Visitors 2013, Part 3

April 10 through 22   (pictures coming later)

Friends from Paonia joined us for over a week for a lot of fun. Nancy Schwieger came for her 4th visit in 10 or so years, arriving with her long-time friends, the Schwieterman family: Neal, Liane and 11 year old Katia. WAe met them at the airport in Juliaca on April 10, took a day to rest and adjust and see the markets in Puno, and then on Lino's new boat, came to Taquile for one night.

Early the next morning we went to the Capachica Penninsula to stay with Asunta and Armando in Lacho´n. It is only about an hour and since us foreigners were paying the gas, several family members came along for the visit, especially including Asunta's 3rd grade daughter, Sarita, who is living with her grandmother, Celbia, who also came. Armando's uncle, Valentino, is known for his kayak rental business, and since Neal and family are expert kayakers, we were able to rent for a family rate and toodle around the shoreline and out to a point for a couple of hours before lunch.

The next morning we hiked up the the Cerro Karus, ceremonial site and the highest point on that part of the Capachica Penninsula. Armando told us a legend about the time when the area of the current Lake Titicaca was not a lake, but fields with high hills that are now the islands of Amantani and Taquile, and the ruler, Karus, was a wise leader. Invaders came and they used signal fires on the high points to communicate across the wide valleys. They stored food in tunnels and even tunneled across to the other high hills. Eventually they trapped the invaders in the tunnels and sometimes you can hear the screams of their ghosts.

Saturday the 13th we returned to Taquile. Katia had a great time playing with the other kids, so did Sam and Neal. Katia said, ¨We speak 'kid language,' laughter and signals, we don't need words.¨

Sunday we met the mayor, Zenon Tipo. One day we had lunch with Juan Quispe who was in Paonia in December of 2010. One day we made watia, earthen oven roasted potatoes and oca. We hiked to the top of Taquile, the ceremonial site called Mulcina.

Then back to Puno and more adventures in a different blog.