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floating reed islands of the Uros Indians- Lake Titicaca
After recovering physically from the Inca Trail and mentally making peace with the fact our trip to one of the seven wonders of the world is over, it’s on to Puno and Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world. Lake Titicaca is 8000km long by 200km wide and, as we crawl over the crest of the hill behind Puno on first sight it’s more a vast ocean than a lake. Our seven hour bus journey here took us through more low lying Andean scenery, relatively unpopulated plains of barren land. We are however only 200km from the beginnings of the jungle and not far, in the other direction, from the stiflingly hot deserts. Lake Titicaca was formed when the tectonic plates which made the volcanic Andes rose up and the ensuing sea water filled the troughs they created. The water has now turned fresh since the salts and minerals it once held were washed down with the force of many in-flowing rivers and now the remnants form the famous Bolivian salt flats. Lake Titicaca takes it’s name from Titi in Quechua meaning puma, and caca meaning rock. There are many Quechua legends surrounding the lake and its native island peoples and one was that there was a huge battle between the pumas from the hills and the native tribes which, in the end, forced the people to settle on the islands for safety.
We visit the Uros Indians who dwell on floating islands made purely of Torturo reeds. I have never seen anything like it. They have lived for centuries on these islands which they construct from the root system of the reeds bound together with rope and layers upon layers of reeds are placed on top to form a spongy floating platform. An island has a lifespan of only 15 years before it begins to disintegrate and the inhabitants have to set about constructing a new one. Their reed cabins can be transferred to the new island easily as they are constructed atop reed rafts. Everything needed for survival is on the island, the men fish and the women prepare the food in small stoves. They journey to the main land on their traditional reed boats to trade fish with the locals for other produce not available to them- maize, corn, potatoes, rice. We are told that, due to genetic problems arising owing to significant interbreeding within the Uros Indian population (of which there are 1,300 across 36 islands) many of the younger generation opt to find partners on the mainland, either choosing to stay or return to island life.
It is fascinating but we must leave to sail to Amarantani Island to meet our homestay families.
We visit the Uros Indians who dwell on floating islands made purely of Torturo reeds. I have never seen anything like it. They have lived for centuries on these islands which they construct from the root system of the reeds bound together with rope and layers upon layers of reeds are placed on top to form a spongy floating platform. An island has a lifespan of only 15 years before it begins to disintegrate and the inhabitants have to set about constructing a new one. Their reed cabins can be transferred to the new island easily as they are constructed atop reed rafts. Everything needed for survival is on the island, the men fish and the women prepare the food in small stoves. They journey to the main land on their traditional reed boats to trade fish with the locals for other produce not available to them- maize, corn, potatoes, rice. We are told that, due to genetic problems arising owing to significant interbreeding within the Uros Indian population (of which there are 1,300 across 36 islands) many of the younger generation opt to find partners on the mainland, either choosing to stay or return to island life.
It is fascinating but we must leave to sail to Amarantani Island to meet our homestay families.
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I miss you xxx
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