Cusco to Puno

We catch an early bus to Puno this morning. Ashley and I barely have enough time to grab some pastries at the hotel as we were betting on the transfer driver being late. Instead, he shows up early! The bus to Puno is a luxury liner compared to the chicken buses of Guatemala (where I lived for several years). We have a guide and a hostess, who serves coffee and other drinks. We have several stops scheduled, so the bus ride doesn't seem so long. We visit a cathedral in the middle of nowhere, a road side stop at the top of a pass with llamas and alpacas and stop for an amazing buffet lunch. We arrive in Puno around 4pm and check into the hotel. Puno is much drier and industrial than I had imagined, but the lake is stunning. We eat out at a restaurant suggested by the hotel staff. I am excited to order gnocchi (my favorite!), while one of our group dives in to his cuy (guinea pig). The cuy comes deep fried, head on, with a look of utter pain and devastation on its face. I love meat, don't get me wrong, but I don't want to see the look on the face of the animal I eat while I eat it. Tomorrow, we're off to explore the Uros (floating) Islands of Lake Titicaca and go kayaking!