonderful. We then passed a father who excitedly exclaimed to his son, “Gringos!” The son was very shy, but when I put on my glasses he, his father and the others around started laughing.  His father encouraged him to shake my hand, obviously the first gringa he had ever met, perhaps even seen. Wearing my glasses, I shook his hand and solemnly said, “Komisaraki” to his smiling face.

Next stop was the Inca Templo de la Fertilidad, taking pictures en route of Manco Capac and his wife, Mama Ocllo. I reclined on a penis as the guide extolled the perfect geometry of the temple.

Fertility temple - the perfect place to relax.

Back in Puno I turned to my trusty guidebooks for a lunch venue suggestion and selected the tasty-sounding Café Delisse.  Without going into gory detail it was, quoting Siobhan, an unmitigated disaster. Our food arrived at widely-spaced intervals. By the time I got mine it was a disgusting lump of greasy vegetarian meat with practically uncooked fries slicked with oil. Flobie never even got her soup. To add insult to injury, when I went to pay I put down two soles and then took out a 10 note during which time the kid doing the bill swiped the two soles. Very naughty.

The afternoon was spent at Sillustani, a place of tall burial towers built by the Colla and later the Inca.  It was heart-stopping work climbing to the top, but all of us prevailed.  We enjoyed the peacefulness of Lago Umayo as our guide told us the origin of the children of the sun. All I can remember is that it involved a puma, two founding families and a chalice of fire. After, we were take to the small museum where we all sneezed from the mummy dust.

That evening we found wonderfully cozy pizza restaurant where we had excellent service, after which we called Flerb.  It was the conversation of 1000 hello’s – rotten connection – but I discerned that the Raptors lost by one point in Game 7. Damn.

Ort: Puno (PER)
Zeitunterschied: -7 Std. MEZ
Wetter: mit Sonne ok, ohne Sonne Daunenjacke

Nach den Tropen jetzt wieder auf Höhe. Unsere letzten Tage in Bolivien sollten wir in der Kälte von La Paz verbringen. Es gab noch einmal einen Ausflug ins höchste Curry-Haus der Welt, wo es Llama Tikka Masala gibt, wir konnten im Etno Cafe Absinth probieren und im Coca Museum viel Interessantes erfahren. Und schon neigten sich fünf abwechslungsreiche Wochen Bolivien dem Ende zu.

Peru empfing uns mit Sonne und Geschrei. Nach den entspannten und eher distanzierten Bolivianern, nun also die tourismusverwöhnten Peruaner. Unsere neuen Freunde wittern mit jedem Touri die schnelle Mark und man bekommt recht kontinuierlich tolle Strickwarenangebote ins linke und Restaurantofferten ins rechte Ohr geschrien. Da wird man schnell zum arroganten Ausländer, der die armen Einheimischen ignoriert. Aus Mitleid und wegen kalten Füßen hab ich dann aber doch ein paar Alpaka-Socken erstanden.

Die eher unattraktive Stadt Puno liegt auf frischen 3.800 m Höhe und an der einzig wirklichen Attraktion, dem Titicaca See, der nicht das Geringste mit dem Taka-Tuka Land zu tun hat. Das Quechuawort Titicaca heißt übersetzt soviel wie „Der graue Puma“ (bisweilen auch „Der steinerne Puma“), denn mit etwas Phantasie hat der See aus der Vogelperspektive und auf den Kopf gestellt die Form eines Pumas, der in der andinischen Mythologie eine gewichtige Rolle spielt. Man fragt sich zwar zunächst, wie man ohne Fluggerät und Google Earth die Form erkennen konnte, aber die Racker waren sicher 1A im Kartographieren durch einmal um den See laufen.

