I’d always wanted to stroll the cobblestoned streets of Cusco and marvel at the mystery that is Machu Picchu. Yet somehow, Lake Titicaca had evaded my bucket list, until I was there, experiencing its remote beauty in person. It is a place forgotten by time, where ancient traditions and local heritage are preserved and celebrated.
Impossibly high up in the Andean mountains, Lake Titicaca sits at a—literally—breathtaking altitude of 3,810 m (12,500 ft) and is the world’s highest navigable lake. It is also the largest lake on the South American continent. In the local Aymara language, titi means puma and caca means grey or stone-coloured and this ancient puma-shaped lake is believed to be the original birthplace of the Incas.
That particular morning, the vast lake sparkled like a shiny new sapphire as we clambered aboard a small motorboat and settled into its gloriously sunny cabin. Unfolding a map to disclose the day’s route, local guide Jhospani warned us about altitude sickness, diverting our attention to the just-in-case oxygen tank in the corner.