Lake Titicaca, Peru

Pictures include the sunrise view from my room on Amantani, the home in which I stayed on the island.












Women weavers of Uros, the reed islands, the reed boats, the reed islands.












Lunch spot on Taquile Island and view from the window of little girls´s room







We climbed over the mountains a few days ago, descending at Puno, on the shores of Lake Titicaca. Located at 3830 m above sea level, Puno is the highest altitude of any place we´ve slept on the tour...until the Lares Trek to Machu Picchu.









My friends and I dressed in traditional costumes, local weavers, and the island of Amantani.


After spending a night in Puno, we headed out by boat across Lake Titicaca. En route to Taquile Island we passed by the floating reed islands of the Uros people, destined to return the following afternoon.

The people of Taquile Island's unique culture, style of dress and lifestyle make for a memorable visit. The men of the community do all the knitting, as this is strictly a male domain, while the women do the spinning. Despite the short distance that separates the two islands, Amantaní is quite distinct. Its soil is a rich terra cotta red, due to the high iron deposits, and the colour contrasts brightly with the deep azure blue of the lake and sky and the greenery of the local crops.

On Taquile Island we had a stunningly fabulous lunch of quinoa soup, an omlette, and trout served upon a long banquet table overlooking the water. (Check out the view from the little girls´room).

Then we cruised to Amantani Island to meet our "mamas." Yes, Mary and I were adopted by an adorable family on the island who treated us to a homestay and provided us an opportunity to learn more about rural life in the Peruvian highlands. My top five moments:

1. Watching our Dutch, Swedish, American, and British friends play in a lively soccer match against the locals (who, mind you, are used to running quickly at an altitude of nearly 4K meters above sea level) The first picture is many girlfriends, wives, and mamas watching the boys from the stands.
2. Donning a traditional Amantani costume to wear to the IncaTeca (the Inca version of a discoteque) My mama dressed me in four colorful felt skirts that resembled a petticoat, an embroidered blouse, a lovely black scarf, a knit hat, and a super tight belt that wrapped around three times. (Oh yeah, and it was about 45 degrees F so I had a fleece underneath and my hiking pants...so hot!)
   
3. Watching the locals doing traditional dances at the IncaTeca.
4. Having breakfast in my mama´s home and watching she and her mother cook on a very provincial stove with basic tools while squatting over a semi-open flame. We ate at a proper table while they squatted in the corner, eating and cooking.
   
5. Speaking Spanish with the grandfather who was tickled to practice his Spanish since he usually speaks the local native Quetchwa.
   

After our home stay we headed back the the lake. Titicaca is the largest lake in the world above 2000m, and the views from both Amantaní and Taquile Islands are stunning, but both paled in comparison to the interesting and totally unique reed islands of Uros.

The Totora reeds that grow in the shallows of the lake are used for making everything from the islands themselves to the model boats that the islanders sell. The islands are made up of layers upon layers of reeds; as the layers closest to the water start to rot, they are replaced with fresh reeds on top. The reeds are also used to build their boats, which if constructed well will last up to 6 months. They actually cut the roots of the reeds into manageable squares and tie hundreds of them together to make the island and then drop anchors into the water to stabilize it. We were able to watch a new island under construction.