Destination Lake Titicaca, Peru

Snuggled in the Andes on the border with Bolivia, Lake Titicaca, remote tranquil and magical, has a noble serenity and beauty that would melt the hardest of hearts. Peru is studded with gems, but the Incas’ most sacred lake is the diamond that will always sparkle in my memory.

I arrived at the dark, blue shimmering water and saw women collecting reeds, from which they make boats and construct islands on which they live. This was no show for the tourists, it was real life for these Andeans.

Our guide, Julio, who grew up on the Uros, the name of these floating islands, took us to visit his family. Until a few years ago, he too had worked, lived and slept on the ever-moving creaking strands. I felt so incongruous carrying a Prada handbag.  

Collecting reeds at Lake Titicaca

Later that evening, back on land, we stopped at a village, not too far from our hotel, to have a drink with the locals. Somehow, through Julio, we ended up being invited to a wedding. It was an-out- of- this world experience which you won’t find in any travel brochure. They welcomed us as if we were old friends. Before long, we were dancing with a couple of the guests going round in circles, stopping for the occasional twirl, to music that never seemed to stop. Around us men, worse for wear, fell like flies on to the dusty ground, and still the band played on.

Due to a lack of oxygen, we Brits weren’t able to keep up the pace. We said good-bye and headed to Pachamama, a mountain peak home to Inca and Tiwanaku ruins.

The wedding

From there I could see Lake Titicaca staring back at me in the cold night. In the distance, the snow-clad mountain tops of Bolivia glittered like gold as the sun left the sky. Pictures of the wedding flashed before me. There are times when getting up close and personal with the locals is what makes the difference between going to a place and an experience that leaves an indelible mark.

Lake Titicaca staring back at me in the cold night

By Daralyn Danns

Getting there

Flights to Peru with Lantam (latam.com)

I stayed at Titilaka, (titilaka.pe)

First published in All About Hair (All About Hair UK), the travel and lifestyle blog with a luxury twist