Floating Islands and Honda breakdown

2nd Feb
We are up early and are collected by a minibus (15 seats). we go down to the dock side and board a small boat ( 25 passengers). Our trip today is to 2 sites and cost 25 Sols (6:1GBP). In one and a half hours we reach the 1st floating reed island where people live and seem to survive off the tourists. The islands aremade entirely of local reed and are several metres thick and usually last about 12/13 years before being abandoned for new ones. We were shown all around and then offered a trip in a reed canoe across to the next island for an extra 10 Sols. On this island there were reed huts for rent at 10 Sols a night and a resturant. We again boarded our boat and set off towards the island of Taquire in the middle of lake Titicaca or two and a half hours out from the floating islands (1 and half from Puno). At Taquire 1000 indian people live with no electric and again appear to live off visiting tourist boats. We were all offered a local fish (kingfish) lunch for 12 Sols plus a great veg soup. We were also given a colourful dance display in the main square and was told it was a special feista this week, but expect it was for your benefit. Little girls sold small knitted braclets items for1 Sol and Dave bought 10 and a blanket from the floating reed island for 50 Sols. By the end of the trip Dave´s bike and luggage will be heavier than Roly´s solely due to buying local toursit stuff. We return to Puno and sit up on the upper deck, there is no sun and lots of cloud cover however at 3822 metres we get sun burnt during the 4 hour trip. Tonight Roly eats Alpacha, chips and rice plus a beer of course.

3rd Jan
We leave Puno by 0930 hrs and the hotel door man has cleaned our bikes with a damp rag, remving most of the caked on thick mud and probabilly scrathing all the trim in the process. About 10 kms out of Puno the Africa Twin loses all electrics and dies by the side of the road. We discover the main 30 amp fuse is blow, we replace with a spare and continue for another 10 kms and break down again. We discover the rectifier/regulator is fryed. We replace this with a spare Roly bought 2nd hand prior to the trip unchecked on E-bay along with a CDI unit ( which we did check). We continue to the Pre Inca burial towers at Sillustani ( 14 kms west of our route) and pay 5.60 Sols each for entry. A quick tour around and we are on our way again after loads of photos of our 1st Inca site. Heading north for Cusco Roly stops and we notice a whistle sound, the battery has been over charged and is also fryed. The bike will not start, so Dave removes one of the charging wires from the alternator and Dave push starts Roly, which nearly kills him at this alititude, Roly drives off with Dave trying to catch some breaths. Finally at Ayaviri after another short hop the bike gives up for good. The spare regulator/rectifier we had fitted did not seem to be working, ( it had an extra 8th wire) the battery was fryed and there was no hope for the bike. It was about 1630 hrs and Cusco was 244 kms, it ws tipping down with rain, we were cold and managed to find some shelter in an old garage which we shared with a huge 1960´s America pick up truck. We notice the power is too high as all dash lights are too bright and we blow both light bulbs when we switch then on. We had prevoiusly agreed ( under protest) not to sleep on the side of the road so Dave went in search of a pick up or lorry to get a lift to Cusco. After some considerable time he could only find one driver who wanted a massive US$250 and could come at 1730 hrs. We reluctantly agreed and loaded the bike onto a Toyota 4 x 4 crew cab pick up with the rear wheel of the Africa Twin sitting on the tail gate. All tired down we set of for Cusco about 1830 hrs, it was raining hard but Roly was in the front of the Toyota with Dave following behind ( had Roly´s winter glovers though). The windscreen of the Toyota was covered with candle wax which made seeing where we were going a little difficult ( result of today fiesta). Once it was dark we could no longer see the road, so with a little petrol from the Honda we managed to clean the screen, The heating or windscreen fans also did not work, so Roly needed to keep wiping the windscreen to enable the driver to see the road, although it didn´t seem to make much difference as we were often in either the middle of the road or the ditch. We finally arrived at main central Plaza of Cusco at 2200 hrs and find three steps (18th Century) where we can unload the bike at nearly the same level as the truck bed as we had no plank dispite repeataly asking for one prior to loading. The local Police stop us and after a little time agree to let us unload if we are quick. We pay the driver and book in to a hostal next to the steps (US$40 per room). We push the bike into a old Spanish colonial coutyard and are warned by the police not to leave anything unattended as the children will steal it. The Plaza is very nice and clean with very smart colonial buildings all all four sides. We are offered two rooms - one with a genuine Inca wall downstairs with no TV or a room upstairs with TV. Guess which we accepted! Roly´s choice. We go for a chineese at 2300 hrs for 79 Sols and then bed by midnight.