Und auf dem höchsten befahrbaren See lauerten auch gleich die tollsten touristischen Attraktionen. Wir wurden, wie 95% aller Puno-Besucher, zunächst auf ein Boot und dann zu den Uros mit ihren künstlichen, schwimmenden Inseln verfrachtet. Die kleinen Eilande bestehen aus vertäutem Schilf und Wurzelwerk und bieten ein Zuhause für eine Handvoll Seebewohner. Dort gab es schon Wissenswertes zu erfahren, nichtsdestotrotz ließ einen das Gefühl nicht los in einem Menschenzoo gelandet zu sein. Die Gesichter der Inselbewohner waren leer, die traditionellen Trachten muteten wie Verkleidungen an und der traurige Höhepunkt war erreicht, als unter routiniertem Winken das französische „Alouette“ und der Ballermann-Hit „Vamos a la playa“ angestimmt wurden. Traurig. Der tägliche Besucherstrom hatte die Uros sichtlich abstumpfen lassen, von Authentizität konnte keine Rede mehr sein. Auf der nächsten Insel namens Taquile wurden wir dann Zeuge eines Festes eines lokalen Landwirtschafts-Patrons, was ausnahmsweise mal nicht für uns Touris inszeniert worden war. Noch am Interessantesten waren aber die Ausflügler aus aller Herren Länder mit denen wir einige schöne Geschichten austauschen konnten.

Und weil wir uns so gut mit Renaut aus Frankreich verstanden hatten, ging es abends in das Restaurant La Choza de Oscar mit traditionellen Tänzen, die teilweise recht bizarr erschienen und zwischen Theater und Prügelorgie anzusiedeln waren. Puno gilt als die peruanische Folklorehauptstadt und deshalb gab es reichlich Wein, Weib und Gesang. Und Cuy. Cuy werden hier liebevoll Meerschweine genannt, die nicht nur im Streichelzoo ihr Dasein fristen, sondern auch frittiert auf den Teller wandern. Schmeckt eigentlich ganz lecker, wie sehr zartes Kaninchen nur mit recht wenig Fleisch, sieht aber aus wie Ratte. Besonders der Kopf des kleinen Nagers. Was unsere Tischnachbarn auch erfreut bemerkt zu haben schienen.

Nach zwei Nächten im schönen Hostel Inka’s Rest reichte es uns aber erst mal mit Puno. Es sollten nach Cusco gehen, die alte Hauptstadt der Inka-Kultur und Ausgangsort für den Besuch der alten Machu Picchu Ruinen.

Verena and I did a half-day trip to the ¨Islas Flotantes de los Uros¨ on Lake Titicaca near Puno this morning – so cool!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uros

Now we´re in an internet cafe – have I mentioned that it´s rather cold here (I´ve been dressing in layers ever since we reached the Altiplano, the South American highlands/high plateau!) and no one has heating – uploading pictures from our trip (I´m uploading pictures from when we were traveling in Argentina onto my flickr account and from the Uyuni trip onto facebook). Hope it´s warmer wherever you are or that you at least have heating if it´s as cold as here! You really learn to appreciate the basic things in life when traveling

Nu mai e nici un secret că lacul Titikaka este, dacă nu o minune recunoscută oficial de vreun comitet binevoitor, cel puţin o privelişte minunată şi plină de surprize. Situat la o altitudine de peste 3800m, Titikaka este o mare de apă dulce care ascunde adâncuri neexplorate şi fără îndoială pline de istoria locului. Se spune în legendele locale că Titikaka este locul de unde au ieşit şi Soarele şi Luna, originea tuturor fiinţelor, sursa principală de viaţă.

O aşa comoară are nevoie fără îndoială de îngrijire şi de pază, iar populaţia Uros se achită de datoria şi în acelaşi timp privilegiul lăsate lor de către zei cu o dăruire şi cu o dragoste mai rar întâlnite în lumea modernă. Pe întinderea uriaşă de apă îşi petrec vieţile binecuvântate gardienii comorii celei sfinte: nişte oameni care se nasc, se bucură, transmit mai departe din înţelepciunea bătrânilor şi se sting pe apă şi doar pe apă. După invaziile europene, depăşiţi oarecum de agresivitatea nenaturală a noilor stăpâni ai pământurilor din jurul lacului, populaţia Uros a scăzut la număr dar s-a îndârjit.

