About 90 minutes into our boat ride we reached the floating islands of Uros. These are man-made islands made of the tortura reeds that grow in the lake. The reeds are edible and are high in iodine and calcium as well. They are peeled like a banana and the flesh inside is eaten. We all tried some; they tasted like a fibrous lettuce. The houses and boats used by the islanders are also made with the reeds.
There were 23 people living on this particular island and there are 60 floating islands in all. It takes over a year to build an island and it lasts about 24 years. It is possible to move the island as well. The islanders live here all year round and don't just make appearances for tourists. They barter dried fish in Puno with other foods to supplement their diet. Each island has a leader who is democratically elected and the leader of this island gave a really interesting demonstration to show how the island is built.
We also found out that the kids on the island went to school every day which was a 90 minute boat ride each way to Puno. I'm really impressed with the emphasis that Peruvians, even those practicing traditional lifestyles, place on their children's education. Primary and secondary eduction is free but the problem arises at the university level which is too expensive for most of them to afford and the better jobs all require a university education.
After the demonstration we took a ride on one of the reed boats and it was a pleasant and tranquil way to enjoy the lake. Before leaving the island we stopped to purchase some souvenirs that the islanders had made for sale to tourists. The tourism trade was obviously one of the main means of supplementing their income.
Our next stop was another hour boat ride away - the island of Taquile. There are 36 natural islands on the lake and Taquile is one of them. As we approached the island, the first thing we noticed were the agricultural terraces that date back to pre-Inca times. The Incas are actually supposed to have originated from Lake Titicaca . The Taquile islanders are known for their high quality textiles and weaving garments. Allan explained the significance of the different colored garments that both women and men wore which indicated their marital status.
We walked up to the main plaza on the island where we had lunch at a restaurant and then stopped to look at the textiles and woven garments. Families, expect to see some of those in the form of presents : ) We the walked back to the boat to leave for our final destination - Amantani island which was about an hour away.
When we arrived at Amantani, we were split into two groups as the families couldn't accommodate such a large group. Each of us had our host mother and father waiting for us at the dock. We were told to call them Mama and Papa. When we got to our family's house we we were shown to our rooms which were simple but cozy. The houses were made mostly with bricks and mortar, sometimes concrete. Ours had a little courtyard around which most of the rooms were built and it was two stories high.
We didn't really have time to rest, since as soon as we got there it was time to climb to the top of the island to see the temple and watch the sunset. A couple of us were feeling the effects of altitude sickness and decided to rest instead, but most of the group walked up to the top
and took part in a ceremony where you carry a stone and walk around the temple making a wish, then put the stone into the wall for your wish to come true.
After returning from the temple it was time for dinner, which the Mama cooked. Although the islanders speak mainly Qechua and Aymara, our family spoke some Spanish and we were able to converse quite a bit, thanks to Kathleen who was our main interpreter. We found out that Mama and Papa had four children, their daughter had graduated from high school and was living with them, one son lives and works in Puno and was married and another son was a student in Puno. It was interesting to see that some of the kids had chosen to stay on in Puno; earlier we had wondered how many people came back to the traditional life of the islands after being exposed to the modern economy in Puno. Allan told us that the population in the islands was growing even though many people now practiced contraception. We also saw other evidence of technology being used such as mobile phones and the use of solar panels, even though there was no electricity or running water available.
After dinner we were dressed in traditional clothes - heavy skirts, waistbands and shawls for the girls while the boys had ponchos. Our skirts and waistbands were cinched so tightly we could hardly breathe and felt like Scarlett O' Hara in Gone With the Wind. We then
walked to the plaza where everyone had gathered for dancing and learned the traditional dance of the islanders. A couple of students, especially Sydney and Connor, absolutely loved the dancing and joined in every one.
After the dance was over, it was time
to go back to our house and we gratefully sank into our beds and called it a night. An eventful day, full of new and different experiences.
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