The day started at 6am. I went downstairs to have breakfast which was composed but a piece of old bread with jam, and instant coffee in a tea bag. Not really the kind of breakfast you are dreaming of when you are hungry. Fortunately I had some tasty cookie with me which worked pretty well. The bus arrived very punctual and after collecting approximately other 20 people, mostly South Americans, we arrived to the port. The boat was nice and clean, perfect I would say for the kind of tour we were about to begin. The tour was to visit the floating village off the Coast of Titicaca Lake and from there to go and visit one of the main island of the lake. The Titicaca is the highest navigable lake in the world and with more than 3800 metres, it is definitely something special. Unfortunately this time I must confess the lake was the only thing very special: after visiting the village and its very kind people, everything else was pretty normal, I would say maybe very touristy. However I had a great lunch at 4000m in the island watching the lake with really funny and friendly people mostly composed by Venezuelans and Argentineans. The boat journey on the way back to Puno was long, approximately 3 hours, which I used to sleep a little bit, drinking some mate de coca and to chat with people in the group with a wonderful view of the lake all around. Tonight I will try to go to bed early since tomorrow my trip to Bolivia will start at 6am again.
I am leaving Peru with a little sense of sadness. I will always remember this country and its people and I am sure I will come back one day. The food, the colours, the history, the folklore, the culture and the nature make Peru a unique place worthy coming back several times. The people here have a dignity and a behaviour that I have only seen in Japan, Vietnam and few other countries probably. Even sometimes in their poverty, they are ‘givers’. People that are so altruistic and friendly often thinking and caring about their guests, friends and beloved ones (and the way to make them feel better) is a unique quality which unfortunately I experienced very difficult to find elsewhere. Considering that unfortunately there are so many egoist people, self absorbed sometimes by their own thoughts and small petty problems, this experience is definitely something that strikes me and that I am not used to. So far all the people I met in this journey, including all the friends that hosted me and helped me, have been amongst the most generous persons I have ever met.
Mio querido Peru, I will miss you very much.
No comments:
Post a Comment