Puno, Peru 5/16/06

Puno, Peru 5/16/06

The busy, exhaust filled streets of Lima are far away now. It was a fun city to see and of course I loved it but when we flew into Cusco and then onto Juliaca my eyes were glued to the window of the plane. Again I am captivated by mountain ranges and the view of the Andes were beautiful in every direction.

We are now at roughly 3,870 meters above sea level and I didn’t know how my body would react. My guide book and everyone I spoke to about the trip warned me to be careful about the altitude and relax upon arrival in Puno. I have trusted their advice and so far I’m doing well, other than a headache in the morning and the almost un-noticeable shortness of breath I experienced climbing the steep streets back to our hostel after dinner. Dave basically feels the same way.

Nij unfortunately felt the affects as soon as we got off the plane. Last night, Dave and I thought he was joking when he wanted to take a cab a short 4 blocks but it was uphill and when he flagged down a cab we realized he wasn’t kidding. I hope he starts to feel better soon.

Backing up a little, my night out in Lima before I met up with Dave and Nij was fantastic. After missing Pasqual a few times at the hostal we finally set a time to meet and so at a little after 6 p.m., as I stood in front of the Hostel El Patio, up walked a balding man; mid-30’s, jeans, long sleeve shirt, and a down vest.

“Are you Mat?”
“Are you Pasqual?”

A hand shake, a hello, and off we went. Minutes later I’m zipping through the streets of Peru, trying to take in the sights while chatting with Pasqual like we were old friends rather than two people that barely knew more than each others first names.

So how did I come to meet Pasqual? It’s another small world story as well as another great example that my network of friends and family is my greatest asset. Pasqual is the brother of Pat Zuloaga’s Sister In Law. Pat is a guy Jillian went to high school with. (Jillian is my girlfriend of about one year). Keep in mind I have never met Pat’s brother, let alone his sister in law. I’ve actually only met Pat a couple times but in the few times we have met in the last year we realized we have a lot in common; from running to wandering the world. So while chatting at a party a few months ago he told me he was originally form Peru and I immediately started asking travel questions. Pat gave me a lot of good tips on hiking Machu Pichu but when it came to things to do in Lima he just said “I’ll put you in touch with some friends there. They’ll take you around I’m sure”…which is how I met Pasqual. Simple right!?

Pasqual and I hung out at a few bars and his girlfriend Ursula, and a friend of hers, Farah, met up with us. Eventually we headed out to a party at a friends house in LaMolina, a suburb of Lima. It was a late night ending at almost 3 a.m.. I was exhausted from the long day but giddy inside. My kind of day; wandering a new city in a new country, meeting new people, soaking up new cultures, exploring ancient ruins, laughing over cold beers. Fantastic!!

Speaking of cold beers I’ve tried two Peruvian beers and I really liked them both. Cristal was pretty good but I definitely lean more towards Cusquena. Once I think I’m past this possible altitude sickness I can see myself having several more of them.

Puno has an interesting feel to it for me. My international travel is still limited but I see Puno as an eye opening experience. As soon as we landed in Juliaca it was very clear I was no longer in a typical English speaking backpacker town. As we rode in the tiny cab through the bumpy dirt streets of Juliaca on our way to Puno the sides of the streets were lined with workers on bicycles loaded down with stuff. The Sun had just about set and you could see little light bulbs starting to be turned on, hanging directly from the chord in the occasional crowded shop which were nothing more than single rooms with small roll-up doors. Everything looked like it had a layer of dirt or dust on it, worn out, dilapidated, etc.

Puno is pretty much the same way only more dense. Very narrow streets and the town is built on a hill rising up from the shore of Lake Titicaca. The shops, restaurants, bars are all very small and very authentic. Guinea Pig, Alpaca, and trout are the main items on all the menus but you can still get a pizza at every location. There is a kind of main street the caters to travelers but I would call it far from touristy compared to what I know it could be.

It's time to wrap this up and go see some stuff. Today we are planning on checking out more of Puno in the morning. There is an area called Huajsapata Park that reportedly has a great view of the City and the Lake. The guide book says it’s a steep climb but this morning I realized our hotel sits more than half way up to it so half the climb is already done. Nij will be happy with that.

This afternoon we have a tour booked that will take us to the ruins of a pre-Inca civilization. Sounds interesting but I’m really looking forward to tomorrow. Our day gets stared at 6 a.m. and we take off for a day long tour on Lake Titicaca. Boats, island, sun, on the water… I can’t wait!

Now it’s time to go find Dave and borrow some aspirin. The headache is growing. Let’s hope its temporary!

MJF