THE ECONOMY - Mineral rich mountains and coastal areas brimming with sea-life; mining and fishing; agriculture and tourism, dominate and account for most of the country's employment. Mining supplies half of export earnings - copper, zinc, mercury, and Peru is the world's fifth largest gold producer. After China, it's the world's second largest fishing nation. Peru is the home to 84 of the earth's 114 life zones; 10 % of the world's mammals; 20% of birds; 25,000 species of plants of which 30% are found only in Peru. 
POLITICS - The President, who is head of both the state and the government, is elected for a 5 year term and cannot be re-elected consecutively. The government is divided into 3 branches: The Executive, comprising a Council of Ministers appointed by the president, the Congress which consists of 120 representatives, and the Judiciary, Peru is divided into 24 different regions. 
The left leaning Alianza Popular Revolucionaria Americana (APRA) - oldest established in 1924. In 2001 , Alejandro Toledo, a shoeshine-boy-turned Stanford-educated economist, became the first indeginous Quechua President.
We were near the central campaign area of the Puno region - Acora. 
I went to Mass on Sunday, and found myself in the middle of the campaign area for the regional electorate.
The candidates are all promising that all of the horrible hotels that are being scattered along the shores of the lake will have proper sewage. Right now, all of the sewage dumps into the lake. 
There is much corruption and drug trafficing in Peru, much like Bolivia. The coca leaf is grown throughout the fertile regions and cocaine is the easiest by product of the leaf to extract.
We travelled not far from the hotel, and visited a small farm. The ladies are in charge of working the fields, weaving to sell in the local marakets, and taking care of the children. Potatoes, quinoa, corn and wheat were typical products of the area around the lake.
Mi amigo Armando
AYMARA ROUTE
Famous culpas (circular burial towers) some of which are 39 feet high. 
The Aymara's who dominated the area before the Incas, buried their leaders in towers that are wider at the top than at the base. 
Were the towers built to show off their dexterity with stone, to deter tomb-raiders or simply to honor their dead nobility. The inside of the tombs are said to be shaped like a woman's womb with the corpses mummified in a fetal position.
Some tombs have carvings of lizards,a symbol of life due to their ability to regrow their tails. 
The gate to the "hereafter".
The gate to the "hereafter".IGLESIA SANTIAGO APOSTOL DE POMATA
The Dominican church surveys both town and lake from its hilltop postion. 
Build in pink granite, it is known for its intricate sandstone facade, fusing indigenous symbols with Baroque. It is one of southern Peru's most beautiful churches. Inside the windows made from huamanga stone, a towering gold leaf altar adorned with coiled columns, and Cuzco school paintings. 
ISLAS UROS
The Uros developed their unique floating islands centuries ago to escape hostile cultures on the mainland. They consider themselves to be "the oldest people on the earth". 
Legend claims they existed before the sun, and could not drown or be struck down by lightning. 
Mixing with the Aymara's lost them their super-being status.
The largest of the floating islands is estimated to be 160 years old,
housing a meeting hall and a school. The islanders use the tortora (a reed like papyrus) for food and firewood-fires are carefully build on a layer of stone- as well as to make their boatas, houses and handicrafts. 
Hangover cure...or cause?Most islanders earn a living from tourism - from their weaving and barter from the market.
Hangover cure...or cause?
ISLA TAQUILLE
Some 450 
Quechua - speaking families (2500 people) live here following the Inca creed of Ama suwa, Ama quella, Ama llulav (do not steal, do not be idle, do not lie). 
There is not police force - a reflection on their belief in honesty - and problems are solved by elected community leaders at the Sunday meetings.
The people wear colorful handwoven clothes, red knitted caps distinguish married men from bachelors who don red and white. 
Single ladies wear multicolored pompoms, while married women wear bright red ones on their heavy , layered skirts. Women weave their shorn hair in braids from men to wear during the year of courting before the wedding ceremony. 
They carry all of their belongings up 545 steep steps from the jetty to the hilltop village.
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