Lake Titicaca

We had breakfast at 6:30 am as Edgar Adventures was picking us up at 7 am. I had found Edgar Adventures on Trip Advisor and was one of the top tour agencies in Puno. They offered your traditional tours that go on ferry, but we decided to opt for the "off the beaten path speed boat tour". After picking up a few folks and joining with a French tour group, we made it to the dock and boarded Titicaca Express. The tag line is, "authentic, enjoyable"!

Lake Titicaca is the largest body of water in South America and the highest navigable in the world. It straddles Peru and Bolivia. Legend has it the sun god was born from the lake.

It took about 45 minutes to get to Taquile Island where we met a "leader of the island". The island is self-sustaining and is exempt from taxes. The men weave, while the women spool wool. The man courts a woman by showing the quality of his hat which takes about 2 months to make. In return, the woman makes a red belt. Single men wear white hats. There are also 3 rules: work hard, no cheating / stealing, and no lying. If you break a rule, you are subject to a minimum of 3 lashes from a yellow stick and up to about 24 maximum. The maximum is for adulterers. They often marry around the age of 16-18 and divorce is prohibited.

The views of the lake and the island was very tranquil. Although they sustain themselves through agriculture, they are allowed one additional business to cater to tourists and so that there is reasonable equality.

We ended up at the "community center" where they offered tea and showed us their handmade goods. Here's a picture of some of the Taquile people at the community center:

We then walked to a sandy beach and relaxed as we listened to the waves. Indeed, although it was a group tour, it was slow paced and away from the typical crowds. Our guide, Percy, was attentive and explained everything in Spanish and English. Here are some pictures of us:

We then headed to a peninsula where we had truly a farm to table lunch. We watched the leader bless the mound of dirt with coca leaves and chicha. Underneath were pots of food such as lima beans, potatoes, sweet potato, chicken, and bananas on hot rocks. Along with this, we had trout and quinoa soup for lunch. Talk about farm to table dining! Everything was super tasty and fresh.

After lunch, we headed to Titino Island which is an example of one of the 85 floating islands in Lake Titicaca made of totora reeds. The island leader, Thomas, explained how they build, anchor, and maintain the island by layering the reeds. Also, Caitlin treated me to a reed boat ride - thanks Caitlin! Underneath the reeds were about 5,000 plastic bottles helping the boat to float. Here's a picture of some homes and a model of their island which they re-enacted the building and maintenance:

We headed back to Puno and enjoyed Pisco Sours on the boat. On the bus back to our hotel, we were told two of the US $50 bills that we had given them last night were rejected by the bank as forgeries (Also, I realized this morning that per my post from yesterday, I didn't wire the Western Union funds to this agency, but it was for the agency taking us to Colca Canyon tomorrow). We insisted it must be a misunderstanding as a lot of US currency had gone through changes and security upgrades. So we headed to the Edgar Adventures office and the worker showed us the form filled out by the bank and copies of the bills. We said we could give them $100 if we could get the bills back to use in the US. 

After going to the bank a block away and speaking to the manager at length, she showed us what made them forgeries. We pulled out Caitlin's iPhone to look for the new security features implemented after 2004 and lo and behold, we could not find 3 of them! We couldn't see the watermark! She also would not return the bills, because they cannot allow the bills back into circulation.

You hear about rampant counterfeit in South America and always having to check the change, but who knew WE could be carrying counterfeit US bills - the irony! Also, South Americans are very careful and the bills have to be pristine - no torn or worn bills. We made copies of the forms and bills and hopefully, Caitlin's bank will reimburse her back in the US! Also, with every trip, there's adventure and if this is the worst thing that happens to us, we're of the mindset that we're pretty golden.

After the adventure with the bank and counterfeit US bills, we rested at the hotel and went to dinner to celebrate my 32nd birthday. The girls treated me to dinner at Ukusku and we shared salad, pizza, two pastas, ceviche, and a bottle of Peruvian red wine. I have never been away for my birthday - I have only celebrated in NY and DC, so it definitely feels different.

I feel truly blessed to have been able to celebrate it in Peru with Jamie, Mary Ann, and Caitlin. Truly unforgettable and a trip of a lifetime! I said after Machu Picchu, everything was gravy. Also, I remember telling my college roommate, Anne's parents at brunch earlier this year, that after 28, life has been pretty good. I have felt stable and been able to go on a big trip every year and this year will be two! I am able to do the things I love to do and blessed to be surrounded and supported by family and friends! Thank you all for the birthday wishes from around the globe!