Pumpernickel on Tour   … in South America

Tuesday 23 September 2014

Bye, bye, Bolivia – the next morning we take the bus to Puno in Peru.

Copacabana Airport

When we arrive in Kasani, the little border town, we queue for half an hour in the Bolivian immigration office and another 30 minutes on the Peruvian side to get our passports stamped. Meanwhile the bus is waiting for all passengers. You can also do this on your own – use a micro to get from Copacapana to the frontera, walk across and then catch another bus to Puno. But at a price of £2.70 we treat ourselves to the more convenient direct option.

Mind you, there are plenty of taxis about…

Welcome to Peru!

The road follows the shore of Lake Titicaca and we notice a lot of agricultural activity – farmland and many animals grazing along the route.

How I miss my Possu…

People carrier

Filling station

How do you get the sheep onto the roof in the first place?

Puno, ho!

When Johannes is grown up he wants to drive a bus with two twin axles

I’ve forwarned my dad that he shouldn’t expect anything too exciting in Puno (apologies to all the locals who are reading this) but as soon as we have settled in our room at the Hotel Zurit, the political demonstrations start outside – national elections are being held on 5th October – and we have a window seat to watch the spectacle.

We walk to the lakeshore –

– and take a ‘Rikscha’ back into the city centre

It’s also the local university’s anniversary and all the faculties celebrate in traditional costumes and dancing in the streets.

Puno’s Cathedral

In the evening we treat ourselves to typical Peruvian dishes –

Alpaca a la plancha y Cuy al horno

Mein Vater, der Meerschweinchenfresser…

It’s all in the mind – guinea pig tastes like poultry, it is a Peruvian delicacy, not cheap and served whole mainly to prove that it’s the real thing.

You see, there are quite a few interesting things going on in Puno – Johannes is well impressed. Tomorrow we’re off to Cusco; Machu Picchu is calling.