Puno, under the wings of the Condor

The plan for Puno was very simple: arrival, PCR test for crossing the border to Bolivia, a bit of sightseeing, two nights stay, and off we go. But as often happens, the devil is in the details. Starting with the fact that there was no testing on Sunday, the day of my arrival.

Monday morning it was pouring rain. Around noon, I went back to the testing center. Luckily, the test center was a facility of the Ministry of Health, so even the PCR tests were free of charge. They didn't speak English, but we managed to complete the paperwork together with the helpful staff. To finalize the process, I confirmed my application with my signature and fingerprint. After me, the police brought in a supposed criminal in handcuffs for testing.

However, I was informed that I would receive the test results in 48 hours allegedly due to my foreign passport. They explained this to me three times in detail in Spanish. In the end, I nodded and thanked them politely.

I spent Monday afternoon searching for my bus connection at two bus terminals. After various difficult conversations and further online research, I realized that there were simply no bus connections to Bolivia anymore because the border had been closed for more than a year. So, I would have to take a shared taxi to the border and cross la frontera on foot.

In addition, I needed another filled-out declaration for my entry, which was linked on the website of the Foreign Office, a certificate confirming that my health insurance also covered Covid-19, and a registration with the Bolivian immigration authority. When I complained to Christian, who had supported me as a travel agent in Cusco, he replied laconically that those were the requirements. He was right.

Puno was not exactly a gem among cities, and Lake Titicaca fell far short of my romantic expectations. Wikipedia knew better again, saying "its area is about 15.5 times larger than that of Lake Constance (including the Untersee) and almost as big aa Corsica. It is heavily polluted."

The climate around the lake was particularly challenging for me. It was hot and cold at the same time. Depending on which side of the street you walked on, you could feel the sun burning you, or you were freezing and had to put on a jacket. High-altitude sun and high-altitude air.

The altitude, at 3,800 meters, began to affect me on Tuesday. Surprisingly, I had a slight headache and felt uncomfortable. When I finally left the hostel to get some fresh air and get to know Puno better, I came up with nothing better than climbing a viewpoint hill. The ascent to 4,000 meters in the midday sun physically challenged me, and I had to stop and catch my breath repeatedly.

I was rewarded with a wonderful view of the city, the reed forest with the floating islands of the Uros, the bay, and the access to the main lake on the horizon. Apart from this high point, I felt pretty low on Tuesday, and I was relieved to have additional time in Puno and my made bed in the hostel.