To the top of Taquille Island

 

Next stop was lovely Taquille Island, about 1 1/2 hours from the floating islands by boat.  This was just enough time for the sun to peek out and by the time we arrived it was a beautiful day.  Taquille is occupied by about 2200 Quechua-speaking people.  It is not a large island, about 1 1/2 by 5 1/2 km but the high point of the island is at over 4000 metres above sea level.  Truly breath-taking!

Welcome to the island

Picturesque stone pathways, walls and archways

Sheep blend into the rocky landscape

 

 

 

Taquille Island also has its own unique culture, vastly different from that of the floating islands, and reminiscent of that of Isla del Sol in some respects.  The geography of the two islands are similar, steep and rocky, so that certainly has some bearing on it.  It was a steep climb up to the top of the island, though nowhere as daunting as Isla del Sol, and with stunning vistas.  The path was stone and well cared for, and the island, like most others in the area, is fully terraced for agricultural plots.  The island is divided into six sectors and the islanders have a management plan in which about half of the island is farmed in these tiny chacras for 3 years, then is set to rest for 3 years while the other half of the island is then farmed.  Taquille and its resources are owned and managed collectively by all the islanders.

 

 

There are small flocks of sheep and hobbit-style gates in quaint stone walls.  Many of the sheep have colored tassels attached to the wool near their left ears, presumably for identification purposes rather than decoration.  There are several stone arches over the pathway, decorated with stone heads representing the mayor and other dignitaries of the island. 

 

 

 

A charming hobbit-sized gate

 

 

 

Gate adorned by stone busts of dignitaries

 

 

 

Partway up we stopped with our group for a pre-planned lunch, which was fresh grilled trout with a rich and tasty quinoa soup to start.  A young man in traditional dress demonstrated how to make soap from one of the locally grown plants, and we were told that it is the soap they use for everything because it is natural and non-polluting to their lake.  They wash all the wool they shear from their sheep with this soap, as well as their own clothing and judging from the whiteness of the shirts and hats it's effective. All the islanders dress in traditional clothing, and look dignified and colorful at the same time.

 

 

 

Fresh lake trout for lunch grilled to perfection

 

 

 

 

Making soap to wash clothing and wool

The people of Taquille marry quite young, around 18 years of age.  The men indicate their marital status by the type of hat they wear.  Unmarried men and boys wear red and white woven hats, while married ones wear red.  The women indicate their marital status by the pompoms on their shawls.  The unmarried women have brightly colored  large pom-poms on their shawls, while the married ones have ones that are more subdued in color and smaller. In addition to their woven caps, the mayor and other dignitaries wear a brimmed hat that indicates their position in the community. 

An unmarried girl in her shawl with colorful tassels

Wearing the red and white hat of an unmarried man

 

We lingered over lunch, then hiked up the remaining way to the top of the island, where the plaza is, and where the center of business is located.  There is a bell tower, no longer in use, but on three sides of the plaza there are large buildings, one of which houses the artisan's gallery. Knitting on Taquille is strictly a man's occupation, and they are accomplished at it.  Boys begin knitting at the age of eight.  Wool is spun and dyed by the women, and women also weave beautiful clothing and functional objects, but knitting is done by the men. 

At the plaza atop the island

The now defunct but still picturesque bell tower

The artisans market

Fabrics by Men says the sign.  But not just FOR men, happily.



 

 

We did some shopping there for gifts for family and friends then wound our way down the stone path towards the other side of the island where our boat was to be waiting. It was an interesting day, full of riches for the eye. We had learned a little more about another culture, met some new friends and had an excellent workout in the process. One more proof that life is indeed good.

One last look at our Taquille panorama




Fishing boats resting in the harbor





Rowing home

And so concluded our vacation time. We had travelled to Bolivia and southern Peru and had packed a ton of experiences into just over a week. This trip wasn't even in the cards originally, but hey, when opportunity knocks you'd best open the door. Hasta luego mis amigos!

