Arrived at the Bolivian border 15 minutes out of town. Quick. Walked to Peru side. The immigration office is just one building among dozens of stores. Also quick here. Changed all my Bolivianos to Soles next to the police station. S1=B2.7. Not good, slightly better than Copacabana. Somehow the Israelis' luggage was inspected.
At Puno's bus terminal bought 2 tours from a persuasive sales woman at Tollasuyo office: S30 for Sillustani, S45 for a full day floating islands tour. She also booked me a taxi S4 and a hotel S25. Probably I'm overpaying all of these. I guess I'm tired of constantly need to arrange lodging and transportation. I don't like the room: it felt cold. But stuck with it, because of the location: close to everything. Originally I only planned to stay one night and catch an evening bus to Arequipa. However, arriving at 4-5am is not appealing (my 3:30 arrival at Potosi left me a wound). After consulting 3 agencies, I bought a package: Puno - Colca Canyon - Arequipa for S160, staying at Chivay for one night. No time for trekking (needs 2 more days, alas). Also bought a cama ticket from Arequipa to Lima for S143 at Cruz del Sur's office, the most reputable bus company in Peru. Cambio today was $1=S2.67.
Sillustani tour started on a negative note. Hotel pick up means a girl came to fetch me and both of us walked to a plaza and waited, then waited at the other side for awhile. Once all passengers on board, we picked up the guide. He's good. We stopped on the road out of the city to take a picture of Puno. Puno is quite big, looks like a small La Paz: houses covering the hills. 40 minutes drive to Sillustani. It's on Umayo peninsula in lake Umayo. A nice setting for the dead. This was a royal cemetery during Qolla (1100-1450) and Inca times, and probably earlier. There are funeral towers (chullpa), where bodies were laid in fetal position. Some older burial sites are just a small hole. Later, towers. The Incas built bigger towers with large, perfectly fit rocks, some stones have crude carving. Each tower has a small opening facing east on the ground. Workers nowadays are reconstructing broken or fallen towers. There are also terraces of pre-inca time, called patapata. Our guide said that the word potata came from patapata. I bought a scarf (S10) because I was cold. It was a mistake not have brought my fleece. The temperature was maybe 15°, under the sun, it's warm, but chilly in the shade or with a bit of wind.On the way back, visited one family, who has llama and alpaca. We were shown the inside of houses, food staples (clay is one of them) bottles of alcohol with little snakes inside, 2 plants, a small barn for the guinea pigs, which is also adorned with 2 toy bulls, like on top of every house. Then we were encouraged to buy things from them, or leave some coins.
A funny note. I didn't have enough time for lunch. So after my soup, I asked to go for my secondo. This came to 2 little plastic bags (1 for beef and egg, 1 for rice) in another plastic bag with handles, no plastic utensil, no napkin. All for S4. My first time ever eating cooked food in plastic bags with no spoon or fork. I managed to chow down a better half of this takeout in the bus. As soon as we arrived at Sillustani parking lot, a black dog with a broken right front leg smelled my lunch and limped after me. I tossed my leftover to a trash bin, but he kept on following me up to the ruins. When we returned, he continued following me until the bus.
Back in town, ate, bought some fruit for tomorrow. Price here is slightly higher than in Bolivia.
3/23. Friday. Sunny. Lake Titicaca.
6:50 pick up. Same girl came and fetched me. We waited at Plaza de Armes. A bigger bus. Some wait around. At the port, I and 2 others were assigned to a different boat (by Inka Tours), who's spewing black scalar.
Uros Islands are very close to Puno, about 30 minute by slow boat. All boats seem to be equipped with life jacket and has bus like seats, unlike in Copacabana which were bolted classroom like chairs and no life jacket. Shallow, lots of weed, some ground is above water. ~40-50 islands next to each other. The first one we landed has 6 families, all related. ~24 people. They showed us how the islands are built: 1m of reed root (very light), another meter of reeds layered crisscross. On 4 corners, big stone are thrown to the bottom (~18m deep) to anchor the island. Fresh weeds are added on constantly, while the bottom reeds are rotten and fed to cows (? I didn't see a single cow or cattle here, but quite a few pigs). Fish they caught, ducks + eggs they hunt, and other food they bartered on Sundays in the market of Acora. We were allowed to sit inside a house or another. The lady of the house answered questions, then showed us her handy works for sale. We were also invited to ride in a reed boat for S10, but it was not big enough for all of us. On departure, the ladies on the island gathered by the boat and sang songs. 2nd island is bigger, has 3 fish ponds, a school, a church, a cafe, a store, a phone, and a guesthouse area. Overall, the visit of the floating islands is fun, if not too commercialized. The green reeds all around makes this stop very scenic.
