The second tour I have joined in Puno is a 2 days trip to Lake Titicaca islands. The first day we visit the floating island Uros, which is made by weeds. It´s very interesting actually, people are wearing their traditional clothes singing songs to welcome and farewell us when we arrive and depart. We visit their houses, talk to him personally, and the guide explained why and how they make the floating islands...etc. It may seem touristy, since tourism is probably their biggest income nowadays, but it really isn't bad, and since it´s so unusual, and they are so friendly and welcoming. The whole visit is very interesting.
After Uros, we take a 3 hour boat ride to Isla Amantani, where we will stay for a night with some local families. We have a big group, like 18-20 people, we are splited into groups of 2 or 3 and stays with like 8-9 families. I am staying with 2 Japanese girls: Meya and Mesami. After we settle down, have lunch provided by the family (sorry to say, the lunch is too small for me with potato, potato, potato - different kinds - with rice and salty piece of rubbery thing, no meat, I eat it anyway), we have a hour to rest. I am sitting at their ¨garden¨ where they grow their own food, looking at the lake, and the snow mountains across the Bolivian side, I am thinking maybe this is the simple life. I enjoy that moment a lot, just looking at the lake. The island is very windy, more so than Chicago! Later, we all hike up, like pilgrims, to a football field above a hill. There we are given a lecture about the culture of the islanders. After that we are supposed to hike up to the top of the hill (at 4150 meters) to watch the sunset. That takes a lot of efforts I confess, especially with that wind. I have 4 layers of clothing and still feel cold. Most of us do it, except a few choose to go to a different spot where requires less energy to climb. The view is amazing on the top. The last time I actually watch a sunset might be a few years ago. This reminds of the sunset I watched in Santorini in Greece. The sun is setting behind another island.
Get back to the house, rest for a little bit, I am exhausted and actually fall asleep a little. Get up and go to the dinner, more potato and rice, I start to feel very cold and shaky. I can´t stop my hands from shaking, even though I hold on to the hot cup of tea, and swallow down some hot liquid. I have no appetite, and feel my stomach twisting. I try to eat the rice, with soap to water it down. I know I need the energy. But I start to feel really sick, I tell the girls, I am off to the bed and lay down a little. They say I look really pale. Soon, after I lay down, I know I need to use the bathroom, where have no light, no sitting pan, and no flash, you need to use a buckle to carry some water to flash it yourself. I am hoping that I can hold on long enough till I get back to Puno tomorrow. But no, I need to do it, and need it now. There is a candle, but in the middle of my mission, it goes out, luckily I have my flashlight with me. I try to clean the rim of the bowl and cover it with paper before sitting down but the whole thing is just gross. Anyway, I don´t have a choice really. The stomach starts to twist so badly, I have diarrhea. This isn't good. Get back to my bed, twisting and turning the bed, moaning too. The Japanese girls worry and ask me if I am ok. But we all know that there is no doctor, no any medical facility at this time of the day. I have taken some chinese medicine I brought and put some methanol oil on my stomach. The twisting becomes very intense. They are going to traditional clothes dress up party. I feel bad since I am in no condition to go, but I really want to go, put on their poncho and wear their colorful hat. Anyway, I have to stay.
Go to the bathroom again, the 2nd time, with nobody left in the house, it is so bad that I cannot even clean it before sitting down. My body literally are losing feelings, and feel like I am paralyzed all over my body except my heart, sitting on the bowl, holding my flashlight, my fingers are twisted and I can´t control them. The flashlight falls off my fingers into my pants. I am really scared for a moment, and not sure what to do. Just keep sitting there, tell myself to chill out, breathe deeply. Maybe after 15-20 mins, the feelings starts to come back. I clean myself and get back to bed. I actually feel a little better after that. Stomach still twists every so often, and I need to switch position to make it relax. Over the whole course of night, I have diarrhea 5 times. I feel bad for the Japanese girls, since when I get up in the middle of the night, in the dark, I knock down thing on the table and the door is not exactly quiet when I open it. But I manage to get through the night.
Another thing I planned to do on the island but don´t get a chance is to watch stars. Since the island has no electricity, at night it gets really dark, and you can see many stars. A friend told me that she saw 6 shooting stars when she was on the island. I have my wishes ready, but I have no chances to see one shooting star. When I go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, I do try to wait for a min or two, just looking up, but it gets very windy at night, and I don´t think I should stay out too long. The starry night is very beautiful though.
The first night on the Lake Titicaca is a bit rough. I get back to bed, trying to listen to music to keep me calm, and help me get through the night.
Photos here: Day 31 (Uros), Day 31 (Amantani)
