Feel like getting away from the cold? Here’s an excerpt from Traveler’s “Great Winter Escapes” guide in this month’s issue. We’re feeling warmer already. The Islands of Lake Titicaca, Peru & Bolivia Lake Titicaca’s floating reed islands appear in every schoolkid’s geography textbook, but the lesser known islands in the world’s highest navigable lake provide the real lessons. Take Isla del Sol –the birthplace of Inca cosmology–reached via a ferry from Copacabana, Bolivia. You can hike an ancient pilgrims’ trail that runs the length of the six-mile island, ending at Roca Sagrada, the sacred rock where the Inca sun leaped into darkness. Come nightfall, snuggle down under heavy wool blankets in one of the many small hotels run by Aymara descendants of the ancient Inca. On Isla Amantaní , you’ll stay with a host family, arranged at the island’s cooperative office at the pier in Puno, Peru. Ringed with Inca terraces and surrounded by searingly blue water, the island invites hiking with its groomed trails and fanciful stone arches. At sunset, climb to Pachamama, a hilltop temple dedicated to Mother Earth, to witness a fiery sunset, then return to your host family preparing dinner over a smoky fire (and hope it’s not going to be one of the guinea pigs skittering across the floor). A morning boat putters to Isla Taquile , whose residents sport boldly embroidered clothes. (UNESCO has declared their textile art a “Heritage of Humanity.” ) Men knit as they walk and women herd sheep while spinning wool on drop spindles, adhering to the three principles of this pre-Hispanic culture: ama sua, ama llulla, ama qhella: do not lie, do not steal, do not be idle. If idleness is more what you had in mind, head to Isla Suasi, a private island with a solar-powered eco-lodge, yet offering luxury perks, such as an Andean sauna and regional gourmet dining. The High: Take a two-day hike around Isla Taquile with a native guide: pre-Inca ruins, ancient terraces, a village home-stay. The Low: The 12,500-foot altitude means a one-day headache for most

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