Discovering the Islas Flotantes

Well friends, we're back to Peru for this post.  We're visiting some, shall we say, unusual islands.  I promise it will be a feast for your eyes.

We spent the better part of a week in Bolivia, but as all good things must end, so must this little vacation.  Before heading back to Tarapoto, we really wanted to see a little more of the area around Puno, so we planned to spend another couple of days there.  We returned to Puno by bus, this time in sunny weather and minus the fishy cargo.  We decided to stay in the same hotel as we had at the beginning of the vacation, having enjoyed it so much. Upon arrival we arranged a full day boat trip for the next day.

The day began as it often does in the Andes, blustery and chilly with bursts of rain.  We were lucky in that by the time our tour guide picked us up at the hotel, the rain had eased and the sky was lightening up. We boarded a largish boat, double-decker, along with a mixed group of tourists and local people, heading out to the Islas Flotantes and Isla Taquille.  We had fully functional motors on this boat as well as an interesting and personable guide named Manu.

We weren't long on the boat when we arrived at our first stop of the day, one of the floating islands of Uros.





Small but sturdy

As we pulled up alongside the one we would visit, I was struck by how tiny it was and hoped it would hold up under the weight of all the passengers climbing off the boat.  I needn't have worried.  We were warmly welcomed to what was a family island, occupied by five families, all related through marriage or birth. They and their ancestors have lived this way for centuries, and though we might think it strange to live afloat in a lake, it is their normal.

Barefoot in the cold- helping moor our boat

Uros is a community of about 80 floating islands, home to about 2000 inhabitants,  Included is an island with a school for the children of the community. Each island has a president, whose term lasts for one year. The president acts as the representative of each island and is also the final decision maker, especially in cases of emergency.

On each island is a tower on stilts, a type of crow's nest if you will, and the president uses this as a lookout to check on potential storms, and to send signals to other islands.  If a storm blows in and a raft becomes unmoored or is in trouble, the president signals for help and other islanders rush over in their boats to help.
 

At this point I should explain how these islands came to be and how they are built, a fascinating process and a testament to human ingenuity.  When the Incas came to the land and began conquering the people there, the Aymara who lived on the shores of Lago Titicaca fled into the marshes to hide.  As fishermen, the reeds were familiar and a safe hiding place for them.  As the Incan empire grew stronger remaining in the reeds had to become a way of life for the Aymara, and they came up with an ingenious solution:  float homes. 

The islands are built from blocks of reed roots, a tangled and dense network with the capacity to float. These blocks are cut uniformly and tied together with reed ropes and wood poles that are driven into each block.  They are roped together into one giant raft, then successive layers of cut and cured reeds are laid on top of them, alternating directions to provide the greatest water impermeability.  Soon the roots of each reed block grow together, forming a single unit.  Layer upon layer of cured reeds is built up until the island is joined together into one nearly water-tight raft. 

Model of reed root blocks and over-layers of cured reeds.

The island is moored in place in the shallows of the lake by a series of ropes and wooden poles driven into the lake bottom. Once that is accomplished, homes are erected on the island, tiny huts also composed of the cured reeds and woven together to be impermeable.  Each of the buildings has a purpose:  kitchen, sleeping huts, storage.



Model of how an idea island is built and furnished



 

 

 

There are no washroom facilities on the islands, as contamination would be a problem, but that need has been accommodated on a separate island/islands that have shared bathroom facilities maintained by the entire community.  As the guide told us, children potty train for the nighttime very quickly as they have to pole a boat to the bathroom island every time they need to use it. Nocturnal visits would be less than fun on a chilly night.

Each structure on the island is light-weight and fully mobile, without floors, since once a week they all must be picked up and moved to allow for an additional layer of cured reeds to be laid down on the top of the island.  An island's lifespan is directly related to how well it floats of course, and over time the reeds become water-logged, the ones on the bottom rot, and it eventually becomes uninhabitable.  At that point the families move all their belongings to another island they have  constructed. 

