Strange Bedfellows

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Sunday in Puno and our first day off from trekking and sightseeing in two weeks. We’re in the Titilaka hotel which while super luxurious does have its faults such as the water going off when the pipe from the lake blocks up or odd barmen that ignore you when you stand in front of the bar.
That aside, we needed a day to relax. The altitude sickness is finally subsiding and after a few doses of oxygen normality is resuming.
The hotel only has 10 guests besides us out of a maximum of 25, so sitting in the lounge area you have an intensive people watching arena….
Poncho Man – is a French gentleman in his 60s like a painter or poirot style detective he owns a large number of multicoloured ponchos and hats none of which suit him, however he sachets around the lounge camply arranging himself and occasionally ooh-la-laing. He is accompanied by Poncho Woman – his wife? Sister? Husband? She no longer fits her skin which resembles embossed wallpaper. She only wears white ponchos.
The Giants – this is a very tall couple consisting of Christine a Canadian who does not look dissimilar to Celina Dion, and her husband Yves who is Swiss and sees himself as some kind of ironman, drinking red wine continuously whilst awake, swimming in Titicaca (not advised at zero degrees) and befriending Poncho Man.
The Winkstons – a gay couple who appear to have had surgery to make them look like identical twins, are they trying to look like University Challenge contestants or Austin Powers?
JR and Pam – an American couple,  Julio is XXXL in everything, Pam is only XXL. They tell us they’ve been living the last year in Madrid as Pam works for Royal Caribbean, this single fact has upgraded them to a corner room in the hotel. He orders a white wine whilst talking to us and the waiter brings a large stemmed beer glass which he fills using most of a bottle, after 10 minutes boasting to us the glass is empty.
The Dutch – a couple in their 60s wearing matching beige safari outfits. They have moved from Holland to Honduras, it was too dull a subject to enquire why?
The Russians – Vladimir and his two sons, he has brought them on an all male trip to make sure that they are macho boys and able to discuss sport, strangling bears, vodka and survival loudly anywhere.
Ok this adds up to thirteen but that is because over two days people come and go.
Mark, Titilaka, Peru, 22 January 2017
 
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