First Impressions

After we finished the Isla del sol and Copacabana, we moved across the border and into Peru. The next major town we came across is called Puno and is wholely uninteresting appart from its one and only tourist attracion - the floating islands of Uros. Will and I speculated that these islands must have come into existence to escape and flee from the Spaniards - a very popular Incan activity back in the day. We were later corrected by the tour guide - the first of these islands came to be to apparently escape the Incan bureaucracy. Good old tax evasion at its finest.

In any event, on our bus ride to Puno we met a Peruvian fella named Fernando - a self employed tour organizer. He told us he could get us to the islands and back for a meagre 28soles each (1 sole equals almost R4), but that we would have to pay the families of the islands ourselves for food and accommodation - which would not be more than 30 soles each, for dinner, bed and breakfast included. He was very professional and organized and through him be also booked our 6hour bus trip the next day to Arequipa for 40 soles each. All the while we (or at least I) got a 'something is not quite right' feeling from this Fernando fellow, but it was all quickly dispelled by te smooth sailing and organization we experienced till we got to the islands. There the tour guide (actual tour guide, not Fernando) told us that these islands are built and float on the rootsystems of a water based grass or reed and that each island can 'live' for up to 30 years before they have to replace the floating root system that keeps it afloat.

We were the only Gringos (South American slang for Tourists) who wanted to stay for the night. It was at this point that we were introduced to a man whose name who I have expelled from my memory for fear of succumbing to pure dispisal and loathing. There are few things in this life which I despise more than people cheating me while there is nothing I can do about it. As soon as out boat pulled away this slimy man infromed us that accommodation would be 30 soles, but that dinner and breakfeast would be an additional 33 SOLES!? I was immensely close to jumping back in the water and swimming after the boat. Either that or actively fasting to to give this greedy man the biggest middle finger of his wretched life. We payed. Dinner was a measly and ill looking trout with undercooked rice and at breakfeast we were treated to coffee and ONE slice of toast with ONE egg.

When we got back to the main land Will and I tried our very best to get our 33 soles money back from Fernando, but he said he was very sorry but that there was nothing he could do about it. The tour companies do not work in conjunction with the islanders. He called up the greediest man on earth, yelled at him and told us to write the island a bad review on the internet. Which I did. No one actively cheats me out of money, with my knowledge and has the last say. I went through the trouble of Signing up for tripadvisor and wrote my first ever review filled with all the bile and fury I could muster, which was significant.

Fernando however would have one final weasely trick/con to play on us before we left. For his final swan song he actually booked us on the most local bus he could find (undoubtedly pocketing at least 15 of the 40 soles we payed him). The bus was jammed packed with locals, had no ventilation and was, and this is the best part, leaking rainwater into the compartment and onto my right shoulder. I spent 2 of the 6 hour bus in a rain jacket. Señor Fernando didn't even have the decency to put us in seats which had actual leg space, never mind room. He put us right at the front of the bus were we spent a cramped 6hrs wondering if our legs would still retain their functionality. Poor Will and Ad, both of them are 193 and 195cm respectively.

We finnaly got to Arequipa and booked into our 2nd Wild Rover hostal