Lake Titikaka

Monday, Sept. 19 - It is a beautiful blue sky day, but there is a cold wind blowing across the lake. So we have to bundle up in our fleeces and jackets to enjoy the fresh air on the roof of the boat. Lake Titikaka is the world's highest navigable lake. It is very important in Incan mythology as the place where the world was created. We see small pockets of habitation along the coast and then head into the open lake for Ilsa Taquile, about 2 hours away. Across on the far shore, is Bolivia. The area is described as being a time capsule of preserved Peruvian and Bolivian cultures. And certainly it is isolated in many respects, but tourism has certainly made a big impact. On the small island of Taquile there are 32 restaurants all vying for our business. We are served a delicious lunch of quinoa & pumpkin soup, followed by grilled rainbow trout. (a bit of trivia - the lake was stocked with Canadian rainbow trout, sometime in the 1960's and they have thrived to become one of the staples of the area.)The community on the island has its own elected leaders. The municipal building and church are both locked, as there is no priest and no money to run the government offices. The school, however, is fully operational. Percy describes some of the local customs - including the courting rituals - which involves flashing a mirror at the boy of your choice, and pelting him with stones to attract his attention. I guess facebook hasn't reached the island. Our short walk uphill walk to the main square was an introduction to climbing at high altitude. So far so good. The only effects I am feeling from the altitude is some tingling in my fingers and that could be from the altitude pills. Back on the boat, the sun comes out and we bake in its rays - but careful to lather up with sunscreen. Now we are on our way to Luquina Chico for our homestay. At the dock we are enthusiastically greeted by the local families and are led ceremoniously, with musical accompaniment, to the town meeting place. Here we find another Gap group is enjoying a soccer game against a team of the locals. The Gap team wins. Now we are introduced to our homestay hosts. To our surprise, they proceed to dress us up in traditional dress. This goes over our warm clothing, jeans and hiking boots. I look as large as a house with 4 skirts, topped with a jacket and oh,I almost forgot the fashionable bowler hat! The soccer field is transformed into a dance floor. After a demonstration of the traditional dance steps, we were all invited to join in. By now it was dark. Our host, Melissa, led us off to meet the family where we would stay for the night. Accomodation was simple but comfortable enough. Three beds filled the room and we were delighted to find an electric light and an ensuite bathroom. There was only a trickle of water at the sink and the toilet need the assistance of water from a handy bucket to fulfill its job of flushing. But this was more luxury than we expected. We were welcomed by the family of mother, father and three teenagers in the cosykitchen where we presented the mother with the gifts of fruit, oil, rice and sugar that we had been advised to bring along. Luckily for us, Marco, the guide from the other Gap group was billeted with us. He acted as an interpreter which saved us an uncomfortable evening of sign and body language. We had a tasty meal of barley soup and a dish of rice, potatoes and veggies. Back in our room, we discovred that the water was turned off for the night - but never mind. The beds were covered in many layers of heavy blankets, so despite the chill of the night and the rainstorm that swept through the village during the night, we are snug and warm in bed.