La Isla Bonita

Isla del Sol is beautiful and just what the doctor ordered. Apart from the snow-covered Andes in the distance, you could easily believe you´re on a Greek island here. The island has steep rugged and rocky cliffs with lots of little bays interspersed with tiny mudbrick villages and lots of donkeys and llamas. You would never think you are at 4000 metres but the sun burn we got today will attest that we are indeed that high: despite plastering ourselves with factor 25, we all look like Rudolph... the UV rays are very intense at this altitude.

Our village, Yumani, is at the top of the hill with a panoramic 360 view of the whole island and although getting up here yesteday with our packs was no fun (esp. for me - I was huffing and puffing with every step. It´s the altitude of course:-)) the view outside our rooms is just to die for and well worth the effort: our verandah (which we have just to ourselves) looks out from high over the lake towards the mountains and across to Peru . The lake is just vast and the most wonderful shade of blue. Yesterday evening, I just sat on the verandah wrapped in my sleeping bag (evenings is when you remember how high up you are) and watched the most spectacular sunset. I don´t think I moved for about 3 hours.

Last night we had one of the more unusual meals of our trip. Service is not a high priority here in Bolivia (which is actually quite refreshing) but I think a new record may have been set. The "restaurant" resembled Hagrid´s Hut in HP. It advertised itself as offering a varied menu and altough 3 of us wanted trout (for which Lake Titicaca is well known - it´s farmed here), Ben was hoping for some other options. However... firstly there was no menu and secondly there was no *kitchen* - kind of useful to have in a restaurant. The place was just a round mud brick hut with a grass roof. "Hagrid" duly appeared (ever been served by a waiter in woolly hat?) and told us that trout was indeed on the menu. In fact it was the *only* thing on the menu. Eventually he decided that chicken might be a possibility. OK said Ben. Our tummies were rumbling because we´d missed lunch yet again. (In all SA countries they eat a big lunch at 12 and then nothing till dinner no sooner than 7pm. We are hardly ever hungry at 12 because breakfast is usually included in the price of the room so we usually miss lunch completely ) And so we waited. And waited. And waited some more. There was some bursts of activity, and various comings and goings by the woolly hatted one, his wife, varous children and I believe he may have brought in the neighbours at one point. Then they all disappeared for about 20 minutes. At one point we smelled garlic cooking and started salivating but no it was not for us, it was for the only other customers, a Portugese couple. We all laughed. We wondered whether he was having to catch the trout, or dig up - or possibly grow - the potatoes for the chips. Eventually, the grandmother was brought in and finally, after AN HOUR AND A HALF AFTER ORDERING our food appeared with no explanation, apology or any sense of embarrassment. Fortunately, the trout turned out to be delicious and although the bill was only about 8 bucks, we didn´t leave a tip. I think we´ll try somewhere else for dinner tonight.

Today, after a rude shock discovering there was no hot water in our rooms (yes, there being only one tap in the shower really should have given us a clue) we hiked to the north side of the island for about 5 hours through wonderful scenery. We saw lots of llamas and donkeys, were chased by a few dogs who hadn´t had so much excitement in weeks, then caught a boat back to the Escalera del Inca for the long hike back up the hill and to our rooms. This is the first time we have slept in the same bed for more than one might in almost 2 weeks so it almost feels like home.

We are now starting to feel we are running out of time and although I would love to stay longer here the days are flying by so tomorrow we will travel to Puno in Peru at the other side of the lake where we will visit the Islas Flotantes or the reed islands of Lake Titi, and from there to Cuzco. The Holy Grail is getting ever nearer!

Ciao amigos.

Jackie
XX