Kamiseraki? That means “How are you” in Aymara, a language spoken by the people who inhabit the Uros islands. To which the only acceptable answer would be “Waliki”. Directly translating to “I’m Fine”. For them, there is no “bad” or “could be better” because as long as you are alive and breathing, then you’re fine! The Uros Islands are a group of man-made islands within Lake Titicaca. However, before we traverse to the wondrous islands let’s talk a little bit about the behemoth that is Titicaca.
Lake Titicaca is the highest navigable lake in the world, resting at just above 12,500 feet (3,800 meters) above sea level, nestled nicely between the Andes. It was formed when massive earthquakes shook the Andes, splitting it into two. With time, Ice melting and heavy rain, caused the hole to form into the lake it is today. The lake is shared between Peru to the west and Bolivia to the east. The name “Titicaca” is a native word that means “Rock Puma” derived from the Aymara words Titi; meaning wild cat or puma, and Karka; meaning rock. If you look at the map, the lake, flipped upside down, looks very similar to a puma hunting a rabbit. Pretty neat right?
The natives call Titicaca the “Birthplace of the Incas” and “Birthplace of the Sun”. Incan mythology states that the first Inca King, named Manco Capac, was born at Lake Titicaca. The gods then created a wife for him and together they started a tribe that would soon blossom into the famous Inca Nation we know today. They also believed that the god Viracocha came out of the lake to create the sun, the stars, and the first people.
Our day on Lake Titicaca
We saw Lake Titicaca from the Peruvian side. We stayed in a hostel located in Puno and from there took a one-day guided tour. The tour cost about USD 30 each. It takes you to 3 destinations. These include; Isla de los Uros, Peninsula de Llachon, and Isla de Amantani. At Llachon you are treated to a local lunch. The tour lasts about 10 hours, so you really get a full day on the lake. We were recommended to bring sunglasses, hats, sunscreen, money for souvenirs, and a jacket in case it gets chilly.
At roughly 07:15 they pick you up from your accommodation and drive you to the port. Once at the port, you climb aboard a small boat and head on your way towards your first destination. The boat ride takes approximately 30 minutes to arrive at the man-made islands of the Uros people.
The Uros
The Uros people are said to be direct descendants of the first inhabitants of Lake Titicaca. They built these mobile islands in order to escape threats from the mainland. Whenever danger was near, they would simply move their island elsewhere. While this worked for a while, the Inca and Spanish did eventually find them.
The islands themselves are made of dirt and Totora reeds. Totora reeds grow in the lake. They filter the water and are everywhere, so they are easily harvested to make their islands, as well as their homes and boats. To keep the island afloat, every 6 months or so they add more layers of reeds on top of the less fresh ones. They have to lift the homes and move them every time they wish to do this. Which, if you ask me, is very tedious but also pretty cool.
They only have access to fish and birds on the lake. So the people of the island fish for trout and hunt for ducks, after which they dry them out and trade them for materials and food like veggies and quinoa on the mainland. With the material they get, the women sew clothing, while the men construct the homes, boats, and other decorations seen on the island.
The island usually consists of around 3 families. Family is very important on the island. Before you can start a family here, there are traditions and rules you must adhere to. Before you can even marry, you have to live with your partner for 3 years. If you and your partner can stand each other then you shall marry, if it doesn’t work out, then you can change partners as many times as the seasons change. However, marriage is forever. They take “til death do us part ” very seriously.
Once you survive 3 years with your loved one, the wedding is a week-long event that takes place only in August of even years (i.e 2020, 2022, etc.). Everyone is in attendance and must bring gifts. So sorry, you can’t avoid that one person but hey, at least you’ll be spoiled with presents. Another interesting thing about these weddings is that everyone drinks. Like, no one can say no to a drink or it is considered rude. I guess you can say, the Uros people know how to party.
During this stop, they will show you how they live and if you’re lucky, they might invite you inside to see the houses! This is also the only place you will find souvenirs so keep that in mind. I also recommend at least getting one thing as it’s the only way the people here can make money. It is a win-win. You get memorabilia and they get money to purchase the things they cannot trade for. They also offer boat rides for 15 soles. A must-have experience. Afterwards, the tour moves to the main Uros island where you can buy coffee, hot chocolate, or quinoa bread. They also offer passport stamps and have restrooms you can use. Keep in mind that the bathrooms cost 1 sole, so be prepared to pay.
