Puno
For many tourists and travellers Puno is either the last stop in Peru before they move on to Bolivia, or their first taste of the country, having arrived from the somewhat more chaotic Copacabana on the Bolivian side of Lake Titicaca. A cheeky Peruvian told us that although the lake belongs to both countries, Peruvians own “Titi” and Bolivians are left with “caca!”.
Puno was our last stop in Peru, and although it was our second time in the town in a little more than a year, it felt like the first time since our first visit was ruined by altitude sickness. Luckily, this time, having spent almost a month at altitude, our bodies were better prepared.
Puno and the Peruvian side of Lake Titicaca are considered by many Peruvians to be a poor, run-down region, largely populated by uneducated people seemingly not interested in giving up their centenarian traditions and lifestyles and refusing to adapt to modernity. Of course, the issue is much more complex, and includes factors like the difficult geographical location, the apparent scarcity of investment from the government in infrastructure and on other sources of income other than tourism, and the fact that the tradition of the people is largely what makes tourists spend a couple of days in the city before they venture off to the lake. It’s difficult to modernise when the local economy is so dependent on tourists wanting to see the lack of modernity!
All things considered though, the impression is that Puno is a buzzing city where people manage quite successfully to make a living by starting small businesses or by sheer ingenuity. The impression one gets is of a population that is very proud of its traditions and very welcoming of “gringos” who are mainly just interested in taking the odd snap at a market or in a square.
Apart from the colourful local people, the town itself does not have much to offer to visitors and it largely serves as a basis from which to visit the true jewel that is Lake Titicaca.
Lake Titicaca
We took a day trip with Edgar Adventures, based in Puno, Peru. We chose the trip because the guide-book said that the agency had a good reputation for recompensing the islanders of the lake adequately in return for the visits, and for having a sensitive approach. The itinerary also promised a more private experience; although our group was around 40 people, it was certainly true as we did not encounter any other groups of tourists for the entire day.
After an early start, we travelled 1 hour and 30 minutes out into Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world. Our first stop was the beautiful and idyllic island of Taquile, still inhabited by a traditional community of Quechua speaking weavers. Their textile arts have been declared Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.
We landed on a less visited side of the island and hiked up to the apex. It was a short walk but it took us some time due to the altitude – over 4000m above sea level. We found it incredibly hard to get our heads round the fact that we were on a lake, the scenery was almost Mediterranean and the beach that we saw shortly before departing was out of this world. The island has no cars, llamas, alpacas or dogs, only cats and domestic farm animals. The community works the land using the pre Inca terracing, fishes the lake and sells their crafts to tourists.
Our guide Percy informed us about some of the traditions of the islanders, and how to identify someone’s marital status or rank by their clothing. He told us that although the island is protected and it is very difficult for people to move to live there, the way of life is under threat due to the presence of TV, radio and mobile phones. Much of the youth is going to want to move to the mainland.
We were able to spend some time with a group of islanders who showed us their knitting and weaving skills. Only the men of Taquile do the knitting and it is the women who spin yarn and weave. All of the yarn is imported from the mainland and it is now mostly synthetic and very brightly coloured. In order to secure a good wife, the boys need to be able to knit a traditional hat to such a fine quality that, when water is put inside of it, none leaks out! Upon marriage the hair of the wife is cut off and it is weaved into a belt which the husband will wear for the rest of his life.
The islanders had the opportunity to sell us some teas and their crafts. The only part that felt a bit awkward to us was the singing and dancing. We were not really sure what to make of it as it felt like a bit of a show. That said, it was not easy to judge the emotions of the islanders, as they do not make eye contact.
After another short 30 minute boat trip, we arrived to the community of Santa Maria – Llachon, on the tip of the Capachica Peninsula – lunchtime! Our group was treated to a private meal prepared in the pachamanca style. That is an underground oven with hot stones. The meal consisted of trout, chicken, potatoes, sweet potato and beans – very simple, but absolutely delicious. The local community makes these meals for visitors, and in doing so they are able to supplement their incomes. The couple making our lunch gave a blessing to Pachamama in thanks for the food and also a speech at the end of the meal thanking us and wishing us safe travels.
Our last stop on the way back to the port of Puno was one of the last few floating islands of Uros that are still genuinely occupied. Many of the Uros islands are now just tourist attractions, with the people living in Puno and only going out to the islands during the day to put on a show. Indeed, some travellers had told us that they thought that the Uros Islands were like Disney Land.
The floating islands are made of reeds. Floating blocks of roots are tied together until they mesh naturally and are then topped with reed cuttings. The cuttings must be topped up once a week. The island must never be allowed to naturally anchor to bottom of the lake as it will sink. Instead there are rope anchors to stop it floating away. The island can also not be allowed to get to big as it risks being broken up in the winds. Walking on the island was very strange indeed, firstly it was very spongy and secondly one could feel it swaying beneath. Perhaps it can be quite comforting, but I don’t think I would like to be there in bad weather!
The island we visited was inhabited by 6 families and felt very small. We only saw the women and children as the men were out fishing (mostly kingfish and trout which were introduced during the last century). The tour guide said that they visit only 10 of the remaining genuine islands in rotation, so the islanders very rarely have visitors. This was obvious by the reaction of the children, they were desperate to play football and muck around with the tourist’s smart phones. They did sing for us as well and you could see they were having fun. That said, the experience for us was quite uncomfortable, we found ourselves in extreme poverty and it felt very awkward to be taking pictures of the inhabitants in that state. We learnt that these islanders have a very hard life, with only basic accommodation and sanitation. The main issue is the cold and damp which can lead to respiratory problems like pneumonia. We were also shocked to hear that the life expectancy of adults was only 60 years of age.
What we will take away from our trip to Lake Titicaca are its vastness and beauty and the richness and endurance of its surviving cultures. I think there is a lot to admire about the way that the islanders of Taquile are organised to protect their slice of paradise, but I secretly hope that the islanders of Uros have a better future in store than the one that we witnessed.
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