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Early in the morning, a bycicle taxi brings us from the hotel to the Puno's harbour where we will take a boat for a daycruise on lake Titicaca. |
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With its 3820 metres of elevation, the lake Titicaca is currently classified as one of the world's highest navigable lake. Near the harbour and where the water is very shallow, algae grow very dense, covering the entire surface of the water. |
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| A nice WidevieW of Puno as seen from the lake. |
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Where the water's depth doesn't exceed one - two meters, Totora reeds grow abundantly, up to hide totally the surface of the lake. |
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After about 30 minutes of navigation from Puno, we approach the first floating islands made of Totora reeds and populated by about 2000 people in total, living and sleeping here year-round. This tradition was started by the ancient Uros people to escape from the enemy that was on the territory all around, and it is continued by the modern generations. |
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| It is now the time to leave our boat and jump over one of these islands. |
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Totora reeds are collected from the lake and used to build the island, the homes, the boats and for manufacturing several other things. Part of the reed, the whitest part, it is also used as food. Every 6 months, the reeds must be replaced because they rot. Locals on the island sells souvenirs to tourists. |
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| Homes are quite humble and very small. Here, a television is powered up by solar panels. | |
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The main food resources are fishes, Totora reeds itself and birds living in the lake (sometime they are also grown artificially). |
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| A women returns on the island on her Totora boat. |
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Using a Totora boat, a local guide brings us on another floating island, where there is a nice observation tower.. |
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| Meanwhile, other boats go here and there. A group of childs are directed on the island where there is the school. | |
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| Once on the island, I climb the observation tower, from where there is a nice view over the islands itself and to the many other islands all around. | |
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| On the left: pots used to cook foods. On the top: a Totora boat. |
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The day continues with a long navigation (2 hours and a half) to Taquile island (top-right picture) where there is a small village populated by people living mostly with products made on site. |
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| It is about 40 minutes by walk from the harbour to the village on the top of the hill. Terraces are used for agricolture and group of small sheeps are frequently seen while climbing the narrow trail. | |
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The sides of the hills are terraced for agricolture. Everything is brown because this is winter and it is the dry season. |
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| In less than one hour, I reach the village on the top of the hill. |
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| A belltower and a typical, narrow street in the center of the village. | |
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| It is the time to go back to Puno for the 3 hours navigation of lake Titicaca. 500 stairs are used to cover the 200 meters of elevation difference between the town and the dock. |
PICTURES OF PERU - BOLIVIA - CILE: IMAGES FROM THE TRIP DAY BY DAY |
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09.08.2003 - Santiago day tour Guided day tour of Santiago, visiting Plaza de Armas, the downtown with its tall skyscrapers, and the outskirts. |
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10.08.2003 - Winery tour from Santiago Chile is getting every year more competitive in the wine market, thanks to the quality and to the increasing quantity. A winery tour in a farm near Santiago lets to discover the wine production process and to taste excellent wines. |
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11.08.2003 - San Pedro De Atacama The Atacama desert in Chile is considered one of the world's driest place where, in several areas, there are no registered rainfalls for many consecutive years. But this doesn't mean that there is no life or nothing to see... |
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12.08.2003 - San Pedro de Atacama and Salar De Atacama Day tour from San Pedro de Atacama to Salar de Atacama, a huge salt flat surrounded by majestic volcanoes, where flamingoes have made their home. |
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13.08.2003 - from Laguna Verde to Laguna Colorada Today the groups gets into Bolivia where an adventure by 4x4 begins. The today itinerary goes from Laguna Verde (green lake) to Laguna Colorada (red lake) driving off road or onto dirty roads, between spectacular lunar landscape of extreme high mountain. |
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14.08.2003 - Crossing Bolivian plateau by 4x4 The Bolivian desert expedition by 4x4 continues at altitudes between 3.500 and 5000 meters above sea level, in an incredible landscape of rocks sculptured by winds and other extreme elements. |
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15.08.2003 - Salar De Uyuni tour With an average altitude higher than 4000 meters, the Bolivian plateau offers spectacular scenery, like the immense Salar de Uyuni, the world's largest salt flat. We make a stop at Isla Pescado (fish island) a small hill in the middle of the salt, where there are giant cactus. |
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16.08.2003 - Travel from Uyuni to Potosi Travel by public bus service from Uyuni to Potosi, over partly paved roads at extreme altitudes, in the middle of the Andes. |
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17.08.2003 - Potosi city tour and silver miner excursion Excursion to the interesting "museum of the coins" in Potosi, then tour into a silver miner where people work in terrible conditions, inside a mountain above 4.000 meters of altitude. |
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Travel by public bus service from Potosi to Uyuni, Bolivia, then short Sucre city tour and excursion to the "dinosaurs footprints" park, a vertical wall of rock where dinosaurs tracks were left impressed after a sudden catastrophic event. |
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Flight from Sucre to El Alto, one of the world's most elevated airports, near the city of La Paz, Bolivia. A short city tour of La Paz follows. |
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Excursion to Tiahuanaco ruins by bus, departing from La Paz. This archeological site is very interesting and belongs to pre-Inca time. |
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21.08.2003 - Travel La Paz - Puno via Copacabana Travel by public bus from La Paz to Puno (Peru) via Copacabana. Today, we cross the border line between Bolivia and Peru, traveling along the Titicaca lake shores. |
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22.08.2003 - Titicaca lake cruise <YOU ARE HERE> Like the ancient Uros people, about 2000 Peruvians still populate the floating islands built of Totora reeds, over lake Titicaca in Peru. Everything, from homes to the floating islands itself, is built using Totora reeds, a plant growing along the shores of lake Titicaca. |
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23.08.2003 - Travel Puno - Cusco by train Travel from Puno to Cusco by train, over one of the world highest railway. The entire journey takes almost 12 hours, but worth because of the beautiful scenery. |
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24.08.2003 - Excursions from Cusco Cusco, in the middle of the Andes in Peru, is a city full of history and fascinating museum. The first day spent in Cusco is dedicated to an excursion to Sacsayhuaman fortress and to the temple of the sun. |
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25.08.2003 - Pisaq and Ollantaytambo tour Drive from Cusco thru the Sacred Valley to Pisaq with its ancient ruins and the local handicraft market. Continue to Ollantaytambo where we spend the night. |
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26.08.2003 - Travel to Machu Picchu by train Travel to Machu Picchu by train from Ollantaytambo. The narrow gauge railway finishes in Aguas Calientes where we have some rest and overnight. |
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27.08.2003 - Machu Picchu tour Machu Picchu, the ancient Inca town, has been discovered only in 1911, although was always known by several local farmers. A tour of Machu Picchu gives the possibility to better understand the everyday life of who has lived here. |
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28.08.2003 - Cusco city tour and museums Only one day in Cusco is never enough, so, in this second day, I visit several interesting museums and do more hikes in the city, where many modern buildings are built over ancient Inca walls. |
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29.08.2003 - Flight Cusco - Lima Short flight from Cusco to Lima by a Lan Peru Airbus A320. This journey thru the Andes of South America is now about to finish. |
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Excursion to a pre-Inca cemetery, before visiting Plaza de Armas and the interesting San Francisco monastery. |
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Collection of the best pictures The most beautiful pictures from Peru, Bolivia and Chile are collected in this page. Click the highlighted links for additional travel information, for useful links and for a description of the photography equipment. |
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