Day 10 (18-Dec-15) Lake Titicaca

When we first started to plan this latest adventure 18 months ago we were unsure whether to include an excursion to Lake Titicaca. This is because many of the reviews we researched were very negative. We were thus unsure what to expect ahead of today’s trip on to the lake. Now sitting back in the hotel reflecting on the day’s visits it beggars belief that anyone could have a negative view of the spectacular panoramas that materialise as you travel across the lake, or the various friendly, colourful and very proud indigenous communities that inhabit the many islands on the lake, including floating ones.

The day started at 06:30hrs with pickup at the hotel for the short transfer to the marina. We then boarded a speed boat for an 8-hr excursion to the Islas Uros and Isla Taquile. These islands are world famous for their peaceful traditions and agrarian culture, which date to pre-Colombian times. A visit to these islands should be considered a privilege as far as I’m concerned. Just 7km east of Puno, the Islas Uros are a marvel, as much for their unique foundation, as for Uros people way of life. These islands are man-made, environmentally friendly, and created entirely from natural resources sourced locally from the lake, in a sustainable manner; a model which our own society should consider adopting. These marvels of civil engineering also float on the lake surface, a feat made possible by using buoyant totora reeds that grow abundantly in the shallows of the lake. They foundations are created from the roots, which are cut into blocks about one foot per side. Stakes are then driven into each block, and multiple blocks are then tied together by looping rope around the stakes. Three staggered layers are assembled in this manner to form a floating foundation, which owes it buoyancy to methane gas that is slowly outgassed through biogenesis. Reeds are then cut and dried and laid down to create a thick soft mat on top of the foundation, which are constantly replenished from the top as they rot from the bottom. Each island sustains a single extended family, with the entire Uros nation spread across +/- 80 islands, each of which can last 25-30 years before having to be abandoned. Partially edible also, the reeds are used to construct homes on the islands, with many now equipped with electricity from solar panels. 

 

The Eros people all speak Aymara, which along with Quechua, are the only two remaining native languages in existence. They began their unusual floating existence centuries ago in an effort to isolate themselves from the aggressive Collas and Inca nations. As the (many) photos attest, their clothes are very distinctive and imbued with vivid colours. They are also a very insular people, fiercely protective of their customs and traditions, and yet very open and friendly. While their society is not sophisticated they are nonetheless entirely self-sufficient; which is not the case for the very great majority of people in the Western World. The highlight of the trip to the Uros island was Astrid being invited to don typical women garb.

Amazed by the experience, we then headed out to Isla Taquile, a further 33km into the lake Titicaca, which is 50km wide and extends over 150km in length, and at 3809m, is the highest navigable lake in the world. Inhabited for thousands of years, Isla Taquile is a tiny 7-sq-km island with a population of about 2200 people, and is covered with terraces first constructed by the Inca. Unlike terrace systems in the Far East, which are designed to contend with high rainfall, the terraces designed by the Inca contend with the arid conditions that dominate the Altiplano, using igneous methods to trap and retain moisture. A hike to the top of this island at 4150m affords superb views of the deep ochre-coloured soil filled terraces, the intense blue of the lake and the glistening backdrop of snow-covered Cordillera Blanco on the far side of the lake. The Quechua speaking inhabitants are distinct from most of the surrounding Aymara-speaking island communities and maintain a very strong sense of group identity. They rarely marry non-Taquile people; indeed, those that do are not allowed to return to the island. Taquile has a fascinating tradition of handicrafts, which are made in accordance with a strict code that indicates your marital status, position within the community and age, with tightly woven textiles (25 stitches per inch) made using the same the same type of wooden looms used during Inca times. Women wear eye-catching outfits comprising multi-layered skirts (six during visits to Puno) and delicately embroidered blouses. Men also knit garments, including their hats and decorative waistbands, using Alpaca wool. The textiles made by the people of Taquile are considered to be amongst the best in Peru.

 

During our stay on the island we were shown how they use a local plant to make a natural detergent, which they use to clean the wool, and were shown how the weave their textiles using the wooden looms. We also sat through a number of local dances and songs, with Simon even enticed to take part. This gave him the opportunity to demonstrate his unique interpretation of the ‘Funky Chicken’, infused with spasmodic movements from ‘Menajito’, and interjected with moments of rap ‘Gangham Style’. His 2 minutes on the dance floor have left dozens of poor Taquile women in need of foot transplants and underwhelming impressions of white 50-something Caucasians convinced of their dancing prowess. Thereafter, Simon was given a very wide berth, with women seen fleeing from the streets, skirts flailing.

Like the encounter with the Uros people, we were truly delighted with the visit to Taquile island, and was left even more bemused by the disparaging comments of previous visitors. However, the return journey to Puna was a misery, as by then my stomach had taken a turn for the worse, and cramping badly. Suffice to say the rest of the day and night was spent curled up in the foetal position within 5 feet of the toilet. Not a great way to prepare for Astrid’s 50th birthday………