Azi, la 10 min de mers cu barca, lângă un oraş plin de modernism cum este Puno, printre trestia protectoare şi dătătoare de viaţă a lacului, se pot găsi în jur de 40 de insule plutitoare care găzduiesc populaţia Uros.  Insulele în sine sunt o minune a tehnologiei străvechi şi în armonie cu natura – sunt vii. Sunt create din trestia care creşte la marginea lacului, trestie care în timp se reabsoarbe în lac. Insulele au nevoie constantă de întreţinere – straturi noi de trestie sunt împletite periodic şi folosite la reîmprospătarea lor. Fiecare insulă este asigurată cu parâme de vecinele ei formând astfel un orăşel care rezistă capriciilor vremii sau ale apelor lacului. Oamenii sunt veseli şi primitori deşi nu toate insulele sunt deschise vizitelor turistice şi din teama de a nu întina tradiţia cea veche. Bărbaţii îşi petrec cea mai mare parte din zi pe lac la pescuit sau pentru întreţinerea insulelor. Femeile rămân pe insule şi se îngrijesc de gospodăriile plutitoare precum şi de educaţia copiilor.

O vizită printre Uros este o vizită în altă lume. O lume veche, cu frumuseţea şi înţelepciunea ei, plină de pilde demne de luat în seamă. O lume în care relaţiile dintre oameni – dragostea şi grija reciprocă – sunt extrem de importante pentru continuarea tradiţiei străvechi de gardieni ai acestei minuni care este Titikaka.

Whether your personal choice is culture, history, wildlife or simply pushing yourself to your limit, Peru is one of the greatest adventure destinations on the planet.

Peru is synonymous with Machu Picchu and hiking the Inca Trail to the former royal city is the fulfillment of a lifelong dream for many travellers. The Trail itself is most easily accessed from Cusco, the historical capital of the Inca Empire and an ancient colonial city high in the Andes. At over 10,000 feet altitude, Cusco is also the place that most people acclimatise before tackling the trail or travelling the 80 kilometres to the ruins by train. Served by an international airport, the city is home to both Inca ruins and colonial architecture and hosts a number of spectacular festivals.

Most people who opt to hike to Machu Picchu start their trek at kilometer 88 or 82. Due to limits imposed on the trail to protect the environment, all hikers now require permits which are strictly limited and must be obtained from the authorities many months in advance. Most operators not only provide these permits in their tours, but also include local porters and guides thereby allowing trekkers to gain better enjoyment of their experience. The trek generally takes 3-4 days and although it requires no technical skills, it does demand a good degree of physical fitness due to the distances covered and the high altitude.

The final morning of any trek emerges at at the Sun Gate and provides the classic sunrise view of Machu Picchu below. Trekkers also have the advantage of being able to explore the legendary site before the crowds arrive by bus.

For those with less time, Machu Picchu can also be reached by train from Cusco through the Urubamba Valley with a stop in the small town of Aguas Calientes and its eponymous natural mountain hot baths.

Machu Picchu was started in AD 1430 on a mountain ridge more than 8,000 feet above sea level and overlooking the Urumbamba River almost 2,000 feet below. Built for the Inca rulers but abandoned a century later, it became known as the “The Lost City of the Incas” until  ‘rediscovered’ in the late 19^th century by the outside world and then popularised by American historian Hiram Bingham in 1911.

Further south in Peru lies the city of Puno on the shores of Lake Titicaca. At more than 12,000 feet altitude, the lake is the highest navigable body of water in the world. Although boasting many colonial buildings, most people use Puno as their staging point to visit Taquile and Amantani islands and the floating islands of the Uros people. For centuries, the Uros have built their floating island homes from bundles of totora reeds as protection from more aggressive neighbours. They are most hospitable to visitors and it’s also possible to arrange a homestay in the area.