Taquille Island (named after its conquistador) is more in the Titicaca (means puma stone in Aymaran) Lake, outside of the Puno Bay, which is shallow and dirty. The lake's deepest part is ~315m near the Sun Island. A long slow ride. We reached the island ~11:40. Walked up to the main plaza along a spring, next to terraced fields of potato, quinoa, fava beans, orca. I'm one of the slowest, seems couldn't get acclimatized, even though I've been at this altitude for 10 days. There is a colonial church and some remnant of old gates. The municipal building was still being worked on. Lots of kids. Boys wear black trousers, white shirt and a very short black vest. Those wear red hat are married, half red and half white means single. Girls all wear light top and brightly solid colored multi-layer skirts. Women wear black shawls. The married ones wear bigger bonbons at the end of their long pigtail. Then we went to an old guy's house for lunch, quite a bit of walk from the plaza. A fine but unnecessary walk, given so many eating options close to the square. No view in his house. Veggie soup, bread, choice of trout (S20) and omelette (S15), tea. Coke S4, beer S6. A young dude sang for tip. On the way down, saw 2 cows, some sheep, no donkeys. ~2:15pm we departed from a different port. Arrived at Puno harbor ~5pm. Had to wait for awhile for Inka Tour's bus to pick us up. I found this island redundant. Having visited the Sun Island, all these islands can be skipped.Overall a relaxing day. Oh, this trip should cost S35 if not less. I actually managed to get S10 back from their office, after some persistent. I guess my broken Spanish isn't too bad, after all.
No one here accepted my US$10 bill which came from the bank in Coroico, Bolivia. They like crisp new bills. Visited iPeru, I highly recommend it. The girl I asked not only gave me maps, but also called 2 other iPeru offices to ask for detailed information for me, and then wrote down for me. My dinner today was the cheapest: S3. A big soup with small pieces of beef and French fry, chicharron chicken with lettuce and a slice of tomato as second, tea.
3/24 Saturday. Sunny - overcast. Chivay.
6:30 pickup. Turismo Sillustani. A minibus with reclining seats and overhead storage. Only 11 passengers. A young Alberta family with 3 noisy kids, their Peruvian grandma and her aging husband. 2 Russian women with their translator. We were given candy and cracker, a 625ml bottle water. Before 9:00 stopped at Lagunillas lookout. Stalls selling the same sweaters, a toilet with no water. It's a very pretty lake, 2nd biggest in Peru, ~2-300m higher than Titicaca, but no any agriculture or houses that I could see. I was told there's a small town by the lake.
As we continued, elevation got higher, land is more sandy and dry. Herds of alpacas, distant snow capped mountains. The town of Imata is over 4000m in elevation. ~10:00, we stopped in a stone forest. Quite nice.
Patahuasi national reserve. Some vicunas. There is a stop all buses parked, toilet, a cafe (S3 tea), and the ubiquitous souvenir stalls.
~noon, last stop at Patapampa @4910m, the highest point on today's road. A parking area, same souvenir stalls. Good view of surrounding volcanos. Lots of cairns. After that, it was zigzag all the way down.
30 min later, at the edge of Chivay, paid S70 (local S20, kids S5). Chivay sits in the green valley of Colca. But the town is a bit dusty. Local ladies wear fancy embroiled dresses and hats. One flower on the hat means single. Flowers on both left and right sides means married. Dropped the Russians and their guide at a restaurant. The big family and me were unloaded at Hostal Urpi, half a block from the main square. The spoiled kids were horrified by the word hostel. Private bath, towel, breakfast, clean, decent toilet paper, no Internet, a bit cold. Posted price: S30/40 single/double. Lots of hostels near the plaza. A closed church. Saw our bus loading a new group heading back to Puno. Had lunch not far from home: S5 for a big soup + alpaca cutlet with beans and salad + some dubious fruit drink at the end.I'm glad that I took this morning tour from Puno to Chivay, instead of an evening bus (~S25). This leg can be bought in Puno for S65 or less.
4pm, pickup to La Calera hot spring 10-15 minutes east of town in a nice green river valley. Hot volcanic water is channeled to 2 outdoor pools (#1) and 3 small indoor pool. I mostly stayed in #5. Water temperature 39° nice to soak, too warm to swim. Quite some people to make swimming difficult. They gave me a key to a locker. All lockers are brightly painted with animals. There ate change rooms and shower rooms. Water of the showers run non stop, same sulfur water. I brought the hotel towel. There are massage rooms and cafe on site, and more stores at the parking lot. Entrance is S15. Kids free. Had to quick when getting out of the water: air temperature is a bit chilly. Still, quite a relaxing hour. My ticket informs: maximum water temperature 85°, chemistry S=40%, Ca=20%, Zn=18%, Fe=12%, Salt=8%. The bus picked us up at 5:10. We were told that there would be a show tonight at 7:30, and it's included in the package. Bonus news. Enough time to shower and dinner until then. Also bought some bread and fruit for tomorrow. Rained briefly. On the way home, there was a mass at the church. Less then 10 participants. The inside of the church isn't interesting, painted side walls, unadorned ceiling.8pm pena show started. It's a restaurant, so you are encouraged to eat here. Set dinner S20, including alpaca meat. Good portion. 5 male singers/players + 1 little boy. Every once awhile, 2 girl 2 boy dancers came out wearing costumes representing different regions. Sometimes they invite tourists to dance with them. The last dance involved grabbing a fruit from the partner or beat him/her. The singers sell their CDs for $20, they and the dancers ask for tips separately.
