Where in the world is Rachel

After spending an amazing day at Machu Picchu, we headed back to Cusco for the night. The bus ride/ train ride/ bus ride back to Cusco took FOREVER and was very uncomfortable. There was considerable damage done to the railroads in between Aguas Calientes and Cusco during the mudslides earlier this year, so there isn't a train that goes directly from Aguas Calientes to Cusco, hence all the bus rides! Once we got to Cusco we went straight to the showers and to bed. We woke up really early the next morning and said bye to Sean and Joann. They headed back to Lima and were heading back to the States on Sunday. My family and I hoped on a bus and headed to Lake Titicaca in Puno, Peru. It was an EXTREMELY long bus ride. It was only really a 6 hour bus ride but we broke it up by having 5 different stops at different ruins and for lunch.

Lake Titicaca is higher than Cusco but about 1,000 feet, the altitude finally hit me when we got to Puno. No amount of coca tea or coca candy was going to help me this time. My family went out to dinner but I stayed in the hotel and slept. Sleeping helped a little bit but I still felt awful. My dad bought me Sorochi pills which help altitude sickness. Let's just say that after that night I started acclimating and felt much better by the morning.

The next day we took a tour on Lake Titicaca. We went to Los Uros, the floating islands. It was amazing how these people first of all MADE this islands from the roots of the reeds on the lake but they also lived on these islands. They even had electricity through solar panels. They had TV, radio, phone...pretty much everything! The people that lived on these islands were incredibly humble and loving. I fell in love with the little kids.

The little girls sold me a picture they drew

and colored at school. I paid 2 soles for the drawing... in any other circumstance I would've bargained done to probably 10 centimos for it but the girls were so cute I just wanted to give them whatever they asked for!!

Once we left Los Uros we went to an island in the middle of the lake called Taquile.

It was a beautiful island. We went there to have some lunch. It was an amazing view and a good lunch. The view was absolutely perfect!! After lunch we headed back to Puno.

I was still feeling a little under the weather so I didn't go out to eat again. My dad did bring pollo a la brasa... rotisserie chicken. The next day we were on our way back to Lima. It was amazing how much better I felt once I got back to sea level. Other than the fact that I was suffocating from the pollution in Lima, I felt tons better!

Back in Lima we take a tour of where my mom grew up!! We go to her elementary school and

even go into her old house.

It was cool to see where my mom grew up and see the things that my grandpa made were still there. That night we went out to dinner with my Tio Duilio and Mila. The next morning we headed back to the airport and headed for New York. Overall, it was a very tiring vacation with a lot of traveling from place to place, but it was awesome! Machu Picchu was an amazing experience and so was Lake Titicaca. I loved seeing where my mom grew up and getting to know my Tio better. I look forward to going back soon!!!