AmyHuang
Unforgettable places to see before you die – Lake Titicaca
Along with the likes of Uluru and Great Barrier Reef in Australia, with the Himalayas, the Taj Mahal and many other world renowned places, Lake Titicaca is on the list of Unforgettable places to see before you die, published by BBC Books.
One of the world wonders, Lake Titicaca stands at a high 3600m above sea level, making it the highest navigable lake in the world. Straddling between Peru and Bolivia, it is the home and water source of many of the Andes indigenous communities both on land and on the many islands. The vast deep blue water and the fresh thin air create a dreamy false sense of being at the sea.
A visit to Lake Titicaca isn’t complete with a trip to one of its many islands, with the most famous being Uros, floating reed islands just off the coast of Puno in Peru.
Uros islands and its housing are completely made out of bundles of reed, which grows naturally in the lake. Every few months, new layers of reed need to be laid to prevent the rotting reeds to sink the islands. In the past, the communities travel to land to trade for a living, now-a-days, Uros heavily rely on tourism to survive.
Taquile and Amantani are two major islands on the Lake, with the Taquile being the more popular among tourists. Quechua is spoken on both islands, the oldest language in Peru, and still live by the tradition of their ancestors. Both women and men still wear their traditional clothing, weaved by hand with alpaca wool, and due to immense poverty, most live in small mud brick houses with no electricity and running water for supply.
Most people choose only to visit the islands on a day trip, however spending time on an island can be rewarding.
We stayed on Amantani island with local families. With no electricity and running water, life goes back to basics with waking up when the sun rises, and going to sleep, or read by candle light, when the sun sets. Meals are cooked in small unventilated kitchens with fires burning on eucalyptus branches, usually collected by the children earlier in the day. It is possible to have a hot bath however that means your host family would need to fetch the water from the lake, carry it back to the kitchen, boil a couple of pots of water enough to fill the pot so you can enjoy a warm, steamy wash. Watching as the family goes around with their daily chores, it seems to be too much to ask for such a simple pleasure we take for granted back home.
Climbing up to the hills on Amantani Island is a struggle, but well worth it. Starting at the already high 3600m of the lake level, the top of the hill reaches around 4000m. I stop frequently to catch up with my breath but I was caught breathless once again when I reached the peak – by the view. At the top of Amantani are two temples, one celebrating Pachamama (Mother Nature) and the other, Pachatata (Father Nature). It is an Andean belief that Lake Titicaca is the birthplace for civilisations. These temple ruins are the representation of that belief, and are celebrated each year in January, with the Fiesta de la Santa Tierra, Festival of the Sacred Land.
These islands can be easily reached with frequent tourist ferries departing the town of Puno in Peru. If you are visiting from Bolivia, the town of Copacabana is the gateway to the Bolivian side of the lake, with their share of islands to visit, such as Isla del Sol (Island of the Sun)
One of the world wonders, Lake Titicaca stands at a high 3600m above sea level, making it the highest navigable lake in the world. Straddling between Peru and Bolivia, it is the home and water source of many of the Andes indigenous communities both on land and on the many islands. The vast deep blue water and the fresh thin air create a dreamy false sense of being at the sea.
A visit to Lake Titicaca isn’t complete with a trip to one of its many islands, with the most famous being Uros, floating reed islands just off the coast of Puno in Peru.
Uros floating islands
Uros islands and its housing are completely made out of bundles of reed, which grows naturally in the lake. Every few months, new layers of reed need to be laid to prevent the rotting reeds to sink the islands. In the past, the communities travel to land to trade for a living, now-a-days, Uros heavily rely on tourism to survive.
Taquile and Amantani are two major islands on the Lake, with the Taquile being the more popular among tourists. Quechua is spoken on both islands, the oldest language in Peru, and still live by the tradition of their ancestors. Both women and men still wear their traditional clothing, weaved by hand with alpaca wool, and due to immense poverty, most live in small mud brick houses with no electricity and running water for supply.
Most people choose only to visit the islands on a day trip, however spending time on an island can be rewarding.
Looking out from the hills of Amantani Island
We stayed on Amantani island with local families. With no electricity and running water, life goes back to basics with waking up when the sun rises, and going to sleep, or read by candle light, when the sun sets. Meals are cooked in small unventilated kitchens with fires burning on eucalyptus branches, usually collected by the children earlier in the day. It is possible to have a hot bath however that means your host family would need to fetch the water from the lake, carry it back to the kitchen, boil a couple of pots of water enough to fill the pot so you can enjoy a warm, steamy wash. Watching as the family goes around with their daily chores, it seems to be too much to ask for such a simple pleasure we take for granted back home.
Mud brick houses on Amantani Island
Weekend markets where locals get their supplies from merchants from the main land
Climbing up to the hills on Amantani Island is a struggle, but well worth it. Starting at the already high 3600m of the lake level, the top of the hill reaches around 4000m. I stop frequently to catch up with my breath but I was caught breathless once again when I reached the peak – by the view. At the top of Amantani are two temples, one celebrating Pachamama (Mother Nature) and the other, Pachatata (Father Nature). It is an Andean belief that Lake Titicaca is the birthplace for civilisations. These temple ruins are the representation of that belief, and are celebrated each year in January, with the Fiesta de la Santa Tierra, Festival of the Sacred Land.
These islands can be easily reached with frequent tourist ferries departing the town of Puno in Peru. If you are visiting from Bolivia, the town of Copacabana is the gateway to the Bolivian side of the lake, with their share of islands to visit, such as Isla del Sol (Island of the Sun)
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oh wow! this has been on my list of travels for years now and you have just bumped it up a few notches I tell you!
What an amazing experience this must have been for you. Thanks for sharing.
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I didn't think it would but this appeals to me. It reminds me of my childhood summers spent in the province in the Philippines where there was no electricity and doing a number 1 or number 2 meant going out to the outhouse and risking running into an irate turkey with a mean peck. But I also remember hanging out in a hut until the dusk and how peaceful it all was.
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Aimzster - isn't it funny how much we rely on our modern facilities these days that we wouldn't ever think of going back? Now that I have experienced it again, I want to go back! Life is a lot simpler and happy when you don't have everything else to compare with the rest of the world.