One of the most popular excursions from Puno is to the Uros floating islands in Lake Titicaca. The day began rather inauspiciously for a boat ride on the world’s highest (12,500′) navigable lake–dull, dreary, and chilly.
Motoring Through the Reeds of Lake Titicaca
The Uros people have been living on their man-made totora reed islands since the time of the Colla. Over the centuries they have perfected their ability to fashion reeds into just about anything they need, from a place to build their homes to their homes, tools, clothes, and transportation. In the past, fishing was their primary means of support. Since reeds decompose over time, they must constantly replace the reeds or start again.
The islands vary in size from just a few households to small villages.
Each boat tour operator has one or more villages that it works with to provide a Living Tourism experience. The difference between the Uros and the villagers of Atuncolla is that the Uros have been at it much longer. Now tourism is their primary means of earning a living, which has its good and bad aspects.
One or two villagers stand watch on the tall platforms to signal the arrival of their tour boat. Everyone then gathers to greet their visitors.
Visitors are escorted singly or in small groups to one of the homes where we sit on a rolled up reed mat which when unrolled provides a sleeping surface. The owner explains how they peel the reeds so they can eat the inner core and how they use the reeds to build and maintain their islands and homes. In the home I visited, there was a small wooden shelf with a tiny TV/radio as well as a single halogen ceiling bulb. They were powered by a single solar roof panel provided by the government during Fujimori’s presidency. Until then, there was no electricity on the islands.
Some of the brightly covered clothes hanging on the walls are used to dress up their visitors. Ignore me and check out the solar panel and how the building is constructed.
In the following photo, you can see how they bundle the reeds for drying. Walking across the reeds is similar to walking on a firm waterbed.
The homes are used mainly for sleeping. Most work takes place outdoors or in the open shed. Food is cooked on outdoor “stoves.”
The Uros also use their reed-weaving capabilities to create products for tourists to buy. One of the little mobiles came home with me to be used as a Christmas tree ornament.
When everyone had finished their shopping, we boarded a reed boat that was rowed over to a neighboring island. As we pulled away from the dock, the villagers lined up again to sing us a farewell song.
