From Puno I took an excursion to the village of Atuncolla where 14 families have organized themselves into an Association for Living Tourism called LOS QOLLAS SILLUSTANI, ASTURIS. Atuncolla is near Lago Umayo. According to their website, the inhabitants are descendants of the Qollas which controlled this area from 1400 BC until 1200 AD. Scholars have concluded that Hatuncolla itself dates from the Incas and that “If the Qolla kings did have a seat of government before the time of Inca control, the best candidate for this seat is the peninsula of Sillustani, on terraces facing the lagoon.” (See “The Squier Causeway at Lake Umayo” and other works by Catherine Julien.)
Puno and Environs
At the lake, a local fisherman named Leandro rowed my Ancient Summit guide Jose and I over to Umayo Island and then on to Sillustani. After walking around the “cemetery”, our van picked us up and drove us to Julio’s home, where he fixed us a gourmet lunch. In this post, I’ll talk about the boat ride.
Umayo Island in Lago Umayo
Note the trees in the foreground and the fact that no others can be seen along the shoreline. These are eucalyptus trees, and they are the only tall trees I saw in Peru outside of the jungle. According to Jeffrey Luzar, the Australian tree was introduced on a small scale about 100 years ago, but “it did not become a prominent feature of the landscape until the middle of the 20th century.”
Down to the boat!
A very large grove of Eucalyptus
Interestingly, Leandro stood up to row us around the lake.
Leandro Rowing on Lago Umayo
Puna Teal
Black-crowned Night-Heron
We also saw numerous Andean Coots, along with several grebes, speckled teal, and gulls.
Umayo Island is not generally open to visitors, and only a caretaker lives on it.
Caretaker's home on Umayo Island
In need of a drink
I was also surprised, given the island’s flat-topped profile, to find clear evidence of faulting.
Umayo Island Upheaval