Peninsula of Llachon
Once you bid your farewells to the Uros people you return to the boat and take an hour and a half boat ride to the Peninsula of Llachon. This would be the perfect time to catch a nap in order to have the energy to eat the very filling lunch. The people of Llachon live off of the food they grow and fish catch. They do however import sugar and rice. So their diet is mostly pescatarian as this is the food most accessible for them. Only on special occasions do they eat other kinds of meat.
Once our boat docked at the port, we got off and saw an amazing view of the crystal blue lake and other islands in the distance. We had a 5-minute trek uphill, which does take your breath away, both metaphorically because of the view and literally because of the altitude. Once we arrived at the building, we were seated and awaited our meals.
The lunch started off with a hot quinoa soup and bread. The soup was delicious but don’t eat too fast or you won’t be able to eat your second dish. We had the choice of fried cheese or fried trout, both of which were served with vegetables, fries, and rice. During the meal, you can purchase a cold drink, like beer, juice, or soda. You will also be given a hot tea called mate de muña which tastes a lot like mint. After our meals, we had time to relax in the sun, take pictures, or play in the water by the shore. Soon enough it was time to saddle up and sail out to our last destination, the beautiful island of Amantani.
Amantani
Amantani is an island of roughly 3,600 inhabitants, most of whom speak Quechua, the language of the Inca. The women here wear traditional clothing every day, while the men wear it on Sundays and holidays. Each village has a set color, so they typically wear a color that represents their village. The two largest peaks on this island are called “Pachatata” and “Pachamama”, Father Earth and Mother Earth respectively. There are many Inca and Tiwanaku ruins to be found here. We were told before arriving that the island doesn’t have an official form of government present. Instead, they have people who volunteer without pay to aid the island. Every Sunday the volunteers gather together in the plaza and discuss any issues that the island may have. If there’s a problem, then they settle it before sunset. Clearly, they have a better system than most governments.
On the island, we had about a 20-minute hike, half of which was uphill. On this trek, we walked through many stone arches that divided the villages on the island. Though there are different villages, they all coexist as one. “Hoy por mi, mañana por ti” which translates to “today for me, tomorrow for you”. This is a very important saying for them. An example of how they live by this phrase is, whenever someone wants to build a house, they go and basically say “I want to build a house”. When the island agrees, everyone comes together and helps build this house in a matter of a single day. They put an ant colony to shame. When the matter is said and done, since the island helped that person, that person must return the favor the next time someone wishes to build their house. Most of these houses do not have electricity. Not because they can’t afford or don’t have access to it. No, simply because they couldn’t care less.
The landscape is marvelous and the view of the lake is even more spectacular. Lining the side of the island was terraces of plants. A terrace in Quechua is called “pata” . If you have many terraces it is called”pata pata”. A cool story about this is, when the Spanish arrived, they wanted to know what the natives were growing (you know, since the conquistadors were nosy thieves). The natives, thinking they meant the terraces, said “Pata Pata”. Due to the language barrier, the super bright colonizers thought the plants were named “Patapata” or as they are now called “Patatas / potatoes”.
Once we reached the quaint center plaza of the island, there were stores where we could buy drinks or snacks. Most of us opted for ice cream to help after the tiring hike. We hung out around here for roughly 15 minutes down to another port where our boat was waiting for us. The walk down was definitely easier than the walk up.
With that said and done, we had seen our last stop. So we boarded the boat one last time and rode back for a near hour and a half. We were definitely exhausted after our adventure and nodded off a few times on our way home. We arrived at the port around 17:30 and were driven back to our accommodation. The tour was very satisfying and well worth the money. But if this tour doesn’t interest you then there are different options that may suit you better. One tour is 2 days and a night at the home in Amantani with a local family. You are provided two lunches, a dinner, and a breakfast. Another is only a half day and only gives you a view of Uros island. So whatever floats your boat!