It transpires that Isla Suasi does have wifi, but only around the couches near reception and it is not fast enough to upload photos (without remarkable patience), so I am pleased I put a few up from my phone yesterday.
We awoke this morning, yet again at a silly hour (5.30am), to hastily scoff some of the Buffett breakfast at the Casa Andina hotel in Puno, then rushed out on to their private jetty to board a moderate sized boat which would take across lake Titicaca to Isla Suasi.
Lake Titicaca is very large so the journey across takes several hours, but included two tourist stops during which we met a President and a Mayor.
Firstly, we stopped at Isla Uros, a floating island made of reeds, we were introduced to the President who kindly explained how they made their island, their homes, their utilities and how to stop their island simply floating away (or being stolen). No, we didn't ask for photos with the president because with a total population to govern of only 35, and annual recycling of the role, we wonder if he had just been the slowest to keep his head down at the last elections.
The ladies wore very bright colours, all looked better fed than the surroundings implied, but were most hospitable to us and minimised the feeling I had of imposing ourselves on their tiny village, all in the aid of tourism dollars. We were pleased to learn that our tour paid them 5 soles per guest to reduce the pressure to buy things from the range of items available.
We then moved on the a larger, solid, island call Taquile where the local inhabitants described their lifestyle, danced for us, displayed some of the products they make and were generally very hospitable again. I did buy an item here because it was nice to see them being made in front of you, unlike many of the markets that we have visited west in Peru.
I think the photos of these colourfully dressed people will need to be displayed once we get home with our cameras because I do not expect to be in range of high speed wifi over the next few days, before getting home in the weekend.
Today we have a full day on Isla Suasi, and will for the first time sleep in (done), and fill our day at a slow rate, possibly including some kayaking, before packing our backs to head toward home tomorrow morning.
We are all looking forward to getting back home to family and partners.
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