Floating Islands on Lake Titicaca

Peru – July 11

Puno from the waterfront of Lake Titicaca

Uros, Floating Islands, Lake Titicaca, Peru

Reed Boat, Uros Islands

We get up again pretty early, eat breakfast and head out to the Port of Puno (say that five times fast).  As we are all a bit under the weather (we suspect altitude sickness),  we opt to go on the half day boat tour of the Uros islands.  These islands have been inhabited for thousands of years and are completely manmade.  The boat ride out to the island is fabulous and it is so nice to see Puno from the water.  Lake Titicaca is the highest elevation lake in the world and sits at an elevation of 3,800 meters above sea level (about  11,000 feet).  We are lucky to have another beautiful day and the chill in the air is tempered by the warm sunshine that is made even warmer by the reflections off the water.  The water is crystal clean and our boat makes its way through the reeds out to the floating islands.  We pull up and as we disembark the local people come to greet us.  We are seated in a semi-circle on benches made of reeds bundled together.  The leader of the clan gives us some of the history of the local people and details how they live on these floating islands made completely of reeds.  The ground under our feet is pretty squishy and the top layer of reeds has to be constantly replaced as the lower layers rot away.  The islands take about one year to build, but require constant maintenance.  Historically, the islanders has not been able to grow crops on their reed island, but they capture trout and kingfish and take them to the mainland to barter for vegetables or other necessities.  After the presention, we are invited to make purchases of the local handicrafts and then we are offered a chance to ride in their local boats made of reeds (interior of empty Inca Kola bottles).  We make it across the lake on the reed boat and check out the “capital” of the floating islands.  Back on the mainland, we return to the hotel gather up Hudson to head out for a late lunch.  We walk to the main street of Puno called the Jiron Lima and have a nice meal after which we walk around for a while.  Returning to the hotel, we all spend some restful time before getting our selves ready for our departure in the morning.