10:22 pm and I'm sprawled out on the bed in the el tambo ll hotel in the mirflores section of Lima.  Achey,  tired and happy to finally be still & quiet.  Got CNN, in English yet, on and am half listening, and writing this and wanting to not fall behind on doing the blog 'cause I fear I'd never catch up.  This morning after 6am I got the picture I wanted of one of the freighter-passenger ships that traversed Lake Titicaca's various ports, but primarily the route between Puno, Peru and a port in Boliva far to the south shore of the

lake.  These ships are the reason this lake got the title of worlds highest navagible lake.  Lake's about 12,600 feet above sea level, and one island, Tiquili (spelling?)  after you climb up to the plaza level of the town on top of a huge hill or not so small mountain, you are breathing air just a smiggon below 13,000 feet above sea level; see the pictures of the torcherous struggle up that hill/mountain.  Believe me, it is a struggle, for not only old farts, but I kept up with and passed a bunch of twenty-somethings, all of us in various stages of walking up, hanging on the rock-boulder fencing and panting--every one of us panted; not racing just trying to finally making it up for lunch--and boy was it worth it.  Home made, grains soup with great spices and small chopped vegatables, fresh grilled trout, caught that morning I bet, it was so fresh & delicious, a few each of varous fresh vegies, and one of the best salsas I've ever had, it wasn't just the fresh tomatoes and onions...it was the spices: vinegar & .... tasted great on the freshly baked breads.  The freighters are all retired because both Peru & Boliva have built and connected their roads together, make the same trip one fourth of the time by road.  So I've seen two three other freighters docked in Puno port, and at a ship slip two blocks to the left of 'my' hotel.  Our speed boat is taking about two+ hours from the island back to our port in Puno, Peru.  I walked from the port to the main square, then seeing a fair part of the town, hailed a cab to last night's hotel and spent quite a while writing the blog and eating dinner in the hotels restaurant.  The guide the previous day had suggested the walk from the port to the square, but had cautioned that when hailing a cab get the price fixed before getting in, and they will say the fare is twenty sols, but don't pay more than seven sols.  So when I exhaustedly raised my arm and a cab swerved over to the curb, I asked the price showing him the back of my room key card listing the hotel and it's address, he said, twenty sols, I said no, my tourista said seven showing seven fingers, he grunted & said ok.  It worked!