We're back!

Greetings family and friends,
We're now back in Cuzco until tomorrow morning, after 4 wonderful/interesting days at Lake Titicaca. The 24th, we left Cuzco by way of a private van, 13 smiling, healthy (note: healthy is a crucial word here) gringos and one native driver off to see the highest navigable lake in el mundo. As the hours in the van turned into extreme hunger, our driver, who led us to believe he was our friend, suggested a stop for some delicious roadside baby sheep n' taters. Unfortunately, for one member of the group, (Jim doesn't want to name names, for some reason [because it was him]), a tainted potatoe found its way into his plastic bag of baby sheep n' taters. The ambush on Jim's health was well under way by the time he suspected foul play. The drive to Lake Titicaca was otherwise uneventful, and we arrived at this gorgeous lake in the late afternoon. The group lay down to rest that seemingly fine evening, when all hell broke loose. When the group congregated for breakfast on the fine Day of Thanks (AKA Thanksgiving), three soldiers were found wounded. The sickness had struck. In any case, the group still managed a fantastic day of exploring near Llachon, our homestay community, including nearby island Taquile. Although soldiers were falling by the minute, the group came together to cook a dank Thanksgiving dinner of salad, guacamole, fruit salad, chicken with pear sauce (thanks mom), sweet potato with marshmallow, mashed potatoes, and apple pie crumble. Although it was strange for a lot of people to be away from home on Thanksgiving, we had a great time sharing our appreciations and delicious foods.

The next day, Friday, we travelled by boat and kayak to a floating island, Uros Titino Manco Capac. It was an amazing cultural experience, to see several families living on a floating island somewhere in the vicinity of 30 by 30 feet. After learning about the island and their culture and perusing handmade crafts, we departed for Llachon once more. Back at the community, we tried on local clothing and shared many wonderful memories. After another night, we said our goodbyes, met our "friend", the driver, and made way for Cuzco. After a solid 8 hours, we made it back here. This blog would have been way better if we weren't exhausted...lo siento mucho, amigos. Pictures tomorrow maybe?

Hasta luego,
The Mainahs