For a complete change of scene from the Andes and ancient cultures, head west into the Amazon jungle. Starting in Puerto Maldonado, travel by motorised canoe and on foot to a remote lodge deep in the jungle. From there, spend your days exploring the thick forest and winding waterways or the evenings looking for caiman. At night, lie in your bed listening to the distant roll of thunder, the rain pounding your thatched roof and all the wild sounds of the jungle.

And if all of that wasn’t enough, there’s always cosmopolitan Lima, local markets, Nazca Lines, Colca Canyon and the rugged Pacific coast.

Post by:  Simon Vaughan © 2009

For the past two weeks, I have been traveling with my little sister through Argentina and Peru. I have had no computer and only public, temperamental computers to deal with. This is the answer to your obvious question, ¨Where have all of Allison´s entertaining blogs gone?¨

My sister arrived in Buenos Aires to help distract me from the fact that I was moving out of my darling studio apartment and leaving all my valuables behind to live out of a tiny backpack for one month. After the distraction faded, we sat on an overnight bus* to Salta, Argentina to see the Salinas.

*Overnight buses are not bad at all. They are actually like flying business class. You get limitless movies to watch, free meals to eat, and a nice cama (a chair that folds back into a bed) to sleep in and enjoy the ride.

The salinas were spectacular. You can look up the history if you are interested, but basically it is like a big dessert with snowy ground for miles and miles, only it´s not snow, it´s salt. When you walk on it, it sounds just like you´re walking on snow. But when you grab a handful and let it run through your fingers, it´s just like dinner salt!

After Salta, we went to Peru to visit the famous Machu Picchu and Lake Titicaca, the highest lake in the world!

What can I say, Peru was amazing! I can´t decide if I should go on and on about the little details that made it amazing (like the people who spend their lives living on the floating islands of Uros or the majestic views from the hidden Inka city of Machu Picchu, built with stones they rolled up the high mountain tops!).

If you´re like me, this long blog, with tons of paragraphs and no pictures, would seem rather daunting to read. I might even catalog it in my ¨need to read¨ label on gmail and forget about it completely.

Well, if you´re like me, you can skip down to the end. But if you´ve come this far, and you want to keep reading, let me tell you quickly why Peru was so amaing and why you should add it to your ¨must see in this lifetime¨ list. Two reasons: The food and the culture.

Seriously, the food was sooooo good in Peru! Fresh, organic, homemade, perfect food! They have the best avocados. Yes, better than my hometown of Fallbrook (known as the ¨Avocado Capital of the World¨)! They have the freshest tasting fish. Again, yes, better than wonderful Southern California´s salmon (yes, all you salmon haters…salmon is good! But they have trout…Yummy trout!). And last, they have the best presentation for serving their food. Peruvian music, dancing, and ambience that is unique and culturally charged. (Have you ever been on a floating island about the size of a quarter of a football field where 10 families live in harmony?) Totally worth a trip to Peru!

This brings me to my second reason why Peru was amazing to visit. Peru is rich with history (mostly stemming from their Inka heritage) that in my opinion, gives the Amish quite a run for their money! Everywhere you go, there is a Peruvian woman wearing a tall hat, a large fluffy, coloful skirt, and carrying a bulge of crop tied to her back. You will see her herding sheep in the mountains, spinning wool as she walks down a busy street, or picking vegtables from her farmland under a deep blue sky filled with big, puffy white clouds.

You´ll see what I mean when I post some pictures. Promise.

My sister and I ended up being great travel companions. Not that I doubted we would be; I knew we were similar enough that the trip would be fun and memorable. That said, there is always a slight air of fear when sisters spend too much time together. (If you have a sister, you know what I mean!) One can´t help but worry that things could easily go sour, where less time is spent laughing and more time is spent having screaming matches. Screaming matches so bad, that they could easily lead to kicking and scratching matchings like when we were kids.

Don´t worry, we both walked away injury free. We even hugged when we said goodbye…TWICE!

