Famous for it's floating reed islands approxiamtely 30 mins by boat, we set of to the marina in search of a bargain tour. There was no shortage when we arrived all of which were offering the same package under a different name. We opted for the half day tour which set us back PS15. Paying anymore than this is quite simply getting ripped off. The boat ride in itself was quite pleasant and provided a great view back to the town of Puno nestled on the hill. After arriving at the islands we were given a quick demonstration on how the islands are made, and then the locals promptly opened their market stalls to flog their crappy wares to all the tourists. After about 20 minutes, we were hustled onto a small reed kayak and went to an adjacent island where we were offered more crappy wares. The long story short is that the reed islands exist as a tourist trap.
To redeem the days events, we took a half day tour in the afternoon out to Sillistani - a series of inca ruins on a peninsula, some 40 minutes from Puno. Our guide (who spoke 8 languages) gave us the background on the ruins, their significance in the inca empire and some of the rituals surrounding it. Following this we were free to walk around, take photos and enjoy the location at a perfect time of the day as the sun set beyond the nearby mountains. This definitely redeemed the woeful tour of the islands.
The next morning we were set to catch a bus up to Cuzco, however after throwing my guts up all night I was in no condition to go anywhere except a medical clinic. Nick moved on in order to secure his impending trek to Machu Picchu as my food poisoning set in. Thankfully an afternoon in he medical clinic on an IV drip fixed everything and it's all back on track. Hot tip: discount omlettes aren't always as good as they first appear.
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