Rushing to shower, divide bags for our home stay, ahead of schedule dodging the rain we went down to breakfast and a very grey ominous view of like Titicacca!
Our guide, arranged a short drive to meet the boat; a whole vessel just for us! The tourist dollar at work. The rain held as vast precariously built Puño city faded away. Why are we being shown reed beds?
Much needed change of pace; Altoplano Andean time! (Great for those with drooping eye-lids.)
All clear as later we landed on a floating reed island where five Uros families live. The group leader showed us round, explaining their way of life. Post Incan empire; fleeing compulsory bondage down the Spanish silver mines they fled hiding in the reed beds; discovering their ability to both hide and sustain their community.
They construct their island raft from large chunks of reed root balls, stitched together, with layers of cut reeds continually strewn atop; life-span 5-30years. Houses are also constructed from reeds; more recently reeds are placed on a eucalyptus portable frame with wooden floor. A couple of times a week fresh reeds are added to maintain the island. Descenters are literally cut off!
Fishing, egg stealing/collecting, duck shooting or recently the tourist dollar provide food. They also farm pigs and congregate when the lake's low; the reed banks receding revealing sand banks. The inside of the reeds, edible is a children’s treat, nutritious containing iodine. Used as a fever compress or stomach medicine as well as preventing goitres!
We succumbed to a traditional boat ride serenaded by the kids singing songs they learn at school on the main land; often steering their boats themselves to get there... and Simon bought a Andean hanging made by the leaders wife.
A lovely boat ride later we arrived at the peninsula dock sandwiched between controversial trout farms. (Someone slashed the nets meaning a local fishing bonanza, rather than canning factory fodder). Over fishing and invasive species causing extinction of many local fish. Climbing the bank we walked to meet our hosts for lunch; well Luciano’s wife.
Not knowing what to expect we were ushered to a room with a double bed and en-suite toilet; no heating no hot water, but light & power. More of bnb/hostel this family has been hosting guests since 2008, judging by the posters in the dining room.
Ushered into a dining room we were treated to a simple but well cooked meal of home cooked bread, quinoa soup; veg, potatoes, dried potatoes and rice with or without trout, which on tasting was kingfish apparently. Simple, and enormous portions! Fortunately our guide ate some. Jury’s out on dried potatoes; I quite liked them.
Our guide lead us on a village tour and lovely hike up to a pre-Incan burial chamber, with lovely views of lake Titicacca. Ambling through the square past the church with original Spanish bell tower we followed the bay before ascending. Agricultural terraces from pre-Incan times everywhere; some farmed others abandoned. Deciding the agricultural lesson was not for me I forged ahead, accompanied by another local dog taking a shine to me! Almost there we saw hares and an eagle soaring, hovering, riding the thermals; quite special.
Having been told to see the cooking, we offered to help. After our host returned from church (an Adventist version worshiping on Saturdays) we attempted to chop (Simon) peel potatoes (me) and shell peas. Luciano, choir practice over, popped in and exchanged competition choir stories; one a baritone the other director! Stilted Spanglish conversation later we fled to the dinning room and a flask of hot water plus teas and coffee.
More delicious soup, and less delicious veg potatoes and rice. Must have been our assistance or hindrance! Noticeably our hosts are separately. Lovely though a cultural exchange with our hosts would've been had it been on offer, we were too exhausted to participate. Inca trail catching us up; we bade our guide goodnight.
Early breakfast
(Our train from yesterday returning; breakfast room)
Boat ride
(Puño dock; original ships, oldest middle brought in pieces from UK, 3years to assemble, plus dredger; highest steamers in the world; Puño; Puño dock; shores of Titicacca; our capitán's instrucate knitting; our captain)
Eros floating reed island
(Eros reed island; houses; handicrafts; current rifle; clay stove; local fish still alive; local bird eggs; island construction)
Reed boat ride with Eros family
(Reed boat puma figurehead; inside reed; island leader; island children; flamingos; reed boat; indigenous blue billed duck name escapes me; reed beds)
Lunch & wall map
Llachon village
(Adobe bricks; muña bush, like thyme; Andean thyme; municipal offices & church with one of first Spanish bell tower; village; entrance to village; kindergarten)
Walk to Qeskapa mirador and burial tomb
(Animals; terraces; views; wild quinoa; pre-Incan burial tomb)
Setting sun & eagle at Qeskapa
Video to follow if technology back home allows.
We stayed at Luciano's Casa, Llachon, Lake Titicacca, Peru:
Comments