Wandering Through the Andes

The story · 1 days

Thursday 24 May: The flight from Milan to Lima is with KLM via Amsterdam, cost around 1000 euros, impeccable service and perfect timing (we even arrived about half an hour early). We pick up the car at Budget at Lima airport, a brown Nissan Sentra, which looks like an old late-70s car, but in fact is new and registered in February. After almost 24 hours of travelling (including the transfer to Milan) the Sentra seems extremely uncomfortable to us. The first contact with Lima is enough to make us realise that road signs in Peru are practically non-existent. We also learn straight away that in Peru you just keep going straight and sooner or later you reach your destination.

After driving along the main arteries of Lima at rush hour and experiencing the thrill of moving among the hordes of public transport, we somehow manage to approach the Miraflores district and land right in avenida Diez Canseco, right in front of the Hostal el Patio, Diez Canseco, 341 Miraflores, Lima tel 51-1-444-2107, hostalelpatio@qnet.com.pe, (mini-suite for 45 USD) which we had booked via the Internet. The place is cosy and particularly quiet considering it is right in the centre of the Miraflores district. Dinner at the restaurant "La Trattoria", a bit pricey, but the place is definitely worth it, the homemade pasta is a delight. The owner is surprised: "How come you arrive from Italy and immediately come to eat pasta?", but for us who are arriving from Africa and have spent only 3 days in Italy, a good pasta is just what we need.

Friday 25 May: A relaxed wake-up, we set off at full speed to the Budget office to see if there is any chance of taking a more comfortable car, but unfortunately nothing is available; the kind young lady tells us that the Nissan Sentra with manual gearbox is, in any case, the ideal car for the provinces, who knows? Having no alternatives we keep the Sentra and set off on the Panamericana highway and surprise, today the

Day 129 May 2007

Tuesday, May 29th: From the terrace of the Kunturwassy there is an excellent view of the Chilca cordillera and of the village below that is slowly waking up. We travel again along the road that skirts the southern slope of the Colca, pausing a little in the small mountain villages (Yanke). We reconquer the 5000 meters of the Patapampa pass, this time without too many problems. At the Canaus junction we treat ourselves to a sandwich and the now inevitable mate de coca, in the company of a mischievous alpaca that enjoys emptying the sugar bowls and rummaging through the bags of the patrons. We take the highway again in the direction of Puno, re-entering the natural reserve of Salinas and Aguadas Blancas, once again a pass at 4500, but by now who pays attention anymore? We are at Lagunillas, a series of high mountain lagoons, a paradise for birds including numerous flamingos.

FIESTA!!! At the entrance to Juliaca we come across another fiesta. Here too a fair of colors and costumes. Several musical bands and dance groups perform on the outdoor court of a basketball court. Stalls, fritters, fried fish and lots of Cusqueña, the local beer. We manage to set off again towards Puno and after having survived the chaos of the center of Juliaca, overwhelmed by the bike taxis, here we are in sight of Titicaca. Puno presents itself with its Puma that dominates the city from the top of a hill. We stay at the Posada Don Giorgio, dongiorgio@titicacalake.com (30 USD for a double), modest but central, a stone's throw from Avenida Lima, the pedestrian street of Puno. The owner speaks Italian and is very helpful.

We confirm the excursion for the following day to the floating islands and to Taquile, then dinner at the UKUKU´s which welcomes us with a large blazing brazier at the entrance. The evenings in Puno (3800 m) are particularly cool (sweater and jacket, it's winter here).

Wednesday, May 30th: Excursion to the floating islands of the Uros people and to the island of Taquile on Lake Titicaca. 17 USD per person excluding meal, (10 soles paid directly to the family where you have lunch on the island of Taquile). Departure at 7.15 and return at 17.30. Dinner at the Porton Colonial in Puno, disappointing!