Party at Lake Titicaca

Finally I bid adieu to Arequipa and headed for the highlands. The Alto Plano is a huge high region reaching from Peru through Bolivia to Chile and Argentina. In the Alto Plano the sky was heavy, the ground was snow sprinkled - made me think of home - and alpacca infested.

Lake Titicaca is the draw here. At 3812 meters, Titicaca is the highest navigable lake in the world and also, by volume of water, the largest lake in South America. But since I got in rather late yesterday, I haven't actually seen the lake yet - as anything other than a dark presence amongs the city lights. I'll go and investigate after breakfast.

I've arrived in the city of Puno (some 200.000 inhabitants) on Titicaca's shore. Puno is considered the capital of folklore as many different tribes live in the region. And as luck would have it, I have arrived some days before the city's biggest party, Fiesta de la Candelaria, especially renowned for its colourful dance performances. Hah!

This is one of Peru's best know events and it is televised throughout the country. Locals from all over the region arrive in Puno to dress up and participate in a huge dance parade held on the 2nd of February in honour of the Virgen de Candelaria. There are many ethnic minorities in the region and they all have their own dance traditions and costumes. So we should be in for quite a treat!

The locals are already hard at work practicing their dance moves. Streets have become impromptu stages for dance practices and traffic good naturedly finds alternative routes. And this is not a party only for the young and beautiful, but everyone from children to grannies takes part. I am quite tempted to take part myself - informally of course. But, once again, I have nothing to wear. Why didn't I pack my national costume? I would have blended so nicely.