Unfinished City
by morgr
When we were in Puno, I jokingly dubbed it the 'Unfinished City'. It seems everywhere you turn in Puno there are unfinished buildings. They build the first floor or two and inhabit them, then as funds permit, keep expanding upwards.
It's not really that it's such an uncommon site, I've seen this practice elsewhere, but never to the magnitude that I did in Puno. It seemed that outside of the main drag and around the squares, every building in Puno was 'unfinished'.
These pictures taken from the roof of our own 'unfinished' hotel.
An adventure to remember
by Zirpsis
Train trip: I went from Puno to Cusco with the Inka Express which was a very slow but very interesting travel experience in the Andes. The journey started at 8 o'clock in the morning and we arrived at about 9 in the evening. A meal was served on the train but I can't quite find the words how to describe it ... I'm sure they did their best under the circumstances. The restroom was an interesting experience as well. The train was shaking and shattering all the time and you really did NOT want to sit on that toilet seat! On the way, we had a land slide on the railway tracks, which was in fact dangerous because the mud kept sliding away from under the tracks. Near Cusco, someone outside threw a stone through the train window but luckily nobody got hurt. It was a journey I'll never forget and I'm glad I took it but I can recommend it only to the brave. There were no spectacular sceneries on the way, mostly Altiplano. Here's a picture of me next to the orange train and a picture taken from train window at altitude 4200 m.
Uros Islands: How to build an Island
by JessieLang
The reeds’ roots are like cork, and they form the base of the island. By February, huge clumps of roots float to the surface. They are sawed into manageable sized blocks; then somebody tows it back or jumps onto it and rows it home. The blocks are lashed together with ropes and stakes driven into the blocks. (The island we were on contained 10 blocks.) The matted roots are 6 ft. thick, and then they are covered with a 3 ft. layer of fresh reeds. It is something like walking on a waterbed! Every 3-6 months they add more reeds as the previous layer mashes down.
An island usually lasts 8-12 years, and then they have to start over. This one is 4 years old. The green part of the reed can be dried and used for almost everything—boats, baskets, hats, and houses. Their one-room houses are small and very lightweight. Two men could carry one.
The white part of the reed (3-4” nearest the root) is good to eat. I tried one—it is somewhat fibrous, with a mild ‘raw potato’ flavor. It has to be peeled.
Isla Amantani
by graz-ie
I made a two day trip there. On the way there we stopped on the floading islands and on the wayback on the Isla Taquile.
Usually two people had one host family together for one night to see how they life and eat and everything.
And in the evening we all met again for a dance in local costums - that was funny.
Arco Deustua
by ValbyDK
‘Arco Deustua’ is a monument honoring Peruvians, who died in the Independence War with Spain in 1824. If you follow ‘Jiron Independencia’ north from ’Parque Pino’ you will find the monument.
The area is a little isolated and there is not much to see. Only the monument and a view of the city of Puno.
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The Condor Monument
Inca Uyu Park
The steep staircase
A touristy street in Puno
