Perus Inca heartland offers you floating islands,breath-taking views and a lesson in historyPeru does cold like few places on earth. At night,temperatures at high altitudes frequently drop below zero. Yet,after 10 days in the country,I hadnt spotted any kind of indoor heating system. To make us endure the night chill,our travel co-ordinators sent us to spend two nights at an elevation of 12,500 feet on the shores of Lake Titicaca. The city of Puno is the most convenient departure for Lake Titicacas various islands. With our bags loaded in the bus,we headed from Cuzco,a city in southeastern Peru,to Puno. The journey took us through what is sometimes called a sacred landscape,the Inca heartland,which connects Cuzco and Lake Titicaca,from where legend holds that the Incas originated.The lakeside city of Puno is unspectacular. Most of its buildings are made of brown mud bricks,the streets are unpaved and traffic consists mainly of bicycles and tuk-tuk style taxis. Much of daily life in Puno revolves around the marketplace. Tanned women in shrunken bowler hats,vibrant shawls and voluminous skirts ply their fruit and flowers,handmade panpipes and ponchos,with children at their heels. The towns dull muddiness is in sparkling contrast to the turquoise water of the lake. At 3,000 sq miles,Lake Titicaca is the highest of its size in the world. There are more than 40 floating islands sprinkled across it. These are made by layering totora reed atop root clods. New reeds are laid weekly as those below decompose. The inhabitants cling to a traditional way of life centred around fishing,farming and weaving.Our first stop next morning was Islas Uros. The Uros people,who live on floating islands,began their unusual floating life centuries ago in an effort to escape hostile cultures on the mainland. Theirs is a humble lifestyle: the ground they live on,the food they eat,their boats and homes are all made of reed. But the Uros islands can be one of Perus more uncomfortable experiences for a tourist who is a captive audience for hard-selling souvenir vendors. After being greeted by a group of singing women,we were shown how the islands are made reed blocks,reed matting and some more reeds strewn on top. We were given the chance to look inside their homes,offered a selection of reed-crafts for sale and then taken around the island on a reed boat (for a price of course). The next island,Taquile has roughly 2,000 residents. Spinning yarn and weaving intricate ancient patterns are as important to everyday life as farming and cooking. Running water and electricity are scarce,the only transportation is by foot and tranquillity abounds. Our guide directed the boat to a small harbour at the back of the island,sparing us the 500 steps up from the main port. Nevertheless,we faced a substantial climb to the central square. The walk was picturesquea snaking pathway through eucalyptus-lined hills that overlook the glittering deep blue of the lake. After a decent lunch of local trout and potatoes,some local women sang and danced for us. They even selected some people from our group to match steps with them. I was happy I wasnt pulled into the celebrations. At 12,500 feet,dancing is not easy. The unlucky tourists who could not keep up with the energy of the islanders were left wheezing and panting when the show ended. The evening was bitterly cold and we were glad to get back to the hotel at Puno. We left for Juliaca (the town nearest to Puno that has an airport) next morning. On the way,we stopped at Sillustani which is famous for its chullpas circular burial towers. Sitting on rolling hills on the Lake Umayo peninsula,the funerary towers stand out for miles against the desolate landscape. The ancient Colla people who once dominated the Lake Titicaca area were a warrior tribe who later became the southeastern arm of the Incas. The Colla buried their nobility in chullpas that are widely scattered around the hilltops. All this is just a few hours away from Limas tangled metropolis. Getting there:LAN Airlines flies from Lima to Juliaca. Hire a taxi at Juliaca airport to travel to Puno.Best time to visit:June to AugustAccommodation:Casona Plaza Hotel in Puno is quiet and secure. Rooms are clean and comfortable.Eating:La Casona bills itself as a museum-restaurant. The menu veers between traditional and modern from guinea pig to trout from lake Titicaca.Shopping:Buy a replica of a reed boat from the islanders at Uros.
