FINALLY, LAKE TITICACA!!!

After 2 and half weeks of traveling jungles, dieting, nearly drowning, starring down the barrel of a cop's gun, vomiting everything I have to give, envisioning the nearly unfathomable, meeting new people, being ripped off, ripping off, sweating, missing family & friends, being lost, feeling found, and way too many near death experiences...

I HAVE ARRIVED TO LAKE TITICACA!!!

The largest lake in the world by volume and the highest in altitude to navigate.

Oh my...this place is a dream!

The water is gorgeous and the islands here are amazing!

On the border between Peru and Bolivia, I stand in awe!

Upon arriving to Puno, Peru...I booked a 2 day stay with a native family from the island of Amantani where the people are sooo humble. They live with very little but make up with what they don't have by smiling and laughing. I got to play a game of volleyball with the locals for a bottle of Coca-Cola. (I don't drink soda but it just made the game all the more fun.) I ended up leaving early to hike to the Temple of Pachamama (which is Quechua for Mother Earth) and thus, ended up paying 3 soles for a bottle of Coca-Cola...even though my team was close to winning!!! Eghhh!

I also got to visit La Isla de Los Uros where 7 families live on this floating island made of some kind of organic straw. They had solar panels and were all selling hand made boats, dolls, blankets, scarfs, and necklaces. I got to spend some time with the children who were so fun to interact with. Afterwards, we visited the island of Taquile (NOT Tequila!!!) where everything is hand made from the houses everyone lives in to the clothes on their back. The men hand sew their own shirts, sweaters, and hats...even their wife's wedding dress which in return, the women stitch their husband's belt made from their OWN HAIR!!! Pretty crazy to imagine but I've seen it! Ironically enough, four of the people that I traveled to Machu Picchu with were on the island! My guide was really wack, so their group...kind of adopted me! It was hilarious! They even gave me a boat and bus ride back to Puno. I got to take a shower at a friend's hostel for free and am now using their internet. (Gotta save where you can!)

I have a bus to Cusco booked for 9pm which will arrive at 4 or 5am. My flight back to Quito, Ecuador is at 7:45am so I have to haul ass if I want to make it on time. Geez...like Jack Nicholson says in that movie: As Good As It Gets, "Never a break!"