Rakabudiswa: 23.06.2017
Unfortunately, we only had one day at Lake Titicaca, so I can only report a little about it. This lake is located at an altitude of 3800 m and is therefore one of the highest lakes in the world. The city of Juliaca is only a 45-minute drive away and is now considered the most important economic metropolis in the surrounding department of Puno, as well as in southern Peru as a whole. Due to its location on Lake Titicaca and its proximity to Bolivia, it is favored as a trading post, and numerous industries and sectors have been established there over the centuries. The main focuses are trade, manufacturing industries, transportation, and logistics. It is also believed that the potato originated as a cultivated plant in this Andean region. However, the locals advise tourists against visiting the city of almost 220,000 people. The city is said to be very dangerous due to the smuggling activities through Bolivia and Chile, which attracts many "bad people". We did not dare to visit it.
The city of Puno is not very picturesque, as we have found out. "This is due to the extreme climate of the region," the locals explain to us. From here, many boat trips can be started, which unfortunately we do not have time for, as we are already heading to Cusco, which is only six hours away, in the evening - where my journey through Peru began. My friends went to the Islas de los Uros - the floating islands. I didn't go because I don't like the business with tourism here either.
In the evening, as mentioned earlier, we drove to Cusco, the final destination of our journey through southern Peru. I was already very excited to see David again after a long time. Looking back, two wonderful weeks come to an end here, with many great impressions and experiences. Thank you all for the wonderful time!