Puno is quite popular these days on the Southern Peru track, and a stroll through the main streets will quickly confirm that a large portion of the day-to-day population consists of tourists from all parts of the world. It matters little that the town itself is not particularly picturesque, since the main attraction is Lake Titicaca and its many islands.
Historically, Puno lies at the junction between the Quechua and Aymara peoples, though to the foreign eyes and ears, it may be difficult to distinguish between the two. Indeed, Puno is a melting pot of sorts, both between cultures and generations. Older women and men dressed in traditional Andean garb cross paths with their younger counterparts in t-shirts and jeans. This lovely mosaic of colors, sounds, and tastes encapsulates a beautiful snapshot of the entire Lake Titicaca region.
Historically, Puno lies at the junction between the Quechua and Aymara peoples, though to the foreign eyes and ears, it may be difficult to distinguish between the two. Indeed, Puno is a melting pot of sorts, both between cultures and generations. Older women and men dressed in traditional Andean garb cross paths with their younger counterparts in t-shirts and jeans. This lovely mosaic of colors, sounds, and tastes encapsulates a beautiful snapshot of the entire Lake Titicaca region.
A feast for the eyes - shopping in Puno
At around 12,500 feet, Puno is no place to be messed with in terms of altitude sickness. From there, you only go higher as you make your way into Bolivia. To give you some perspective, Lhasa, in Tibet, is just under 12,000 feet. My best recommendation would be to get a prescription for Acetazolamide (Diomox) from your doctor before heading there, and to follow the directions on taking them carefully. Even if you don't have a genetic predisposition to experiencing the affects of altitude sickness, it's much better to bring the pills along just in case.
My second recommendation, despite some people's hesitation, would be to chew coca leaves. This stuff really works. Within an hour of arriving in Puno, I began experiencing the symptoms of altitude sickness, including a severe headache, fatigue, and nausea. I was about to run to the restroom to vomit during lunch, but the waitress handed me a cup of coca tea instead and told me to chew the leaves immediately. Within 10 minutes, almost all the symptoms had subsided. Just be careful not to bring any leaves with you when you return home, as there are strict anti-drug laws in many countries regarding the importation of coca.
Buying the wonder drug - coca leaves
After a 45-minute drive from the Juliaca airport, we were dropped off directly at our hotel, Mosoq Inn. The total cost of the transfer was 90 soles. We chose Mosoq Inn based on the positive reviews on TripAdvisor, and also because of how affordable it was, even relative to the already low cost of hotels in town. While nothing terribly special, we did appreciate the fact that they had triple rooms and the fact that breakfast was included.
Check-in was friendly, and the front desk lady was extremely helpful with our questions regarding buses to Copacabana the next morning as well as tours to the Uros Islands. In fact, we went ahead and booked both directly with the hotel as the cost was comparable to estimates we found online. The Uros Islands tour was $15 USD per person, payable directly to the tour company, and the bus to Copacabana (including a taxi transfer from the hotel to the bus station) was 18 soles. It was also a plus that Mosoq Inn took Visa or MasterCard, as many hotels in this region are cash only.
Check-in was friendly, and the front desk lady was extremely helpful with our questions regarding buses to Copacabana the next morning as well as tours to the Uros Islands. In fact, we went ahead and booked both directly with the hotel as the cost was comparable to estimates we found online. The Uros Islands tour was $15 USD per person, payable directly to the tour company, and the bus to Copacabana (including a taxi transfer from the hotel to the bus station) was 18 soles. It was also a plus that Mosoq Inn took Visa or MasterCard, as many hotels in this region are cash only.
Mosoq Inn
Lobby
Computers for guest use
