Lake Titicaca

I just got back from 2 fantastic days on Lake Titicaca.
We started our boat tour with a visit to the Uros Floating Islands. The Uros tribe has lived in this manner for 2000 years. There are many reeds in this area. The reeds have roots that form a dense 1 m thick mass. Every once in a while some of these masses float to the surface. The Uros then cut these root masses into squares. They then drive a post into the center of each square, and tie them together. This way the can have an island any size they want. The root masses are the covered with fresh reeds, laid in alternate directions. This layer is also about 2 m thick. Their houses are also built with these reeds. The island we visited had 4 families, with about 25 people. Once a week they travel to Puna. The rest of the time is "island" time. There are about 60 islands.
The Uros are short and stout. I wouldn't call them attractive. They do wear very colorful
outfits.
After our visit to the Uros we continued for 3 more hours to the island where we stayed overnight. The good news was that the accommodations were much better than I anticipated, actual beds, and some light, powered by a car battery. I had my own room.
The bad news that it was a half hour uphill climb. A young Chilean was kind enough to carry my bag. Without Javier I would still be somewhere on that hill.
Altitude adjustment is a real fact. Everything is a chore, and there are few level roads in Peru. Our landlady cooked lunch and dinner, very tasty soup and a veggie stew. All cooked the way it was done for the last couple of thousand years.
There is no relationship between the people and the Uros, different language, different culture, they don't even look the same.
There was an optional hike to the top of the island. I declined.
The sanitary facility was an outhouse. I found a chamberpot, so I didn't have to break my neck in the middle of the night.
In the morning, on the way to the outhouse I met the rooster, with the same intent as mine. The difference was that he didn't step into mine.
After a pancake breakfast, we hiked back down to the boat. Going downhill was even tough.
We then travelled for another island. Only an hour away, but completely different cultures.
We had the pleasure, thrill, ordeal, whatever you want to call it, of another one hour hike, uphill, of course.
The nice thing was that I really started to appreciate the beauty of the lake. It is huge, a gorgeous blue, but cold. The temperature is a constant 8 degrees.
After a lunch of freshly caught lake trout we had the pleasure of 500 stone steps back down to the boat.
A three hour boat ride back to Puno ended the day.
You guys won't believe this, but I am spending 50 dollars on a hotel room. It even has an electric heater.
It's off to Cuzco tomorrow, unless there is a strike.
What will be, will be!!!,