Hotel Presidente Puno

... meal, at a place selling Menu Del Dia. It was 2 soles each, yes just 2 soles including a pudding. We spent 10 soles including a drink, and there was far too much food. We left plenty. We went for a stroll around the man plaza, it was Halloween and the darkness had just fallen. Everywhere there were children dressed up in really convincing costumes, some as young as 2 or 3 with their parents. The children converged on restaurants, hotels and other shops ...

... back on a chair just out of the candles glow. We were having a conversation about families and Nicki had opened up a little to her about her mum. In turn Aunt Selma began to relent the inconvenient truth to ourselves. She had serious pains in her chest which were causing her sleepless nights and problems when carrying things. She couldn´t afford to go and see a doctor or to get treatment and didn´t want to die before seeing her children grow up. As her plea turned into tears ...

... I know, I did not believe it either. Taquile has no jail, criminals or any need to policing. Every Sunday the locals meet in the main square to discuss their problems. If someone has broken the island rules (stealing, llying or being lazy) he/she is just booted off the Island. The best part is.......its been working for hundreds of years.<br><br>The locals base their society on Inca moral code and collectivism. The Island is split into six sectors (for farming) and each family plays ...

Not much to say here, Puno is a pretty quiet town. We arrived at 5 this morning, after a brutal bus ride from Cuzco, that involved stopping at every town so people could get on and off and shout in the aisles about the bread they wanted you to buy, but when we arrived the sun was rising yellow over Lake Titicaca and it was all worth it. <br>Interestingly, Puno is very different from the places we´ve been so far. The food sold in the ...

... the road crisscrossing at times. We catch up with a train and stop at the next crossing for a picture. We pass it again and then stop for a snack and we get a second opportunity, plus a small maintenance cart passes.<br>There is also a river following the road at times and at one point I spot a small flock of flamingos wading in the shallow river.<br>The plain is very ...

... the trip. Except for Kathy, we have designated her as our favorite charity case if her luggage does not show up soon.<br><br>I can´t say enough good things about the folks at the Qelqatani hotel. They took care of our luggage problem as if it were their own. Found my sister`s visa in one of their couches and the lobby, and provided great recommendations for local restaurants. (Their English - and tolerance of bad Spanish - is good too.) <br><br ...