Day 7: Lake Titicaca

Today was a stand-out day on our trip. The places we got to visit were off the beaten path. Most tourists do not get to have the experiences we had today. We got to visit Lake Titicaca and some of its islands. Lake Titicaca, which means “big puma,” is the world’s highest lake at 3800 m above sea level. It creates a border between Peru and Bolivia. The lake is very large: 60 km across by 165 km long. Ancient peoples of Peru believed it was the end of the world, and it was easy to see why.

Early this morning we boarded our bus here in the port city of Puno. We drove through the city in order to reach the boat that was to take us on the tour of the lake. It is nice, though a very poor city. We made our way to the docks to board boats with other tourists to explore the lake.

First, we made our way to the Isla Uros, which are actually floating man-made islands. Attempting to escape colonialism from the Conquistadores, some native peoples took to the water and constructed platforms from reeds. Using the root system as a base, reeds are chopped and weaved across the platform on top. Homes, boats, and other structures are made entirely from reeds. The construction method is sound and very impressive. Walking around the small islands, the reeds crunch under foot. The islands serve up to six related families, each living in one house. Amazingly, each also has electricity thanks to solar panels, which provide power for lights and even small TV’s.

Dress is an important part of many Peruvian cultures. This point is demonstrated strongest by the inhabitants of these reed islands, the Aymara people. Women wear darker colors when married and bright colors when single. Well, we could call it bright, but that would not do these hues justice. They were loud. Screaming loud. Men don’t really have a color scheme, though they wear traditional Peruvian clothing. Additionally, women wear a pom-pom like decoration at the end of their braids. These follow the same color patterns as their dresses, but also denote marriage by how they are tied together. As a special treat, we were dressed up in the traditional dress of the Aymara people. We looked… great. It was truthfully an amazing experience to dance around with the locals drumming their traditional musical beats.

After a few of us took a ride in a reed boat, we then boarded our motorboat to Isla Taquile. It took about an hour boat ride to get to this small island. The local inhabitants had their own unique dress to denote marital status, though this system was exclusively for the men. Single men wore caps of white and red, while married men wore caps of red. Male leaders wore hats of a different style, like bowler hats, to indicate their leadership. The island was wonderful: we enjoyed lunch at the top of the hill. After, we were privileged to watch traditional ceremonial wedding and agricultural dances. A few of us, including Drew, got to join in on the fun.

Before leaving the island, we were faced with one challenge from our professor, Jalh: jump into the 12 degree C water. Four of us, including Kelsey and Drew, took the plunge. It gave the feeling of broken glass on our bodies. We were so cold we could not breathe. It was AWESOME. The sky was blue and the water clear, but we could only last a few minutes in the water. We did jump in a second time for a photo opp. This activity guaranteed an ‘A’ for the class. Thanks, Jalh!!