We're up early to meet our new guide, Alfredo. We travel by rickshaw from our hotel to the docks. What a great way to go! We board our very own boat and motor out to the Uros Islands. The indigenous population here lives on islands made out of reeds and they actually float! We learn all about their way of life. They take small groups of us into their homes and offer to dress us up in their traditional clothing. We all get dressed up and take a thousand pictures. After Uros, we motor farther down the coast of Lake Titicaca to the peninsula of Capachica to Llachon, a small community of Aymara farmers. We gear up for our kayaking trip and enjoy the hot sun at 14,000 feet elevation. Ashley and I choose a double kayak and we start paddling down the peninsula. A few of us spot some contraption out in the water and go investigate: it's a fish farm, where lake trout are grown. So, this is how they get all the fish on the menus I've seen throughout Peru!! Being from Montana, I had almost thought they might be wild. Silly me! After kayaking, we get back in the boat and travel to Ticonata Island. The eco-village here is quite amazing. There are only a handful of families that still live on the island, but they have developed a tourism project to host people on their island. We stay in replicas of the pre-Incan homes that were discovered here and enjoy a traditional dance and ceremony. The people are so warm and inviting. The sunset is beautiful here, though the wind is bitter cold. I'm glad I brought my hat and gloves with me!
The trip was not only memorable for the amount of animals we saw but also for the people and accommodations at the two camps where we stayed. Our first guide, BK, was a wealth of information about the animals, landscape and down to the plants and what they were used for. Everyday out was a learning experience with him. All the people at the camps were gracious and the food was excellent.
Our second camp in the Okavanga was just as good as the first as far as the staff, accommodations, food and animals. After our experience at the first camp we amazed that the high quality remained the same. Our guide, G, made sure we were able to enjoy every experience including a rush through the bush to witness a cheetah and an ensuing hunt that he heard over his radio.
In both camps there were enough guides out that if they saw something the other guides were informed which helped in seeing as much as possible. It was also nice that the concessions were large enough that we did not have vehicles following each other throughout the day.
Normally there is always something in a trip of this length that we think could be improved upon but this is the rare case where we cannot think of anything. From the time we left the States to when we returned it was one of the most hassle free vacations we took.
Perhaps emphasizing the use of the laundry facilities at the camps would be useful because of the luggage restrictions would be the only thing I can think of as an improvement to future clients.
Kenneth Dropek
2 days ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.