Lake Titicaca

Today we took a motor boat from Puno to the Uros Islands of Lake Titicaca, man-made floating islands created from the tortora reeds that grow in the shallows of the lake.  The reeds are also used to construct boats, houses, swings, and parts of them are eaten.  There are about 85 of these islands, with up to eight families living on each of them.  The average life-span of an island is about 25 years.  Once the reeds begin to rot, the inhabitants collect more reeds and take about six months to construct a new island, then move their homes and belongings to it.  The islands float but are anchored by a rope tied to a long pole and weighted with a stone.  Gloria, the "President" of the first island we visited, explained in demonstrating the anchor:  "Otherwise we'd be in Bolivia and we don't have passports".  The islanders speak the Aymara language and also some Spanish.  Teachers from Puno come out to the two schools on the islands five days a week and the kids travel by boat to these schools. We were told that in Aymaran, "titi" means "puma" and "kaka" means gray, the color of volcanic stones.

Rowing Through the Reeds

Motoring Through the Reeds

Getting Ready to Land on the First Island

Stepping Cautiously on the Spongy Reeds

A Reed House on the Island.  Note the Solar Powered TV.

Gloria and Other Women Sang to Us  in Aymaran, French, andEnglish (Row, Row, Row Your Boat), Before Rowing Us in Their Reed Boat to the Next Island

Women Rowing a Reed Boat

Three Year Old Marco, Who Lives on the Island and Accompanied Us on the Boat

A Reed Fish, Symbolizing the Name of one of the Adjacent Islands

The Second Island Was More Touristy, with a Cafe, Kayaks for Rent, and Stalls Selling Souvenirs

Back to the Mainland