October 21st, 2005 – Taquile Island
Our tour guide, Rueben, is helping the locals explain about the knitting process.
Breakfast was at 7:00 am this morning but most of us were up well before then. All the banana pancakes you could eat with coffee and tea for $7.00 Soles ($2.50 CDN). No showers or flush toilets but there was a sink set up outside for our use this morning. After breakfast we had a demonstration on the way the locals made the garments that are being sold everywhere we go. Most of it is made with alpaca and it's very time consuming.
Knitting demonstration
The couple showing us the knitting process have been doing it for a long time and it looked like they did very good business on this morning. I ended up buying some gloves for $15.00 Soles ($5.35 CDN) and again, I wonder how much I would have to pay for them back home.
Taquile Island
The couple putting on the demonstration had no problem seeing the garments they were knitting up close. Most of us, in the western world at their age, would need reading glasses to see what this couple were doing.
Taquile Island
Excellent detail in their work.
Walking around Taquile Island
We packed up all of our gear in our back packs, it appeared that everyone of us was sad to leave this place. Such simple housing but the location was just amazing, it was nice to be away from everything and this was one of those places where you were away from everything!
Taquile Island walk
A view from our walk this morning.
Taquile Island walk
View from our walk this morning.
Taquile Island walk
Another view from our walk around the island.
Taquile Island
We then walk up through the Town Square and then slowly make our way through the meandering path towards another local restaurant. We leave our backpacks here and put in our order for lunch a little later on. We head down the path again and stop at a few sites including a school yard. We get a chance to sit down and listen to a teacher giving lessons to some 5th graders. Of course, it was all in Spanish and I could not understand but it was still an experience for all of us. Before our trip over to the Island, Gwen (Tour Leader) had told us to purchase some pencils for the local children and before we left the class room we gave them all to the teacher.
Taquile Island walk
A view from our walk around the island.
Taquile Island
Next stop was the Town Square only this time we find it very active with many other groups wondering around the shops. It was a nice sunny day and it looks like I should have put on a little more sun protection. I was starting to get a little red and it was time to look for shade. It was mid day and with the sun directly above us, it was hard to find shade with no shadow to hide behind.
Taquile Island
One last view before lunch.
Taquile Island final lunch – Boat back to Puno
We're back at the restaurant for a meal of soup and fish for a very reasonable $15.00 Soles ($5.35 CDN). Then it was a steep walk down the hillside to the lake shore where our boat was waiting. I always seemed to be ahead of everybody going down at a brisk pace but then a local woman passed me with a bundle of goods over her shoulder. It made me look like I was standing still! The people here are in tremendously good shape, no couch potatoes to be found.
Our Boat leaves on time back to Puno at 1:00 pm and it was a leisurely slow ride back all the way in. We arrive around 4:00 pm and a bus is waiting for us for a short ride back to the same hotel. Our luggage was waiting in our room and was straight into the shower. It’s funny how you appreciate something so simple at times.
We all meet for dinner around 7:00 pm and again we walk up the hill to Lima Street to where all the restaurants are and reservations were all ready made. Another group was in the restaurant and it took some time to get all of our food. Many complaints about the service and food but mine turned out just great. Oriental stir fry with chicken with my usual 2 glasses of wine came to $53.00 Soles ($18.90 CDN). We make our way back to the hotel around 10:00 pm.