July 1st - Puno and Sillustani ruins

This morning, we walked to the Plaza de Armas and went window shopping down a pedestrian street.  I bought a little rain stick from a music shop...it has a "witch doctor" looking face with llama teeth in the mouth!

Then we went to the central market and bought queso and pan to make a cheap lunch!

This afternoon we joined a tour group for Sillustani ruins.  On the way, we stopped for a view of Lake Titicaca!

At the ruins, we saw chullpas, which are stone towers erected to bury the dead!  We also saw another lake that has a higher elevation than Lake Titicaca, but is only navigable by small boats.  Standing in the middle of Joyce and me is a lovely lady named Devika from New York (originally from India).

On our way back to Puno from Sillustani, we stopped at the home of a family who showed us how the inside of their living complex is set up.  We found out that they mix clay with salt and water and eat it with potatoes, cheese, etc.  It helps coat their intestines and provides some essential minerals.  The big stone pictured on the right is used for grinding grain such as quinoa into flour.

They had many animals such as alpacas, llamas, huanaco, cuy, and pigs.  I think the furry guy in the middle is "Chubacka"!