Vacation

Last week Amber and I had a great time traveling all over southern Peru.  I've travel a good bit of the north, since that is the area we work in, but this was my first time really venturing far south.

We started out in cold Puno at 12,500 on an adorable boat in Lake Titicaca.  The Yavari, has quite a history.  It was sent from England in the 1860s around the southern tip of Chile, to a port in northern Chile,  traveled 30 miles north (by road or train, I can't remember!), then pulled across Peru by donkeys for six years before arriving at it's destination in the land locked Lake Titicaca.  What a journey!  Anyway there are 4 teeny, tiny cabins aboard that have now been turned into a B&B.  When laying in bed, I literally could touch all 4 walls!  The staff was incredibly friendly and helpful.  I became slightly obsessed with photographing all the details of the boat.  

The rest of our time in Puno we visited some islands on the lake.  The Uros people live on islands that float in the lake make of reeds.  Every 20-25 years, they have to build a new island because the one they are currently living on has decayed.  It was really interesting.  We also climbed to the top of a "mountain" on another island, which would have been much easier if we didn't start at 12,500 feet.  There wasn't much oxygen up there, but it was beautiful.  Lake Titcaca is so enormous that it felt like we were on an island in the middle of the ocean.  At its widest point, it is 120 miles by 50 miles.

The next couple of days Amber and I hung out in sunny and warm Arequipa.  We didn't have an agenda, but really enjoyed sleeping in a little, taking a slow days walking around town, looking at the incredible architecture, drinking coffee, and shopping.  It was a good and relaxing time.

Our last days of vacation, we traveled to the most southern city in Peru and crossed the border in to Chile!  I was really excited about getting a new country stamped into my passport.  Arica, Chile is a port city and not aimed at tourists, so we didn't have a whole lot to do.  However, the day was beautiful.  Sunny and hot with an awesome cool breeze, what more could we want?  I loved sitting by the ocean and smelling the salty air.  It took me back to summers at the beach in Korea.

Eventually, I'll get some pictures posted.  My rechargeable camera battery has completely died and won't hold a charge, so I can't get the few pictures that I do have off the camera.  One of my teams will bring me a new one and I'll be back in business.