Lake Titicaca

We are always grateful when we get to learn about the culture and people of the places we visit while travelling. On Lake Titicaca, we got to do just that. We boarded our boat early in the morning in Puno city. We were lucky to have great weather, and the women were waiting to greet us when we arrived at the Uros Islands. We were welcomed onto the small floating island by the president. Five families lived on this small section of the floating village. Only the mothers and children are on the islands during the day, as the men are working, harvesting more totora reeds to keep the islands afloat. We learned how the islands were built and required monthly maintenance to prevent them from sinking into the lake. I think our island was ready for a refurb as we all had soakers! The houses are lifted, and new layers of totora reeds are added to the foundation, which is 6 inches higher than the island’s surface every month or so. We were welcomed into the modest one-room home where the family of five lived. They had solar energy, generators and cooked over the fire in the kitchen hut. They had cell phones, radios and even a small TV. The Uros people rely on fish and birds for their meals, and they also eat the tender stalks of the reeds on which their livelihood sits. The totora reeds are peeled like a banana and are a source of calcium, magnesium and other macro nutrients. At different times of the year, the taste varies from sweet to salty. We thought it tasted like celery. While we were enjoying a little snack, a little wet, white, furry dog snuggled up against Sharon and me. Just like the people, he too was very affectionate. Now, not only did we have wet feet, but our pant legs were also damp!

The families on the island share resources with those on neighbouring islands, particularly when it comes to tourism funds. Tourism, along with fishing and bird hunting, are the main source of income for the Uros people. There are small island hotels where guests can stay overnight, and visitors are encouraged to take a ride in the traditional reed boats called balsas. Life is not easy on the floating islands for this Indigenous group, yet the people are steadfast in their traditions, happy and welcoming. The older children help to care for their younger siblings and are taught that they must work and contribute to the family home. We enjoyed watching the little rolly polly youngest child on our island, and Sharon couldn’t help herself but snatched her up for a cuddle. She was so happy, and you could see the joy in her interactions with her older brother and sister, who entertained us by singing during our boat ride. We were starting to see a real theme in the Uros Islands, as when the mom took back the little baby, Sharon was left with a wet lap. Sadly, we also learned that many young children drown in the cool waters, as they don’t learn to swim until the age of 5.

We left a little bit of hearts behind in Uros and boarded the boat with souvenirs in hand to head to the island of Taquile. Two Indigenous groups in Peru inhabit the mainland and coastlines, the Aymara and Quechua. On Taquile, we learned about the Aymara people who have a history from before the Incan Empire. The Aymara people rely on textiles and agriculture for their livelihood. We learned about the family makeup and the customs and traditions surrounding marriage, which was so interesting. The women are the weavers, and the men are the knitters. When a man is ready to choose a wife, he must first knit a hat. The hat is presented to the female prospect and is tested to see if it holds water. If the weave is tight enough to hold water, it suggests that the man is a diligent, meticulous, hard worker and will be a good choice for a spouse. Little Mark was grateful that he had attracted Sharon with his strapping good looks and charismatic personality, as he figured his hat would resemble something more in line with Swiss cheese! The hats are worn in different ways to suggest whether they are children, seeking a spouse, or married. By flipping the Pom-Pom and the top of the toque-like hat to the left, they indicate they are actively seeking a partner. If signals were only that easy in Canada. Children are also presented with knitted hats which indicate their gender by colour. There are also different hats to represent the social class of the Aymara people.

A couple of versions of the hats.

When the women are ready to choose marriage, they must weave a belt to present to their future husband. The belt consists of two components. One is woven from their own hair (yes, you read that right, their own human hair), and the hair of an alpaca, which they use to create a black and white striped pattern. The other portion is a woven textile that is colourful with intricate patterns. When the young women are looking for a spouse, they dress in bold, bright colours, and instead of hats, it is their blouses or shawls that indicate their marital status. The size and number of the pom-poms on their shawls all have different meanings. Neither party may enter into marriage until they have knitted their hat or woven their belt, which often takes months and months of meticulous work.

The black and white is the matrimonial belt made of human hair, and the beautiful textile weaving.

Agriculture flourishes on the steep slopes with terraces, which are hand-built. There are no cars on the island, nor are there working animals; everything has been built by hand. We trekked up the steep slopes, taking in the scenery while managing the altitude gains. It took us an hour to reach our lunch location. Sweaty, thirsty and out of breath, we were all ready for a break! During lunch, we learned how rainbow trout had been introduced and had taken over the smaller fish that inhabited the lake. Quinoa is also a staple ingredient in the Aymara people's diet. We had a delicious quinoa soup that was loaded with vegetables grown on the island. We also saw many sheep on the island whose fur was turned into yarn. We watched a demonstration where a plant is ground and used as a detergent to clean the wool. It is also known to increase hair growth for women when used as a shampoo, so that they may harvest enough of their own hair to weave their matrimonial belt. Sharon and I were thankful that this tradition did not exist in our cultures, as our fine, thin hair would never be able to attract a husband! We tried a sample, and all laughed as Mark rubbed it on the top of his head after our guide promised us that we would all have long, luxurious hair within a month… So stay tuned!

Quinoa soup, and no picture of the trout meal... I had an omelette instead!

After lunch, we were treated to a show, and I learned one of the traditional dances! We got so busy chatting with the people and looking at all the different textiles that we didn’t realize our group had left. We started running down the steep slopes of the island. About ½ way down, Mark thought we were going the wrong way. All of us panicked as there was no way we were going to climb back up to find an alternate route. Trailing at the end, I called out to the others to save themselves! I would just have to resign myself to living amongst the Aymara people. Oh boy, I don’t really like fish, and I certainly don’t have long, luscious locks of hair. I guess I would be relying on that shampoo to work its miracles and fast.

No pictures of the route down! We were too busy running. 

Thankfully, we all made it to the boat on time, and nobody was left behind. It was an incredible day on Lake Titicaca learning about the people, their lives and unique cultures, but we were also grateful to return to our warm showers and DRY, cozy beds.