Puno, Lake Titicaca and the Island of the Sun

« Return to Bolivia

It made sense to catch an ecological taxi to the foot of the Condor mountain. The altitude of 3800m was proving to be somewhat challenging for physical exertion, and a manpowered tricycle seemed just the ticket. Hopping into the front carriage, our rider/driver deftly navigated through the narrow, cobblestone streets of Puno, until I suddenly realized we had come to an abrupt halt. Turning around to see the cause, I saw that our rider/driver had also deftly navigated himself under the wheels of a car, that is, he had been run over. The car had to reverse over his leg to release him, but he did not seem too bothered until everyone began to make a right fuss. At this point, he was showered with cash, apologies, and an Esrock nod of sympathy. More embarrassed than injured, he bade us farewell and we promptly caught another human taxi, although this time, I insisted on driving.

After almost a week, Cusco had filled with familiar faces, places and an undeniable charm. But faces were moving on and there was no denying that the town’s blatant over-mining of its tourist resource was taking its toll. According to Incan legend, Cusco is the Naval of the World, and I felt like I had sucked the olive out of it. It was time to go south to the famous Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world, birthplace of the Inca, liquid divider of Peru and Bolivia. I arrived in Puno on the Peruvian side to find a bustling town with pedal taxis, handcraft markets and Internet kiosks. It was my two-week traveling anniversary, but the altitude didn’t care to celebrate and the only gift I got was the squirts. Call me the Running Man.

Realizing that my laptop is also a DVD player, I decided to spend the night in with a good movie. Now if you think it’s difficult finding something to rent at your local Blockbuster, try searching the markets of rural Peru at 11pm. After trawling through some Spanish-only night stalls, I hit pay dirt with the film Constantine, notable because it was only just released in the US theatres two weeks ago, and also that my copy cost 50c. Thousands of burnt VCD’s of just about everything were available in Spanish and available for peanuts. Hollywood, you have a problem. The movie was OK, if you ignored the digital camera shake as the distributor filmed his black market copy in the theatre, and also Keanu Reeves’s wooden performance. Touch the guy, you’ll get splinters.

Gonzo Gallery for Puno, Lake Titicaca and the Island of the Sun

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