Our first bus break down - Puno
Trip Start
Aug 06, 2007
1
16
36
Trip End
Ongoing
Puno,
Peru
Saturday, September 1, 2007
Headed to the bus station at 7.30am and boarded our bus to Puno with relatively no fuss.
The bus was due to arrive at 2pm - and so we took adequate snacks for the 6 hour journey......wrong!
From the moment the bus crept....and I mean crept out of the Cusco station, things seemed ominous.....our average pace I would guess was 20km an hour....and slower up hills (spluttering more and more as we continued).
So needless to say...it was no huge surprise when the old girl finally called it quits on the hills outside Puno.....2pm had been and gone hours ago....and she finally came to a grinding halt at 4.30pm (our last toilet stop at 11am, so I was busting).....and apparently we were just 10 minutes from our destination the other passengers told us (the bus staff of course told us nothing as they grabbed any tools they could and worked (uselessly) on the engine). Then word spread that we were out of gas (useless arses) - and other buses continued to stream past us..of course not stopping to lend a hand. As the groups of passengers in organised tours (using our bus) began to bail in privately organised transportation, Paul and I refused to be the last left standing and so jumped in a very inflated cab for the whole 10 minutes over the last hills into Puno.
Finally we saw lake Titicaca (looked more like the sea it is so big) - and checked into some accomodation. Puno was very cold by 5pm...and with more food anger (seems to be a common theme) and sore tummies we headed out to check out Puno and have a bite.
The hotel receptionist managed to sell us a tour on the lake for tomorrow - and we decided to run with this Tour agency as they were the first party to pick up stranded members from this afternoons bus...so we figured they must be a reliable company. We will spend tomorrow night on Amantani Island (an island on the lake - where you have a primitive local homestay) and check out this floating islands made from lake weed. Should be an interesting two day excursion on lake Titicaca.
The showers here said ´24 hours a day´ - however after I nearly froze my arse off - I realised you need to tell the receptionist that you want a shower first - then they turn on the gas power tpo warm it - you then have a small opening of 5 minutes to have the worlds dribbliest lukewarm shower. Almost been at altitude for a month now - and the cold temperatures dont get any easier....thank god for Vic´s hand-me-down thermal leggings and gloves I say!
Adios!
