Peru part 1 of 6: Birthplace of the Sun

Our journey in the Andes started at the Juliaca airport, 3,825 (12,549ft) meters above sea level.  The airport in Juliaca has become the gateway to Lake Titicaca the highest navigable lake in the world, and the birthplace of the sun in ancient Andean culture.  While Juliaca is the gateway, most do not stay and visit; it has a harsh unfinished look to it, unwelcoming to outsiders. It’s Puno, the capital of the province, that sits directly on the shore of lake Titicaca that those who visit this area of Peru end up.

Puno too, has a reputation for being a place to lay your head at night and not much else. It’s unfinished houses, dusty streets, and lack of modern infrastructure might lead you to believe it. Having said that, we felt welcomed and safe in Puno. The city center was pedestrian friendly and full of restaurants with good food, and the shopping had the cheapest alpaca wool goods in Peru. With little room between the lake and the mountains, Puno has expanded up the mountainside making the city itself quite scenic at times. With Lake Titicaca in the background, it can be downright breathtaking.

Lake Titicaca is a calm ocean at the top of the world. The deep blue lake reflects the clouds and the mountains. You can read more about the Uru people and the spectacular floating islands here. Taquile Island has a self governed collectivism still based on the Inca moral codes. It was one of the last places in Peru to be conquered by the Spanish. It remains a heritage site for humanity, one of the more authentic pre-colonial societies in the Americas.

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