Monday 31st March 2025 Juli to Puno
Clocks have changed here, we are now 6 hrs in front of UK [they are 6 hrs BEHIND us here in the UK – midday in the UK is 6am in Peru: Ed], made it very light at 6 this morning, breakfast in the room normal fare, porridge, yoghurt and biscuits, very nice, on the road just before 7 heading for the Town Pumo, a resort town on the shore of Lake Titicaca.

Nice ride today pretty flat and only 50 odd miles, hugging the shoreline of the lake, 1st stop in a little village Llave, looked for a coffee, but no luck so settled for a soft drink each. Carried onto the next town Acora, got lucky and secured three cups of Nescafe accompanied with pastries, them with the rest of the biscuits Ringo got yesterday made for a nice stop.

Riding along the lake, you can see the remnants of the Inca dynasty series of stepped horizontal platforms on the steep slopes, these terraces served multiple functions, making it possible to cultivate crops at high altitudes and in challenging terrain. There was still huts / houses or cattle stores made out of adobe mud, some still with the thatched roof, others with a corrugated iron roof. We seen locals making rope along the banks of the lake, not sure if they were using the traditional Andean grass, called q’oya or a modern equivalent.

As we entered Puno I suddenly realised I could not see Bingo or Ringo in front, I had been just pedalling along singing minding my own business, stopped pin-dropped them suddenly I am 4 miles in front of them, they stopped for a drink on the side of the road, I passed merrily through, no worries, we were soon back together.

No hotel booked so stopped in a dingy cafe for a spot of lunch ,and booked some digs up by the plaza and cathedral, rode the short distance to the hotel, very nice to, all had a warm shower, washed the gear, then went out for some proper food, in a little bistro Ringo had found.