What's that?! According to our map we should have reached the Lake Titicaca long ago. Where is all the water? At the end of the dry season, the water level had sunk so much that big parts of the lake were dry. Good luck, that with the size of 120 miles length and an average width of 48 miles enough has remained of the lake. (mi)

Puno, a marvelously colorful market with mountains of fruits and vegetables. Between the stands it was really crowdy. We were both heavily loaded with bags with lots of fruits, that we wanted to give away on the remote island Taquile. Suddenly, Markus turned around and shouted "Darling! Almost somebody had stolen my wallet! I quite clearly noticed a hand in my pants bag!" The usual trick: One person distracts while another grasps into the bag. However Markus' wallet was well packed. Passer-bys had watched the two lady-thieves, (not the two on the right picture) and then notified them to the security officials, who were just by chance standing very close. So, we have been the second time at the police in Perú. (mi, mi)

At the next morning, we drove to the island Taquile for two days. Between wardrobes, garden appliances, vegetables and beer boxes, we drove with a totally overloaded boat through the dense reed onto the lake. Twice, the motor stopped and we drifted in circles for a while until the problem was fixed. But the other passengers were totally nice and deflected us well. (mi)

At the nearly four-hour lasting trip, we passed also the floating islands of the Urcos. It is very interesting, how the Urcos knew to use the reed, and, respectively still know today: as bearers for their floating islands, as constucting material for houses, boats and much more, yes even as child food. Unfortunately such a tourist-show takes place here that, we were glad to leave. (mi)

When we arrived at Taquile we at first had to climb a steep and ancient stone stairway from the harbor to the village. After we placed our things at a family and rested for a while, we made an extended walk on the island. A beautiful path between the fields leads to the highest point of the island. As a landscape architect, I was very impressed of all the transparent walls, that were made of loosely stacked stones. (mi, mi)

A historic ceremony place, that is probably still today is used for special celebrations, is located at the highest point of the island. This place has such a great charisma, that we spent a long time there. Furthermore you have a wonderful panoramic-view over the entire lake and at good sight in the evening you can even see the snow-covered mountains of the Cordillera Real in distance. A very quiet place, ideally to meditate! (mi)

With our stay in the family of Ernesto we supported one of these new projects, that uses individual tourism to fight the poverty in small, remote villages. It didn't run really well with Ernesto, who came back home drunken and rampaging late at night. But his six very shy children were very happy about the fruits we brought (three of them you can sees above). The picture on the left side shows men of Taquile in their traditional dress chatting and knitting. Their caps are hand-knitted of course, that they learn here already as small boy. And the women? They spin the wool and weave. (all photos mi)

Children of the island Taquile (left) and Isla del Sol (right) (all fotos mi)

After we had circled the Lake Titicaca completely on the West side, we could enter the 6. country of our tour: Bolivia. We had no problem with the enter formalities at the border city Khasani. We had only the suspicion, that the border officials kept the charge for our three month visa on their own, but maybe however they were really honest?!  (mi)

From Copacabana, our first station in Bolivia, we made our second boat trip onto Lake Titicaca. On the Isla del Sol, the island of the sun, after a small hike in the north we visited important ruins: here the first Inka is supposed to be born, and the mighty Inca empire is supposed to have begun here. (mi, mi)

On the Isla de la Luna, the moon island, you can find clay constructions of quite particular type: they look like Moroccan to the observer, like one can see at this reconstructed wall. Who knows? Thor Heyerdahl finally proved that, with a boat manufactured from reed, one can cross the Pacific Ocean from Lake Titicaca and reach Asia (similarly to the reed boat above) (mi)

At an narrow part of the lake near Tiquina, we then have crossed over to the East side. The ferries, with which bicycles, cars, trucks and even whole busses were carried, didn't look really trustful for us. Good luck, that it wasn't very breezy.
In the car, that came with us, an US-American sat, who was so impressed from our tour, that she paid the transit spontaneously for us and gave us her phone number for the case that we would need some help. How nice! (ma)