Day 12: Last day in Taquile and bound for the jungle

We would have liked to have breakfast with the family, but it seemed they would wake up to the first rays of daylight every day, and we slept in a bit more. When we walked outside, we saw white patches of the hail that had fallen the night before, almost like snow. It was quickly melting away under the hot sun rays. María prepared a table in the sun for us and brought us a plentiful breakfast. The less they have, the more they give.


We didn't have to leave the island until 2 pm, so we decided to explore the other half of the island we hadn't seen yet. Abdon, the oldest brother, wanted to come with us. He had such wide-ranging knowledge that he looked like an old man trapped in a boy's body. Anything we would ask him about the island, their culture or Peru in general, he had an answer, including telling us about the salination level of the lake, how people supplied water to their humble homes around the island, and how the few different types of livestock (sheep and a small number of cattle) were cared for.

He took us up and down the stony paths that connect the island, always flanked by little houses, farms or fields, until we reached a beach-like lakeside. It was then that he put his seriousness aside and let his child's spirit out as soon as he saw us building in the sand. It was interesting that he made a volcano, and recognized the concept of high rise buildings that Gina built in the sand (from limited exposure to television maybe), but he seemed puzzled by the concept of the sand castle that we built. We were playing for a while until it was time to come back.

 

On our way back, we stopped at a tiny shop to buy him some chocolates, getting a broad smile out of him again, and some apples for his family (offering some fresh food to the host family was also recommended by the guide book; they will appreciate this for sure and make them really happy). Later on, at the dock, we discovered a sign warning tourists not to give children any chocolate or sweets, but...How could you resist?

When we were back at the house, María was busy with her daily tasks in the workshop weaving a carpet. Astonishing as it might seem, she had never gone off the island in her whole life. We packed up our stuff and said goodbye to the lovable family.

Before going down to the dock, we collected some muña (the mint-like plant used for digestive purposes that we were served as a tea and liked a lot) from the wild bushes that grow in the island, as locals do. Apparently, this plant only grows in the Andes, so it was like a gem for us.

 

 



going down to the dock



original hinges

 

It was a shame to leave this remote peaceful kingdom, but we had to continue on our way. Again, a three-hour boat trip awaited us. It wasn't that fun this time; some people got seasick because of the swell and the trip seemed very long.

This was our last day high in the mountains and in the cold. We took a bus from Puno to Juliaca, a bustling town from where we had to get a night bus towards Puerto Maldonado, the gateway to the southernmost Amazonian jungle in Peru. A change of scenery, well put; next morning we would be down in the jungle and in the heat.