Puno and Lake Titikaka

Lake Titikaka is a wonderful part of Peru and even the world. It is the world's highest navigable lake at an altitude of 3810 metres, and also South America's largest freshwater lake. It is 1.5 times larger than lake Vänern of Sweden (Europe's 3rd largest lake after the massive Russian lakes of Ladoga and Onega).

Puno is a Peruvian city located on the lakefront, a good base to do tours of the lake. I went on a trip to a couple of islands in the lake, which was a spectacular experience.

The first island was a tiny floating island made of straw. There is a group of people who traditionally has specialised in making islands, houses, boats and pretty much everything else (they even use it for food) of a special straw that grows in the lake. One area of the lake is therefore scattered with these tiny straw-islands, which they use as their homes.

The second island was a proper island, the island with the second highest peak of the lake. It features villages, with an agricultural population. The water warms the region so the island can produce crops that does not grow anywhere else in the region (because of the high altitude).

Pictures follows below:
1) Straw hut on floating island
2) People of the floating island
3) Carnival on island Taquile. Colourful festivities.
4) Agriculture on island Taquile.