"The Altitude hasnt Killed us off Yet!"

Marissa obsessed with finger puppets - they were only 10p!
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We arrived in Lima, Peru, late on Monday night after flying from Quito and literally just fell into bed. Net day we were up early to meet our new GAP Adventure group that we will be with for the next 2 weeks for the Inca Trail, Titicaca, Amazon and Cuzco. We flew straight down to Juliaca airport and took a bus to Puno, which is situated on the shores of Lake Titicaca. Another good group with a real international mix - Irish, Danes, Candian, English, Aussies etc.

We were both really worried about the whole altitude sickness thing as Puno is situated at 4000m above sea level and the altitude can make you quite sick - headaches, dizziness etc however we fortunately seem to have been ok with it so far and its pretty much downhill from here in terms of altitude so hopefully well be ok. The antidote that they give you is Coca Tea made from Coca leaves and this seems to help. First night in Puno we went out for dinner with our group and Nick and I immersed ourselves in the culture and ate Guinea Pig and Lama for our dinner - sorry Grandma (we used to have Guineas as pets when we were younger!). Anyway both were delicious - Guinea Pig tastes a bit like game meat - pigeonlike. Trouble is there isn't much meat on it so I think I burnt off more calories trying to get the meat off of it than I did eating the thing!

maybe not quite the lap dance club environment he had hoped for but it certainly brought about the biggest smile on his face that I have ever seen...

The view from Taquile island
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Anyway we got our briefing and then hit the sack. Yesterday we got up and being the appalling wife that I am I forgot about Nicks Birthday and only remembered when one of the girls on the tour said Happy Birthday when we were down at breakfast - I blame it on the altitude killing some brain cells! Cheers guys for all your messages too, Nick had a fab day. We took Peruvian Tuk Tuks from the hotel down to the lake and then sailed across Lake Titicaca (the highest natural lake in the world) to Taquile island. The weather started out rainy but soon brightened up and we got some great photos. We really got to see how the islanders live and it is such an eye opener. The women weave and the men knit! The houses are very basic but they are starting to use solar panels now to get electricity for radios and TVs. The uphill walk across the island was a bit of a killer and the sun was really strong but the views were absolutely amazing.

The Peruvian national flower - one for the mums and grans!
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We then moved on to another island, Amantile, where we were going to do the homestay. We were introduced to our family and met by Amelia the daughter who showed us their house. We all then took off for a game of volleyball and football against the locals - clearly being accustomed to playing at 4000m was an advantage for them and they beat us hands down! Nick loved it though, although there are a few photos showing that at 33 his Rooney days are over (if he ever has had any Rooney days)! We then ate with the family in their kitchen. Mud floors, fire stove with no chimney and table and cutlery laid out especially for us - it really was worlds apart from back home. The life is quite primitive with outdoor toilet, no hot water and basic food but the people were very endearing and great hosts.

More stunning views of Titicaca
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The highlight of the evening was being dressed up in the traditional gear and going off to a pan pipes disco where we were taught the traditional dancing. In honour of Nicks Birthday our young host presented him with a necklace of flowers, a kiss and then whisked him around the dance floor until he could breather no more - maybe not quite the lap dance club environment he had hoped for but it certainly brought about the biggest smile on his face that I have ever seen! A couple of beers feeling more like 7 at altitude and he certainly had a Birthday to remember!

The lama clad GAP group - hats and sweaters galore
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We slept ok with lots of blankets as it gets cold in the evenings here and had great homemade pancakes and jam for breakfast. We then visited a floating island made of reeds on the way back this morning where traditional Inca villages were set up years ago and people do apparently still live there. The reeds from the lake are used for everything - food, constructing the island, boats etc. It was very interesting.

This afternoon we did a little shopping and I managed to buy a Lama sweater for just 4 pounds which is fantastic. The traditionally dressed ladies come at you from everywhere with their wares - hats, finger puppets, sweaters - all at great prices. I'm doing quite well really as I haven't bought too much - no room and Nick is controlling the purse strings - I think that he is worried that hell end up carrying it all!

The floating islands of UROS and some very photogenic children
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Anyway, off to Cuzco and then Ollyantambo tomorrow to discover the lost city. Photos now uploaded on previous journal entry (where the fun stops and the hard work begins) so do go in and have a look....