Culture Abounds on Lake Titicaca
I’m baaaaaaaack! Thanks for all the well wishes the past week. Sickness was inevitable, but I didn’t think it would strike so suddenly. Let’s just say I will be much more careful when eating…no more buffets!
After our journey to Machu Pichhu, Greg and I boarded a bus early the next day to Puno, Peru. There isn’t much in Puno, but it is the launching point for adventures on Lake Titicaca. This lake interested us because it is the highest navigable lake in the world at 12,500 ft above sea level (and it has a hilarious name). It is located on the Peru/Bolivia border. It also contains 41 different islands making it feel and look more like an ocean. To give you an idea of Lake Titicaca’s size, here is a comparison to some familiar lakes (one acre-foot is the amount of water needed to cover one acre to a depth of one foot):
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Lake Michigan -Â 3,987,456,000 acre-feet
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Lake Titicaca -Â 723,148,586 acre-feet
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Lake Wilson (Kansas) -Â 235,000 acre-feet
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Lake Monroe (Indiana)Â -Â 182,250 acre-feet
Having arrived in Puno, we made plans for a 2 day / 1 night excursion on Lake Titicaca. I was still on a “wrapper food†diet and wasn’t feeling great the day of our scheduled departure. So we decided to take a day to relax before venturing out to the lake. Fully rested, we boarded a sleepy boat at 8am full of tourists from France and Spain. Our first stop were the much anticipated islands of Uros.
  
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 There are 42 of these tiny artificial islands, only five prior to tourism. The inhabitants live on these islands made of ½ reeds and ½ their roots found in the shallow areas of Lake Titicaca, adding reeds as necessary. The original purpose of the islands was that of defense. They would move their floating homes whenever they felt a threat arise. 
The people live, sleep, and cook in small reed huts about the size of a dorm room. By day, the men fish and gather reeds while the women cook, weave, and tend to the family. The islands are also self sustaining. They have a school through Junior High, barter with land dwelling people for grains, and drink potable water straight from frigid Lake Titicaca.
After Uros it was a two hour boat ride to Amantani, a volcanic island. Though not as impressive compared to Uros, we were able to closely interact with the local people. We were introduced to our host, Wecelia, then ushered to her family’s home for a unique lunch of lightly fried minnows, potatoes, and vegetables. Upon seeing the minnows, my stomach immediately churned while Greg gladly, then regretfully tried one. Our room for the night was made from mud-bricks and the door was miniature, only coming up to Greg’s chest. Nevertheless, we were thrilled for the opportunity to live like a local for one day.
 
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We hiked one hour to the pinnacle of Amantani then made our way back down just in time for dinner. Lacking electricity, we ate our dinner of fried potatoes and rice by candle light. We sipped some warm coca tea, then Wecelia and her husband dressed us in their traditional clothes so we could attend the native fiesta. With a flashlight guiding our way, we made our way through town just in time for the fiesta to begin. 
According to Greg, it is the most sober fun one can have in a concrete bunker. For about 2 hours, the locals and tourists alike danced to authentic Peruvian music. Greg said it reminded him of the Wedding March my Miller family likes to perform at weddings… Miller’s, hopefully this frames the evening for you! After the fiesta, we made our way back to our little mud-brick room for the evening.
After an early morning breakfast we boarded the boat en route to another volcanic island, Taquile. In this case, Juan Carlos (guide) did not save the best for last. It had beautiful scenery similar to the previous islands, but lacked something unique. I was still not feeling 100%, so I was anxious to get back to Puno and a nice warm bed.
How the people lived on Lake Titicaca reminded me of the simple things we take for granted. Showers, lightswitches, flushing toilets, baking oven – none of these appeared in Wecelia’s humble abode. Though they must be doing something right… life expectancy on Lake Titicaca is rumored to be over 90 years old!
- Ash
Tips
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Visit 2 or 3 travel agencies before booking a group tour. Every agency offers similar excursions, so find one that will negotiate with you. Price, included meals, and lodging are all fair game for haggling.
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Multilingual guides can get scatterbrained and forget to translate important pieces of info. Before partaking in activities on any tour, make sure it is included, and if not, find out the cost. We took a 10 minutes boat ride around Uros we thought was included and $7 later we learned our lesson!
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Two vagabonds wandering the globe in search of unique cultures, people, cuisine, and experiences. Greg (frugal & determined) and Ash (playful & keen).