And now I am on my own. My friend Liv from Buenos Aires joins me tomorrow in Bariloche. We spend a week here, and then I head down to the southernmost city in the world, Ushuaia! I have a week there by myself….unless you want to be spontaneous and join me? I can give you my hostel address and flight information??? …Please????

After my travels, I am thrilled that I get to have one more week in Buenos Aires when my parents come to visit. Then, I´ll be back in Cali for June…or the summer….who knows! But, like Biggie says, I´m goin´, goin´, back, back, to Cali, Cali…. Can´t wait!

Thanks for patiently waiting to read this blog. And then reading it! I will write more later when I have the time. (Yes, there will be more to write!) But since I do not have my own computer, there will be nothing other than text blogs for the next few weeks. Hopefully entertaining text blogs, but let´s be honest, nothing compares to the charming pictures and hilarious vlogs I stream throughout this site. I will be posting a backlog of exceptionally brilliant vlogs when I have my computer again. So, STAY TUNED!

Chau! Chau!

PS: ¨Allison Meriwell¨ is the name a taxi driver gave me in Peru. He had written it on a sign he held when picking us up from the train station. My sister Lindsey and I got a kick out of it…Maybe we were just tired from traveling the world…

TRAVEL AND TOUR INFORMATION

At the edge of Lake Titicaca, at an altitude of 3,860 meters above sea level (m.a.s.l.) lies Puno, a captivating, enchanting city. The city has a strange magnetism that seems to emanate from the surrounding mountains, its lake that’s looks more like an ocean, and its people, descendants of the Aymara, a strong people who once ruled the high plateaus.

Before the expansion of the Inca Empire, what we now know as Puno, in the southernmost part of Peru , was home to the Tiahunaco culture , the apex of Aymara human development, as shown by archeological remains discovered in the area.

Puno, according to legend, was also the cradle of Inca civilization, as Manco Capac, the first Inca, rose from the waters of Lake Titicaca, under the orders of the Sun God, to found the Inca Empire. Lake Titicaca, at 3,815 m.a.s.l., is the world’s highest navigable lake and, with an area of 8,400 square kilometers, the second largest in South America.

On November 4, 1688, Viceroy Conde de Lemos founded the city of Puno giving it the name of San Carlos de Austria. From that moment, the town began to change physically, as the Spanish priests, in their eagerness to convert the natives, built the beautiful churches which still stand today.

This region of Peru is famous for its varied and colorful folk traditions, as it has some of the most dazzling and richest folk ceremonies to be witnessed in this part of the continent. The most dazzling of all, without doubt, is the celebration of the Virgen de la Candelaria, held in February.

Today, Puno, capital of the department of the same name, is an important agricultural and livestock region; particularly of South American camelids (llamas and alpacas) which graze on its immense plateaus and plains.

Fruto de diversos estudios y consultorías en los 15 municipios circundantes al lago Titicaca, se tiene alrededor de 400 ideas de proyectos turísticos en la región. Propuestas que van desde la inventariación de los atractivos turísticos hasta el diseño de circuitos, albergues, centros de interpretación, muelles, entre otros. En muchos casos los proyectos ya se encuentran a diseño final.

El coordinador del proyecto de Desarrollo Sostenible del Lago Titicaca, Álvaro Gutiérrez, informó a Enlared-Onda Local que en los municipios se “han hecho estudios a través de firmas consultoras que han arrojado alrededor de 400 ideas de proyectos, que serán priorizadas junto con las comunidades”.

Gutiérrez destacó que los proyectos turísticos revalorizan antiguos atractivos turísticos, proponen como parte de recorridos algunos sitios arqueológicos y plantean la construcción de diversidad de infraestructura como ciclovías, miradores, albergues, restaurantes, entre otras obras.

Circuitos turísticos

En una primera fase, los proyectos deberán estar en función de algunos circuitos en torno a Copacabana, las islas del lago y los alrededores:

- El Circuito Puerto Pérez e islas del lago menor, en los municipios de Puerto Pérez, Pucarani y Achacachi con la construcción de muelles.

