A day on Titicaca

The first thing the tour guide clarified for us was the pronunciation of the lake. It is not pronounced Titi-caca because caca means poop in Spanish. It is correctly pronounced Titi-c-ha-c-ha, so it sounds like you are clearing your throat when you make the "c" sound. I was glad we cleared that up, so we didn't have to giggle every time he said the name of the lake.

Lake Titicaca is the highest navigable lake in the world. Sitting at 12,500, it covers just over 3,200 square miles. It is huge! It's is the second largest lake in South America and spans across two countries.
Our first stop was the island of Taquile. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site and is inhabited by a community-oriented group of people. The members take turns serving the community, and the people take equal responsibility for their society. They have no policing, as disputes are resolved in council meetings. They have a traditional dress: the men wear a white shirt, vest, and black pants; and the women wear a red sweater, colored skirt, and black headdress. The marital status of the men can be determined by the type and color of their hats. Apparently, the men do all the sewing. A girl's father makes all her clothes, until she is married, when her husband takes over the duties. We walked around half of the island, from which the views are amazing. In the background, you could see the 20,000+ ft, snowcapped Andes in Bolivia, starkly contrasted against the deep blue color of the lake. I must have taken a hundred photos of the mountains from different elevations on the island.

We motored from Taquile to another island to have lunch. One of the locals served us a meal, which had been cooked with hot rocks underground. There was way too much food, but as my mother taught me, I tried everything. We had trout from the lake, chicken, mixed veggies, three kinds of potatoes, a local bean, and a cooked banana. I learned that Peru has about 3,000 varieties of potatoes. The meal was completed with a tea, steeped from a local mint plant.

We ended the tour at one of the reed islands, where the Uros live. The islands are manmade from the reeds that grow in the shallows. History is unclear whether the original Uros were fleeing from the Incas or the Spaniards, but they have been living on the water for centuries. The island we visited had six families living on it. No offense to my friends, but I can't think of six families that I would want to live within earshot 24/7. The island was only about 40X40 feet, so there's nowhere to go. All the buildings are also built from the reeds, so there is no chance for a private conversation. Some of the other islands are so large that they have a school, community building, and numerous houses. Children from the island we visited have to travel by boat to attend school on another island.

When you step on to the island, it's a little squishy. You don't get wet. The reeds are about three feet deep, but they are porous, so there's some give. The inhabitants gave us an explanation of how the islands are constructed. They actually start with peat moss, on which they crisscross stacks of reeds. Our guide said that they can send someone packing by cutting away a section of peat moss and pushing the black sheep of the family floating away in their sleep. A little cruel, but I have to admit, it sounded like a nice option. The reeds are not only used for construction, but there is a portion of the reed which can be eaten. Apparently, it tastes like celery. The families harvest ducks and fish for subsistence. Any fruits or vegetables must come from the mainland. It is a fascinating way of life, but I can't imagine how uncomfortable it would be with the lake winds blowing, the temperature below 30, and no heat. I don't care how many wool blankets you have.もっと詳しく