Today we flew from Lima to Juliaca, where our driver picked us up and drove us about an hour to Puno, the ferry port town to Lake Titicaca. The altitude here is around 12,000 feet, the highest I have ever been, but I counted on my yoga training to make me okay, since I rarely get altitude sickness anymore. From Puno, we got picked up by a private little motorboat for our stay on Isla Quantati Uros.
Lake Titicaca
Our boat ride from Puno to Isla Uros. This shallow part of the lake is full of tortora reeds.
Isla Uros are the man-made floating islands that are in the shallow part of Lake Titicaca. The depth is only about 1 meter, and these shallows are filled with tortora reeds from which these floating islands are constructed. Our host family on gave us a demonstration on how they are made; first they cut blocks of the roots of the tortora reeds about 2 feet deep and 4 feet square, then they lash several of them together using stakes in each block and rope wrapped around the stakes, then all this is covered in a deep layer of tortora reeds, and houses, etc are constructed on top! The islands have to be anchored into the bottom of the lake to keep them stationary, otherwise the wind would blow them around.
A view of Uros Quantati from its mirador.
Each of the many floating islands houses about 5-6 families, and our host family was headed by Cristina Suaña. Her island is Quantati Uros, and EVERYTHING on the island is constructed from the tortora reeds: the dining room where we all ate, the little cabanas where we slept, decorative archways, a row boat, a swing set and the mirador (lookout tower) where we could get a good look at other islands. Though the mirador was a nice view, its original purpose was visual communication between the islands before the days of cell phones. Cristina spoke only Spanish and the native language Aymara, and she told us that the tortora reeds used as walls and roofs of the cabanas has to be replaced every THREE MONTHS!!
Cristina (our host on Isla Quantati) and some of her family.
Uros Quantati - I have no idea what that thing in front is, but it is just one of the many things constructed from tortora reeds on the island... The back building with windows is the dining room.
Cristina had all kinds of activities planned for the tourists who stay with her. After feeding us a delicious lunch of trout and quinoa with vegetables, complete with traditional coca tea, she brought out traditional outfits for us to wear and took a bunch of pictures of us with the cabanas. I think she had as much fun with it as we did. :) She also took a picture of us in the boat, and then her husband rowed us out into the tortora reeds to set a fishing net. This fishing net was 100 meters long! He tied one end to some tortora reeds, then kept stringing it out along the outskirts of some reeds. The net would be left overnight and picked up early in the morning. Her husband also demonstrated how to cut the tortora reeds for replenishing the island.
Gavin and I in traditional garb in front of our cabana.
Gavin and I in traditional garb, preparing to go fishing in a boat made of tortora reeds.
Cristina's husband shows us how to fish in Lake Titicaca.
After fishing, Cristina's husband gave us a demonstration on how the islands are constructed, completely with props. It was really interesting (my description above came from his "lecture."). Then Cristina brought out the "mercado de Cristina," where she sold goods that she had made herself. She had some amazing woven tapestries, definitely not our decorative style, but we bought one anyway to make her happy, since she was such a wonderful host! She told us it wook her two and a half months to weave it! Since we bought a larger one, she gave me a bracelet as a gift.
We had a bit of time before dinner was served, so we sat outside wrapped up in blankets - it was getting COLD! Despite my down coat and wool scarf, I still wrapped myself up until only my eyes were showing. :) I had started to feel a little headachy during the fishing trip, and while we were sitting I suddenly had to go vomit - I guess altitude sickness had caught up with me... Then we were served dinner, delicious chicken, potatoes and vegetables. As soon as the plate was set in front of me, I had to run around Cristina to go vomit again! Despite this, I ate the meal I was served since I was hungry. I figured after eating and drinking I would feel better.
Freezing my a$$ off on Uros Quantati. :)
After dinner, Cristina, her daughter and 2 year old granddaughter sang traditional songs for us, and then asked us to sing songs in our own language. After vomiting, it was pretty much impossible for me to sing and Gavin has very little sense of pitch, but we did our best tuneless rendition of My Country Tis of Thee. :) The French couple also staying with Cristina sang Frerre Jaques after my encouragement. :) Cristina and her cohorts also sang some songs in both French and English that tourists had taught them (Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Allouhuette, and even La Bamba!) and encouraged us to sing along. Unfortunately, I had to interrupt the singing to let some of Cristina's chicken back out the wrong way...
After dinner, we sat outside and watched the stars - the most amazing starry sky I have ever seen! High altitute, clear night, no city lights... I have never seen so many stars! Since we were cold, we retired to our cabana rather early to bundle under the covers. The cabana was not heated at all; the only electricity was a single light. But Cristina had put wrapped hot water bottle under our covers, and the covers themselves were so thick and heavy it felt like lying under five layers of carpet. It was so cold that we opted to skip showering and go to sleep wearing all our clothes, including hats!
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