DAY 165
Goodbye Bolivia, Hello Peru! In reality, nothing changes, we go from one town on the lake Titicaca to another one. It's still high in altitude (3820m) but after that one we'll start going down... Finally ;) The border is super well organized and seamless. By the look of the border office, it's clear Peru is a step up in development. A few minutes after having resumed the bus ride, the police stops us. The driver is very nervous and aggressive. He doesn't have the passenger list (left it at the border he says). I suspect he's not supposed to take additional passenger at the border as he did. I wouldn't be surprise if it were an extra for him alone. Vero told us Puno was ugly, she was right, it is :D The bus station is unsurprisingly a hunting ground for tours and hotels but we come ready so we don't need to deal with them.
We liked lama meat in Bolivia and are surprised to see Alpaca meat in Peru. Of course we try it and it's also very good. Similar to the lama meat, a bit more tender and very savory. Service and attention to detail here are much higher than in Bolivia. Talking to a travel agency guy later that day, when he learned we were in Bolivia, he said with a half-smile "you noticed the difference I suppose". He'sright, it was evident right away that customer service means something in Peru, none of the harsh treatment they gave us in Bolivia.
The tour shopping for visiting Uros, the floating island, teaches us that we can do it on our own without any problem (and for cheaper). The experience will be identical. It also shows us the city center and we stop agreeing with Vero's judgement of the city. It probably changed since she was there to be fair but now the city center is quite nice; pedestrian only, well done and well kept. The city is 3 time bigger than Copacabana but much quieter (less honking). You have to force a bit to cross the street but at least they don't go mad and honk when you do so... A step up, however small ;)
DAY 166
It ends up being as easy as advertised to visit the Uros island. We simply show up at the jetty, buy our tickets and hop on the boat that is about to leave. It couldn't have been smoother or more well timed ;) The level of organization on this side of Titicaca has really nothing to do with the Bolivian side. Clear prices, clear program and a decent boat, what else could we need? The group is 100% Peruvian, except for us so we should be spared the western tourist bullshit if any.
The people living on these floating islands started this new way of life as a mean to escape their aggressive neighbors (maybe the Incas are not only victims as they tell the story in Bolivia). That was 600(?) years ago and they are still there so in retrospect, it must have been a good move ;) The island are an unbelievable sight, there are around 80 of them for a population of 3000. The main building material is totora and they use it for making the islands themselves, the houses on them and the boats. The root of the totora serve as the floating base and they put the stalk on top every 10 days. It's all very organized but the inhabitants are nice and chill. We were worried it would feel like a zoo but it's not the case at all and being on these island is a fascinating experience.
Back on the mainland, it's time for the first ceviche on Peruvian soil! It's soooo good and we are suckers for raw fish, whether it's the Peruvian ceviche, the Japanese sashimi or the Hawaiian poke. If anyone else on the planet has other ways to eat raw fish, we appoint ourselves to try it asap! We're having coffee when a procession pass in from of the restaurant. It's the Virgin of Candle-mas followed by throngs of men and women dancing in traditional costumes followed by a loud band of brass and drums. The festival for that virgin is in February, this is just to present the new outfit. The real thing lasts 3 days and I'm sure they just close the city for the whole duration ;)
DAY 167
Our first bus in Peru is another reminder of the difference in development between Peru and Bolivia. Here they tag our luggage, have huge seats, AC, a bus attendant, USB ports between seats (ok they don't actually work) and movies...Viva El Peru! We also start losing altitude finally too. Cuzco and its 3350m will feel like nothing after all that time at 4000m :D
It takes us 8 hours instead of the 6-7 but the impressive scenery makes up for it. We go from one valley to next, each one more spectacular and dramatic than the other.