- La Ruta del Dragón Dormido, un sitio arqueológico de Carabuco, donde se construirán muelles, se habilitarán los paseos por las ruinas, y explotarán las aguas termales en la zona norte (Chiaruyo, Chaguaya aguas calientes, Totorani)

- El Circuito Tiwanaku-Taraco las islas del lago menor, en los municipios de Tiwanaku, Taraco, Desaguadero, con la edificación de muelles, un centro de acogida al visitante y la señalización del sitio arqueológico.

- La construcción de muelles y puesta en valor de atractivos urbanos en los municipios de Copacabana, Tiquina y Tito Yupanqui; además de la edificación de un centro integral de atención al visitante en la frontera, Kasani.

- En Copacabana, la “puesta en valor” de los atractivos la Horca del Inca (Pachataca), el Calvario y Colquepata, además de los recursos arqueológicos en las islas del Lago Mayor.

- En Desaguadero se proyecta un centro integral de atención al visitante en la frontera.

- En Carabuco, Puerto Acosta y Achacachi se propone el estudio y explotación de las aguas termales de Aguas Calientes (Carabuco), de Totorani (Puerto Acosta) y Chiarhuyo en Achacachi.

Los proyectos necesitan de un trabajo conjunto de niveles de gobierno nacionales y locales, insiste Gutiérrez: “tenemos que trabajar con instituciones que tienen que ver con el proyecto del lago: la Prefectura de La Paz, el Viceministerio de Turismo, el Viceministerio de Saneamiento Básico, el Ministerio de Culturas, con los gobiernos municipales y las comunidades”.

Asimismo, en todos los casos, se prevé la implementación de un sistema de señalización de todas las rutas turísticas y viales de los municipios involucrados en el proyecto.

Proyecto

El programa Desarrollo Sostenible del Lago Titicaca

tiene un costo total de 20 millones de dólares, los cuales provienen de un crédito del Banco Mundial. Los recursos serán administrados por el Ministerio de Desarrollo Productivo y Economía Plural y ejecutados por el Fondo de Inversión Productiva y Social (FPS).

Este 2009, se ejecutará el 27% del total del presupuesto, es decir 6.233.980 dólares, para los estudios de preinversión, en la futura etapa de inversión los gobiernos locales darán una contraparte de tres millones.

El proyecto tiene tres componentes: uno, el desarrollo turístico y la protección de los atractivos y recursos culturales; dos, la mejora de los sistemas de agua potable, alcantarillado y plantas de tratamiento de aguas servidas y residuos sólidos; y, tres, el fortalecimiento institucional de las Alcaldías en cuanto a su gestión territorial.

Los planes de ordenamiento territorial permitirán definir el uso de los suelos y planes de regulación de las actividades comerciales y turísticas, en Copacabana, Achacachi y Tiwanacu.

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A noite poderia ter sido um fracasso total se dependesse do atendimento e da comida do bar EKEKO’s em Puno – Peru. Mas “nuestras comañeras” eram para lá de animadas. Em algum momento eu não sabia se estavam rindo conosco ou de nós, o que de verdade não importa agora, mas sigo acreditando na primeira opção.

Puno não é exatamente uma cidade de baladas, para falar a verdade o frio era tanto que a vontade grande mesmo era de ficar embaixo do cobertor para todo sempre. É que alguém pode ficar bem arrependido de passar o tempo em um país tão encantador, embaixo das cobertas.

A indicação do Bar Ekeko’s foi do Bruno, um Uros/Aymara/Guia Titikaka que nos disse que ali haveria musica tradicional ao vivo. Se a intenção é indicar o local podemos dizer que estava quentinho e o lugar bem decorado o que criava assim uma atmosfera acolhedora. Fora a falta de garçom e sabor da comida o lugar era espetacular. A música era o absoluto silêncio, pode ser que seja típica a meditação ao som do silêncio ou algum tipo de ritual indígena. Passamos uma parte da noite rindo, rindo, rindo até irem embora “las chicas”, depois cobertor… para todo sempre.