Floating cities and Island of the Sun

Welcome arch on one of the Floating Islands

We arrived in Puno late after a long bus ride. After a good night sleep we wandered around the city a bit. We walked to the edge of Lake Titicaca and walked along the shore. The lake is huge. It looks like your standing next to the ocean, no sign of an opposite shore on the horizon.


We happened upon a little lady renting paddle boats. We picked a very fancy looking duck boat and headed out on the water. We paddled through the reeds for a while chasing ducks. I don’t think they knew what to make of us in our giant duck boat. It was pretty amusing. Michelle had another freak out moment. Every time we would start getting a little further out she would start yelling at me to steer us back to shore, if the boat sank we would drown. She supplied many humorous moments while we traveling with her.

The floating island we visited

That night we booked a tour for Uros, the floating islands. The next day we met a nice guy from Manchester, England who was on our tour with us. We kind of kidnapped him and he spent the next week traveling with us. The tour was cheesy and overly touristy, but the floating islands are like nothing I have ever seen. When you walk on them the floor squishes below you. It’s like walking on a giant pillow. If you got tired at any point in the day you could just lay down anywhere and take a nap. The Islands are made from the reeds that grow in abundance in the lake and their hollow structure makes them float very well. They make everything out of these reeds, from their homes to their boats and they even eat them. We took a ride on one of their reed boats and wandered around a bit. Oh, I almost forgot. Michelle walked too close to the edge of the island and fell through. Luckily she caught herself before she fell all the way through and under the island. She got her pants all wet and was screaming again. It was just another hilarious moment from Michelle. The men from the island said she was lucky because if you fall all the way through you can get trapped under the island and drown very easily.

Houses made of floating reeds

Islands are solar powered

Boat made out of floating reeds

We got back to the mainland and ate a quick lunch and hopped on a bus to Copacabana, Bolivia. Yes, it is called Copacabana. I did not make it up. We crossed the border and paid the $135 entrance fee for Americans, while all of our friends from other countries got in free. No bitterness behind these words, I swear. I guess it’s only fair. The US charges some of the highest visa entrance fees of any country. The bus driver told me that Bolivians have to pay $280 to enter the US. For a country so poor that is a large amount to charge its people compared to what they charge us.

We arrived to Copacabana and found a hostel for the night. Copacabana is a sleepy coast town overrun with hippies. It made for an interesting atmosphere. It is also on Lake Titicaca, so the next day we got a boat to take us to the famous Isla Del Sol. This is where the Inca’s believed that their people began. The myth is that their first people emerged from the lake here. There is a sacred rock that marks the spot.

Isla Del Sol with Andes in the background

Sacred Stone

Ruins on the Isla Del Sol

Sacred Rock

The island itself was beautiful and reminded me of the Greek Isles. The water was rich shades of green and blue with sharp rocky walls forming coves protecting calm, white sandy beaches. If we had more time I would have loved to camp on the beaches. From the top of the island you could see for miles. The snow covered peaks of the high Andes were visible in the distance. It was a spectacular view and I can see why the Incas were inspired by the place.

Funny picture of us on Isla del Sol

Me, Laura, Michelle, and Vernon on the Isla

On the way back to the mainland the tour also offered the chance to visit their floating islands. I was a bit skeptical since the only floating islands in existence were the ones we saw in Puno. When we arrived I was in disbelief at what I was seeing. They had fashioned wooden docks and covered them with reeds. The docks were maybe ten feet by ten feet. It was such a poor job you could still see the wood underneath in most spots and you could see the giant pieces of Styrofoam strapped to the underside keeping it floating. What a tourist scam! I couldn’t help but laugh and I strongly suggested that no one visit them, especially since they were charging an extra fee to go onto them.

Amazing fresh fish on Lake Titicaca in Copacabana

Christina