Thursday, September 10, 2015

After a fitful nights sleep, we ate breakfast at the JW Marriott and were met by Wilson and Omar for a ride to the airport. A quick flight to Juliaca and we found ourselves in a completely different environment: dry and treeless. Our new guide Francisco told us his life’s story as we drove. We visited Sillustani, a not terribly interesting place with a few towers understood to be funerary. Francisco was mostly interested in telling us his story of his adventures so we really weren’t too sure what the place was all about. (Francisco borrowed a hat from one of the women selling them then returned it to her to be put back on the table for sale after our tour!) But, Puno is over 12,500 feet above sea level so we really were more interested in just getting to the hotel. The Hotel Libertador, our home for the next three nights, is fine. It sits on a peninsula out into Lago Titicaca with a view over to the city of Puno. Puno is built from the lake shore up a gentle mountainside. We rested the remainder of the afternoon and ate dinner at the hotel. 

It was hard to say goodbye to Wilson, our friend, guide and protector! When we were climbing Waynapicchu, Kurt and Kathy went up and down at different speeds and poor Wilson was at wits end when he didn't have both of us in sight!
If you ever visit Cusco, Wilson Arroyo should be your man!!

Sillustani is the home to a variety of burial towers

Sillustani

There are a variety of species of alpaca; this one was our favorite

On her way to the market

The view of the Puno Bay of Lake Titicaca