We bid farewell to our homestay family this morning, and headed back to the kayaks for another trip over Lake Titicaca. The water was considerably more choppy, which made the 9.5km much tougher! Still, the sun shone, and it was a beautiful way to experience the lake.
On the way back to Puno, we stopped at the floating islands ‘Uros’. For hundreds of years people have lived on these reed islands, sustained by fishing, and now tourism.
The base of the islands are made from the roots of the reeds. In the rainy season, the roots lift from the bottom and float, allowing the men to dive down, and cut big blocks to form the base of the islands. About 20 of these are lashed together with synthetic rope, anchored, and piles and piles of reeds are placed on top. The reeds are refreshed 1-2 times per month, and the islands last 20-25 years.
When a new island is built, the blocks from the old island are taken to the mainland and used as fertiliser by the potato farmers. The Islanders also barter dried fish and reeds to ensure a steady supply of potatoes.
About 4-5 families live on each island in tiny reed huts. They practice ‘Iyne’ (the reciprocity system) and support each other when a new island is required. There is an Elementary School on the islands, and older kids travel to Puno by boat each day to attend High School.
Each island also has a lookout – a remnant of when the Spanish came and tried to remove them from the islands to become slaves in Puno. The Uros people are traditionally quiet and shy, so frustrated the Spaniards.
There are only 4 native fish in the lake. There were originally 6, however the introduction of Kingfish and Trout meant that 2 species died out. The locals dry the fish, and the rehydrate it.
It’s a simple life… in the day the people knit and make craft items, and in the afternoon the men fish and the women search for duck, cormorant, and bird eggs. Cormorant blood is considered a cure for all ills, along with parts of the reed.
Back in Puno I headed up to the Condor lookout, hundreds of stairs above Puno. The view of the Lake, Islands, and Puno city was fantastic. Well worth another climb!
Love M & the Bunch x
Comments are closed