Our journey to the airport this morning was in the dark, so we will have to save exploring Lima until the end of the trip. My first impressions were that it was warmer than I expected (20 degrees) and I certainly wouldn't want to drive there - quite scary!
Determined to finally sample some local cuisine, we breakfasted at the airport on Empanada de Pollo (chicken pasty), Quiche Alcehofa (quiche with arasparagus type vegetable) and Pye de Manzana (apple pie). This kept us occupied until it was time for us to catch our Avianca flight to Juliaca.
An hour and a Friends episode later we found ourselves in Juliaca. I'd researched a shared service bus which we boarded to drive to Puno. Juliaca itself I could not describe as lively. It was a dusty place, with many unfinished and unoccupied buildings giving it a slightly eerie quality. The abundance of stray dogs scavenging around the city's litter-strewn streets did nothing to help the atmosphere, and did make me wish I'd had that rabies jab!
Soon after the city, I must have fallen asleep because I woke up to find we were on the outskirts of Puno. The first thing I noticed was how shallow my breath was, and how dissatisfying breathing had become - something I normally take for granted. At over 4000m above sea level, Puno is a much more pleasant place than Juliaca, with its colourful and undulating layout, and snow-capped hill backdrop.
We checked into our hotel (£12 a night B&B, lovely room, why pay more?), lunched on some alpaca with quinoa and cheese as well as some trout, and we're soon off for our first excursion - to Sillustani "funeral tower".
Now this didn't sound the most exciting on paper, admittedly, but for 30 soles I thought we could give it a shot. I managed to stay awake for the forty-five minute bus journey (probably due to being very squashed and sitting in the back wheels!) and as we came near to the site I was suitably impressed by the scenery. The entrance road was lined with grassy plains, quaint farmhouses and a large lake/pond with cattle and flamingos harmoniously enjoying the water.
Once we arrived we walked up a surprisingly well paved street towards the tower. The vista at this point was absolutely stunning, and coupled with some great early-evening light this had me very distracted by the camera! The guide was giving some...erm...interestung facts about the memorials. I did half listen but the constant switching between Spanish and English was a tad confusing and the sky was just so blue!
Determined to finally sample some local cuisine, we breakfasted at the airport on Empanada de Pollo (chicken pasty), Quiche Alcehofa (quiche with arasparagus type vegetable) and Pye de Manzana (apple pie). This kept us occupied until it was time for us to catch our Avianca flight to Juliaca.
An hour and a Friends episode later we found ourselves in Juliaca. I'd researched a shared service bus which we boarded to drive to Puno. Juliaca itself I could not describe as lively. It was a dusty place, with many unfinished and unoccupied buildings giving it a slightly eerie quality. The abundance of stray dogs scavenging around the city's litter-strewn streets did nothing to help the atmosphere, and did make me wish I'd had that rabies jab!
Soon after the city, I must have fallen asleep because I woke up to find we were on the outskirts of Puno. The first thing I noticed was how shallow my breath was, and how dissatisfying breathing had become - something I normally take for granted. At over 4000m above sea level, Puno is a much more pleasant place than Juliaca, with its colourful and undulating layout, and snow-capped hill backdrop.
We checked into our hotel (£12 a night B&B, lovely room, why pay more?), lunched on some alpaca with quinoa and cheese as well as some trout, and we're soon off for our first excursion - to Sillustani "funeral tower".
Now this didn't sound the most exciting on paper, admittedly, but for 30 soles I thought we could give it a shot. I managed to stay awake for the forty-five minute bus journey (probably due to being very squashed and sitting in the back wheels!) and as we came near to the site I was suitably impressed by the scenery. The entrance road was lined with grassy plains, quaint farmhouses and a large lake/pond with cattle and flamingos harmoniously enjoying the water.
Once we arrived we walked up a surprisingly well paved street towards the tower. The vista at this point was absolutely stunning, and coupled with some great early-evening light this had me very distracted by the camera! The guide was giving some...erm...interestung facts about the memorials. I did half listen but the constant switching between Spanish and English was a tad confusing and the sky was just so blue!
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