Light reed structures are fully mobile



Views from the lookout tower



























There is an island that houses an elementary school.  The young children of Uros boat to their school daily.  When a child has passed the elementary school age, they must move to Puno and live there for high school.  The community of Uros has built accommodations in the town of Puno where these adolescents live while they attend school. 

When a woman is pregnant in Uros, she gives birth on her own island, attended by one of the midwives in the community.  There are some modern amenities on the islands, like solar panels for radio, but their life is spare and very similar to that of Uros centuries ago.  The people of Uros, not surprisingly, are fishermen, not farmers, and spend most of their lives on the water. They do keep a few animals, such as cats to control rodents, and ducks or other birds for food and eggs.  

Ducks belonging to this island's families

Many of the people, especially the children, don't wear shoes despite the cold. I suppose wet shoes are rather pointless, and there is certainly some dampness on the islands, and soft spots where a shoe gets soaked quickly.  It makes sense to go barefoot.  The children and adults we met all were ruddy-cheeked and healthy looking and the president of this island said respiratory infections are nearly unheard of in Uros.  The Uros people maintain they have "black blood" which is immune to the cold. Arthritis is the main health problem according to him, probably related to the cold, damp conditions in which they live.  In the hills surrounding the lake, nighttime temperatures can get down to -20 Celcius, but the lake moderates the temperatures and on the floating islands it stays generally at or above 3-4 degrees at night. 




The children have no fear of the water, operating the reed boats and dinghies from a young age. The group of youngsters on this island were all outgoing and energetic, and very excited to see us.  Tourism is a main source of income for the people of Uros, and they sell their beautiful textiles to visitors as well as rides in their reed boats.  One enterprising girl jumped from boat to boat, singing songs in Spanish, English and French to us, then collected coin donations from the passengers.  The community receives little or no government assistance so the importance of tourism for them cannot be overstated.



The girl in the yellow sweater was the singer

We took a ride in a big reed boat, poled by a man with an ever-present smile, and enjoyed the singing of the girl when she got to our boat.  I was struck by just how tiny the island looks in comparison to the enormity of Lago Titicaca.  Storms blow up there suddenly and with ferocity, and I admire the knowledge and tenacity  with which these people continue to live under difficult circumstances. 

We purchased some of the intricately woven wall hangings and miniature reed boats they offered for sale, knowing how financially important this was to the islanders, and wanting a tangible souvenir of this incredible experience they had shared with us.  We then all scrambled back aboard our boat with several little boys excitedly cheering for us and waving goodbye.  We were off to our next adventure and making space for their next visitors.

 

 

I've got one more island for you to explore with me, so join me next week for a trip to Taquille.  Another culture, and more beautiful and interesting things to see.  See you there!

Return to Copacabana and the stunning Isla del Sol

The first day of 2015 began with another bus trip, a return journey to Copacabana.  The bus depot was closed, being New Year's Day, so we took a cab up to the cemetery high on the mountain above, and waited in line to buy tickets back to Copacabana.  The bus we wanted was already full, but an hour later there was another, so we waited on the sidewalk with dozens of other passengers, most of them families travelling together in large groups.  Happily we were assigned the first seats on the bus, so had additional leg room, a welcome change for us tall folk!  It also meant that there was no one in front of us to recline their seat into our laps.  The return trip to Copacabana and the somewhat precarious ferry crossing was accomplished in what seemed to be a shorter amount of time, but I'm sure the fine weather, clean bus and a good night's sleep were the reasons behind that. 






Everyone gets off the bus and takes a separate boat across

 

 

 



It takes considerable jostling to get lined up to disembark

Arriving back at Copacabana, we hiked once more up the hill to our hostel, this one Las Olas, just beyond La Cupola. It was a delightful hobbit house with a loft, perched on the cliff overlooking the bay, with floor to ceiling windows.





As we lounged in the sun until evening we reflected on the whirlwind trip we'd had to La Paz. As interesting as it was, I decided that I prefer the laid back water-side atmosphere of Copacabana, with its crowds of backpackers and the welcoming faces at the hostel.  That night we indulged in the luxury of an hour  floating in a hot tub under the dark and starry sky, the steam from the water crystallizing in the chilly air.  When you travel you need to have the mindset that you aren't looking for perfection.  But that was as close to perfection as I ever need.

