We visited the islands of Uros first today, these are all floating islands and all completely made out of reeds - its really amazing as you feel like you are on firm ground but then a boat will pass and you can feel the island move under the wave. The Island we visited is 17 metres above the lake bed. The people were so warm and friendly - the guide was telling us the families would have 6 or 7 children but now they tend only to have about 2 - not because of any kind of government restriction but they now have solar power which means they have television!!
I was taken into one of the family houses - it was all completely made out of reeds and must have only been about 10 feet by 8 feet - it was tiny but they only go in there to sleep. The mattress was even made out of reeds! They are a real community and they work and cook and eat together so they don't need a big house for each individual family. It was really fun and interesting and also the women are mean negotiators - trying to get a deal out of them for a cushion cover was tough going!
Here is one of the guys of the island explaining how they build the islands - the soil and roots of the reed plant float so they cut huge blocks of it and join them together with stakes and rope and then anchor them so they don't move - the guy in the picture was stressing that they must anchor them so they don't end up in the Bolivian end of the Lake Titicaca as he doesn't have a passport! Funny guy!!
Here are a couple of the islands - they are actually 2 separate islands so have a family living on each one. The island we visited had 4 generations living together - can't imagine my family living like that - there would have been some bodies floating in the lake if we all had to live on a tiny island together!
Here is the Reid boat - newly named as it took me across to one of the other islands. Isn't it beautiful? It has some wooden elements but the majority is made from dried reeds.
Here I am sitting up on the top deck, it was really comfy!
Here are the colourful ladies of the island waving the Reid boat off on its journey. They really were very happy smiley people - just shows you don't need possessions to be happy! Or may be they are just happy all the men are watching the telly!!!!
After the floating Islands we headed off to Taquile Island which was two and a half hours from the floating islands so I sat back at the back of the boat and soaked up the sun - may be a bit too much as my scalp really hurts now - my face and arms were covered in factor 30 so no chance of burning but didn't think about my head and it was so windy on the boat I couldn't feel how hot the sun is. I am sure I will be ok tomorrow.
We arrived at the Island and had to walk up hill for 25 minutes to the main square - it wasn't too bad a journey and after my Waynapiccu and my amazing massage I think I was ready for anything - no sign of my dodgy knee either - I think my amazing massage table jumping masseuse sorted it out!
The main square was buzzing as it is Christmas day and the whole Island are Catholic, there was lots of singing from the Chapel and lots of well dressed men, women and kids about. Us tourists looked very tatty in comparison.
Here are the girls of the village going into the Chapel with their Christmas offerings on their backs. They all had these really beautiful puffy skirts on.
and sue of the men sit outside watching the procession - here is a tip for the girls - if the boys wear their hats to the side they are single - if they wear their hats to the back they are spoken for - wouldn't it be great to have a system like that in the night clubs and bars? would save a lot of hassle!!! so a couple of the guys below are looking for a girl, so all you lovely single ladies reading this get a flight over! mind you looking at the two with the hats to the side may be not.....
Yeah, not sure I would travel 10000 ks for either of those guys!!!
We headed from the main square to the other side of the island where we were to have lunch - they were all having grilled trout and I was having an omelette with chips - can't get better than that for a christmas dinner can you - also the eggs are pretty much guaranteed to be free range and organic so you can't argue with that. They grow everything they need to eat on the island and don't ship anything in. Money doesn't really mean anything to them or they don't want it to. We were warned when we docked if the kids come and ask for one soles to have a picture taken with them to say no - they don't want to encourage this kind of behaviour on the island as they have had the kids say they don't need to go to school as they can earn money from the tourists. They have a great community spirit and once married they stay married - no one has ever been divorced on this island! wonder if a few men have mysteriously disappeared though, the lake is 284m deep in some parts...
This is where we had lunch - quinoa soup and vegetable omelette for me, not a roast tottie in sight! stunning view isn't it! When you were eating your Christmas dinner did you have a view like this?!
After lunch we headed down to the other side of the island and waited for the boat, some of the other tourists went swimming - the water is 9 degrees - ARE THEY MAD? The land opposite in the picture is another island not the mainland.
What a great way to spend Christmas Day - in the sun, with people who don't recognise the possessions the way we do - the offerings the girls were giving in the Chapel were of food for everyone to share for Christmas. I really enjoyed myself today and had some wonderful meditations to the waves on the two and a half hour journey back to Puno.
I got back to the hotel at about 530pm and hadn't had an alcoholic drink all day so am now getting tucked into a Pisco Sour and a Grande beer then heading out for a Pizza.
Tomorrow (my birthday) I get on a catamaran (think I will just keep the sick bands on overnight!) and head to Bolivia - I have 2 days and one night on the boat before heading to La Paz. Unlikely I will have wifi so my blog will continue in a couple of days.
Merry Christmas everyone!
suzxxx
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