3/25 Sunday. Sunny with clouds - rain. Colca Canyon.
5:45 breakfast. 6:30 depart with all luggage, even though we were coming back here for lunch. Bus was late, then we had to pick up another group in a restaurant. We didn't start even at 7:00.
First stop: Yanque. The white Franciscan church is very pretty. Inside so so. A mass was in process. As soon as a bus pulls over at the plaza, a group of women in their fine embroiled dress lined up with their eagles Anna alpacas. Ladies in white hats are Collawas (came from the highlands of Puno or Bolivia), multicolor hats are Cabanas (came from Peru lowland).
2nd stop Maca. White church with gilded alters and white walls inside.
Cruz de Condor at 8:40. Within 30 minutes, a condor cruised by for a couple of minutes. That's also the last we saw. Here is not the deepest section of the canyon. Can see the river at the bottom. Not deep at all. Green, some small waterfalls, cacti, yellow and blue flowers. Quite pretty. In fact, the whole valley is very pretty. But the gravel road is very dusty, and sometimes blocked by cattle or donkey. Our bus picked 8 more passengers. We left at 10;05.
On the way back to Chivay, stopped at Wuayra-Punco lookout at Pinchollo, and Antahuilque, where the canyon starts. Lots of terraces. The terraced fields are everywhere.This bus stopped again at Maca for the 8 new passenger. Then stopped at the same hot spring for an hour. I guess we were sold to a different tour that makes the same stops. At 1pm, the bus pulled to a restaurant for lunch. I walked to the plaza area to eat. S4.5: a big soup, alpaca steak with potato pure, a fruity drink. A busy place, had to share a table with a dad and daughter. I had plenty time to walk back to the group who was still eating. Next door is a gas station, where I used its toilet. It started to rain. By the time we. Arrived at Patapampa, it was hailing. No one wanted to get out of the bus.
Note, in Chivay, carne means alpaca meat, unless otherwise specified. It tastes like beef. leaner.
Arrived at Arequipa's main plaza at 5:20pm. Much warmer. Saw a Starbucks. Stayed half block from the main square: S40 ensuite.
3/26 Monday. Overcast - rain. Arequipa.
Arequipa is big, has the ubiquitous problem of trash and car exhaust. It's historical center is compact and beautiful, especially the main square. Many fine buildings. I got some cash from HSBC's ATM, with no surcharge. Most ATMs here charge S12, and they are very common. Cambios have good exchange rate for $. Many Chinese fast food joints run by locals. I bought sunscreen (expensive) and some drug (cheap). Visited San August church. Others are closed, even the cathedral.
Monastery of Santa Catalina occupies a large city block. 
Founded in 1579. ~30 women at times from teenagers to old women (until their death) lived here. Each had her own apartment with a little yard and baking oven. Even though sparsely furnished, I wouldn't mind live here. Red or blue walls (adobe), a garden, lots of flowers. Looks very picturesque. Praying areas, chapels are in stone. Many paintings. Totally a different world, sheltered from the traffic and noise from outside.
Bought some grocery for Easter Island (no fresh food). By the time I exit the store, it was pouring. Got cold too. Waited for the rain to stop, shared my bananas with 2 people sitting next to me in front of the door of the municipal building. Taxi to terminal: S5, even though I was told 4 was enough. It was not close. Well worth the S5, since my backpack was much heavier with the extra food.
Changed my 10pm night bus to Lima to 7:30. Didn't need to buy ticket earlier. Same day tickets are 10% off. I paid S143 for a cama seat. Not much cheaper than flying. Terminal departure tax S2 for out of department destinations. Cruz del Sur has it's own departure lounge with a bar, toilet, wifi, comfy seats. Luggage is checked in before getting into the departure lounge. A guy came up to the bus and took pictures of us. Security measure? The bus has a toilet on each level. It's also GPS monitored. Wifi doesn't work. Bus beeps whenever it's above 90km/hr. AC was turned off some time at night, I woke up in sweat.
3/27 Tuesday. Lima airport.
Woke up in coastal desert. Some got off at Paracas. Sand, but fruit orchard, don't know where the water is. Most coastal land we passed through is desert. Arrived at Lima almost noon. Very warm. Long distance bus companies each has its own terminal. I walked to 2 other terminals half a block away inquiring bus to Huaraz, but neither goes. Went to the airport in a taxi: S45. Things are expensive here. Airport luggage shrink wrap is S35. Lots of ATM by GlobalNet. Wifi, none free. LCPeru flies to Huaraz, for $150. The guy told me online or telephone has better price. Found (only) one outlet outside the toilet, sorted my Bolivia photos. Bought a baked chicken sandwich (S9.5) at the food court. Decent portion.
