From Cusco we headed south across the flat, high plains of the Andes (around 4000 metres above sea level) to Puno, a sprawling, bustling town on the Peruvian shoreline of Lake Titicaca.
Puno is not much to look at. None of the houses are finished, instead they all have metal rods protruding from their corners in the suggestion that another floor is in the middle of being built. In fact, this is just to ensure that the house is never officially registered as 'complete' and thus avoids the need to pay a housing tax. 
Most tourists come to Puno to take a one or two day boat tour on Lake Titicaca. We opted for the two-day tour. When it came to it, Dad was struck down by general malaise and he and mum stayed in Puno. They enjoyed soaking up the hustle and bustle. Memorably, mum asked a lady in a shop that was piled high to the rafters with eggs, if she may take a photo of the scene. The lady threatened with gestures to throw an egg at her. Other than this, their couple of days passed without incident and I think they found all the local produce markets and life in the streets quite fascinating.
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