May 12

Today the lake.

First it was via the market for some “essentials’ to take with us to the lake communities we were scheduled to visit. Here we were introduced to  the  Peruvian corn candy. Much like puffed wheat but made with corn.

Then to the boat.

We cruised amongst the reeds, our first stop being  the floating islands. I had no idea of their existence. The Puno region was an interface point between the Incas and the indigenous Uros. The Uros started building these islands as the Inca Empire expanded and have continued the tradition to this day. There are now about 120 of these constructed islands, with around 1,300 people living on them

The islands are laboriously built from the totora root and reed that festoons the lake. This needs to be continuously harvested and the islands regularly maintained with fresh reeds. To make sure the islands do not drift away, eucalyptus rods are stuck into the bottom of the lake as anchors and are tied to the root blocks using rope. Every 15 to 20 days, the totora reeds rot and need to be replenished with fresh ones.

Each (small) island is home to an extended family group. The one we visited was home to about 20 people, in an area roughly half the size of a football field (15m by 15m). When I asked Thea how long she thought our family would last on such an island she opined, “Oh I think someone would be in the water within the hour” 

On the island we were given demonstrations of how the islands were made, the local crafts and weaving of the community, and a ride on one of the totora reed boats that are used to harvest the reeds (and to trade at the market in Puno).

And some soccer was played.