Our final day in Bolivia was spent on the incredibly beautiful Isla del Sol.  We boarded a boat, equipped with one functional and one non-functional engine and put-putted our way out to the Island in a haze of gasoline fumes. The day had begun with rain and was chilly, but as we travelled the sun emerged and the day warmed quickly.



Landing in harbor at Isla del Sol

 



A more interesting, though slower way to get there



After 2 1/2 hours on board the boat, we docked at Isla del Sol and immediately realized that to explore the island we had to climb 1000 steps.  That was almost enough to make me stay at the dock, but we took it in stages, stopping to rest and take pictures when we became breathless. The steps got us about 1/4 of the way up to the top of the island, so this was just the beginning.



Saying hello to the chief

 



A few of the 1000 steps

We had a full day there, so there was no rush to explore, and the weather was perfect.  Most of the island is terraced for agricultural use and is home to  several  Aymara communities. Visitors pay 5 bolivianos to step onto the island, but these funds are used to maintain the island's communities and the harbor facilities.  It's also a pittance in comparison to even an hour on this beautiful island. 




These little burros carry everything up and down the island

There are no roads or vehicles on the island, and every step you take is up or down.  I was impressed at the speed that the local people climbed the steep slopes, with a load of something on their back as well.  Burros are put to good use here and some nearly disappear beneath their loads.

The entire island is terraced

 



Huge trees manage to grow in this rocky soil



The steps and the entire island are clean and well kept

 

In total, Isla del Sol is home to about 800 families who make their living farming, fishing and welcoming tourists to their island. The island is very clean and well kept.  We found the people to be reserved but ready with conversation and a smile when we approached.  There are many historically significant ruins over the entirety of the island and it was believed by the Incas that the Sun god was born here, hence the name. In our short time there we did not visit  ruins, but did see some from the boat.





We spent a couple of hours climbing, pausing to rest, and bargaining with vendors for their beautiful handwork.  The bargaining process was fierce but good-natured and ended in Murray turning his backpack inside out to prove he had not a single boliviano left to spend.  Despite the altitude and climb it was as leisurely as a Sunday morning stroll and we had plenty of time to soak up the sun and the peaceful atmosphere, high above the busy little harbor. 

We came across a small hostel high on the island where they welcomed us to their patio for a coke and to eat our bag lunch. We idled away nearly an hour eating our lunches and watching the children of the owners play on the patio. Bob Marley playing on the radio, ice cold cokes in hand and a to-die-for view made a terrific reward for all the climbing.


 

Panorama from the deck of the hostel

 


One of our sweet surprises during the breathless climb



 

 

Along the way there were many places where we could rest and take it all in.  Everywhere we looked was a vista, a burst of color or something unusual or interesting to enjoy so we took our time and soaked up the atmosphere and fresh air.  Sometimes "touristing" is such a speedy process that you don't actually get time to enjoy the place you're in and we wanted to make sure that didn't happen.

We climbed almost to the highest point on the island, but settled for a picture instead.  It was getting late in the day and we didn't want to risk being at the top when our boat left.

The high point.  I think.

We then made our descent, slightly less leisurely than our climb, but we had gravity working in our favor on the return trip so it didn't feel strenuous.  Though I confess, I did feel muscles I didn't know I had.  And my knees protested mightily. 



A charming stone archway along the path

 

 

At the harbor we sat in the sun and watched boats coming and going, and had another drink. It was a busy place, with people arriving to stay overnight in the hostels, dogs milling around looking for dropped food, and people gathering to head back to Copacabana by nightfall.



The weather stayed perfect and so when our boat arrived we climbed to the upper deck to sit in the sun as we slowly made our way back to Copacabana.  Our time on Isla del Sol was blissful, and I would certainly go again.  The next visit I'd stay on the island for 2-3 days and explore some of the ruins.  But for now, my memory is saturated with sun, color and unforgettable vistas.