Lake Titicaca sits in the southwest corner of Peru and shares a border with Bolivia. At an elevation of about 3800m it is the highest, navigable lake in the world. That’s not all that’s unique about it though, the Aymara people inhabit 2 very different islands in this lake. The first, Uros, is a set of about 80 floating islands the people have made from reeds found in the lake. Literally, they pull the reeds from the lake bottom and tie them together to create a small island, usually enough for about 4-5 families to live. They use stakes to keep the islands relatively secure but they are still floating on the lake. The reeds are also used to make their homes, their beds, their boats, and their chairs – pretty much everything they need. It is quite a remarkable sight! When the reeds wear down, or get too wet, they simply add another layer of reeds. After 3-4 years, the reeds used to construct the island become to wet and old, and the island will sink. But before this happens, the families will build a new island for themselves. Amazing, isn’t it! What an incredible amount of work to keep a house! We visited a family who lived on one of these islands – a very simple existence. I think I’d go stir crazy living on such a small area. Interesting to think about the kids – their space to run around, play, climb, is very small. Such a different world…
The second island we visited, a permanent ‘rock’ in the lake, was Taquile Island. The people of this island have been recognized by UNESCO for the way in which they live so harmoniously together and off the land. They have 3 simple rules: 1. Don’t steal. 2. Don’t lie. 3. Don’t be lazy. There are no taxes on the island. They all work together to build their houses and farm the land. Most everything they eat is grown on the island; flour, salt, and oil being the only items they bring over from Puno, the city on the edge the lake. Another interesting characteristic is that the men on the island all knit, and they learn to do so from about the age of 6. They knit hats, scarves, and more, and all the islanders’ items are sold together in big area, with the family name attached to the item. When it is purchased, the amount is recorded for that family, and the money is used to send their kids to further education on the mainland (as the school on the island only goes to about age 12). The men on the island wear a different hat to depict their marital status and social status. If a man wears his hat with the long touque part hanging on the right, it means he is single. If it hangs off the back, it means he has a girlfriend. The color of the hat is different if he is married. Wouldn’t that make life easier! J These people work exceptionally hard, and most notable is the fact that the highest point on the island is 4000m, and these people walk up and down about 548 steps to get to the boats at the jetty to go fishing (and up again when they return with their catch!). We were huffing and puffing walking up and down the stairs – these people are incredible. What a day that was to see how 2 groups of people live so very differently from each other, and from us.
A lovely moment we will remember from the town of Puno at Lake Titicaca, along with the fabulous wood-fired oven pizzas we enjoyed every night at Mojsa Restaurant in the Plaza de Armes, occurred one afternoon as the girls were sitting on a bench in the plaza writing out some postcards. A local woman sidled up beside Lia and got out her knitting. Sharing a small bench, Lia wrote her postcards and the woman knit. Every now and again, the woman would glance over Lia’s shoulder as if to read what she was writing on the postcards. Lovely.
The second island we visited, a permanent ‘rock’ in the lake, was Taquile Island. The people of this island have been recognized by UNESCO for the way in which they live so harmoniously together and off the land. They have 3 simple rules: 1. Don’t steal. 2. Don’t lie. 3. Don’t be lazy. There are no taxes on the island. They all work together to build their houses and farm the land. Most everything they eat is grown on the island; flour, salt, and oil being the only items they bring over from Puno, the city on the edge the lake. Another interesting characteristic is that the men on the island all knit, and they learn to do so from about the age of 6. They knit hats, scarves, and more, and all the islanders’ items are sold together in big area, with the family name attached to the item. When it is purchased, the amount is recorded for that family, and the money is used to send their kids to further education on the mainland (as the school on the island only goes to about age 12). The men on the island wear a different hat to depict their marital status and social status. If a man wears his hat with the long touque part hanging on the right, it means he is single. If it hangs off the back, it means he has a girlfriend. The color of the hat is different if he is married. Wouldn’t that make life easier! J These people work exceptionally hard, and most notable is the fact that the highest point on the island is 4000m, and these people walk up and down about 548 steps to get to the boats at the jetty to go fishing (and up again when they return with their catch!). We were huffing and puffing walking up and down the stairs – these people are incredible. What a day that was to see how 2 groups of people live so very differently from each other, and from us.
A lovely moment we will remember from the town of Puno at Lake Titicaca, along with the fabulous wood-fired oven pizzas we enjoyed every night at Mojsa Restaurant in the Plaza de Armes, occurred one afternoon as the girls were sitting on a bench in the plaza writing out some postcards. A local woman sidled up beside Lia and got out her knitting. Sharing a small bench, Lia wrote her postcards and the woman knit. Every now and again, the woman would glance over Lia’s shoulder as if to read what she was writing on the postcards. Lovely.