Lake Titicaca

31st Jan
Leave hotel by 0930 hrs and then spend the next 2 hours trying to find our way north out of town. Its raining we get mad with each other, we keep going up and down the same routes and seem to be getting knowhere fast. There are no signs but to cut a long story short we finally head north towards the east side of Lake Titicaca, we are both cold and wet and Dave stops to warm his hand several times. We catch a small ferry across a narrow section of the lake for 30 BS (GBP2) for both. We have to be pushed off the ferry backwards as only narrow planks on the deck, this is a bit unnerving as you have no control. We drive up a hill and stop for a late lunch (1500 hrs) overlooking the village and ferry crossing which reminds us of Fowey, Cornwall. We then drive 38kms to Copacabana on good twisty roads along the side of the lake. Copacabana is a nice clean place catering for tourists (mostly backpackers), lots of resturants. We find a hotel for US$11 and move the bikes into the garden behind locked gates. We are nearly out of BS and so go to a resturant with a open fire that will also aceept US$. Hamburgers and beer for US$10 plus 10BS. Just as we finish eating thunder storm starts and we have to run to hotel but we still can´t breath due to the alitude so we get soaked again. Roly´s chest OK as 1000 metre lower here.
1st Feb
At 0430 hrs locals start testing fireworks for their impending fiesta in a few days time! We pack and meet 2 guys from USA who are also travelling on motorbikes ( both retired) from Alaska to the far south. We talk for a while swap e-mail addresses and then head West for the Peru border. There are no queues and we are the only ones there and every one is very helpful so we pass though in 30 minutes after Roly has to pay a fine of 20BS for losing his Bolivia entry slip. We move onto the Peru border and again every one is very helpfull and in 20 minutes we are on our way. We have just lost another hour with the clock change and so are now 5 hours behind the UK. We head for Puno along the side of the lake and stop for lunch (pasta and tuna like fish from tin) We have difficulty overtaking a bus driving on the wrong side of the road due to pot holes. In Puno we find smart hotel for 80 Sols ( 14GBP) we park the bikes behind the main entrance gates which will be locked at night and head of to the local market where Dave buys a painting for US$25. We check out the local cathredal, coffee and cheese cake. It is warm in the sun but cold in the shadows. We also check out the local tourist tours and finally decide on a one day tour too two sites on Lake Titicaca and also stay in Puno an extra day. We try and buy chain oil and Silkaflex without luck ( both needed for bike maintenance). Guinea pig and lama on menus now. Very touristy here but with lots of street selling going on. Silver seems very cheap.

We book tommorow tour to the floating islands and the island of Taquire which is 2 and 1/2 hours out into the middle of the lake, where 1000 indians live in their own comunity. At resturant tonight we try local fish and alpaca for starters and both are very good. In bed by 2130 as need to be up by 0645 tommorrow