Sleeping and Eating with the Uros
When we got off the bus, Victor, our taxi driver was there to take us to the dock. Not the main dock with the big boats, but a sleepier one with smaller boats. We were on our way out into the lake to stay on a small floating island, one family big. The Uros are a people who pre-date the Incas, speak Aymara as their main language and for some reason, decided to live on floating islands in lake Titicaca. In addition to their usual trades of fishing and hunting, some of the families invite tourists to stay with them on their small islands.
Vidal was there to greet us and invite us onto his boat. He was the middle generation of the family we'd be staying with. In addition to Vidal, we'd be joining his wife, small child, his parents and one other guest - a young lady from Russia.
He pushed the boat from the shore and drifted a few feet before firing up the engine. We were headed out into the weeds, literally. This is a reed called Totora, it's thick woody roots float. To create their own island, the Uros cut off a hunk of it, tow it to where they want to live and then fasten it in place using anchors. They trample the reeds under foot to smooth out the ground then build on it.
They've cut waterways into the reeds, which we zoomed through. Once you get into the reeds, all civilization disappears, you cannot see anything but.
All in all there are about 90 floating islands and 2,000 permanent residents, a much lower number than in the past.
In addition to living on islands made of Totora, they fashion their houses from it and build their traditional boats from it, which last only a year. Every year they have to make a new one.
As we approached our island, the whole family came out to greet us. Vidal taught us how to say Hello in Aymara - he said his dad would get a kick out of it.
From left to right, his dad Edgar, his mom Graciela, his son Rudy and his wife Delia.
There were 11 small buildings and a lookout tower. We had one of the buildings to ourselves, which contained two beds, only one of which we used. There were stacks of extra blankets, which we'd need at night.
That is our building with the yellow door. Vidal explained that the old structure on the right, which looks like a teepee, is an antique building, the type his grandfather grew up in.
There was a communal building to eat meals. There were also two separate toilet buildings, a shower building, two more buildings for guests, a kitchen building and other buildings the family lived in. Electricity was supplied by three solar panels, a scheme created by the former president Alberto Fujimori. Vidal said he could get re-elected tomorrow if it were up to the Uros people. Water for the showers and toilets came from the lake. I didn't ask where the drinking water came from - I only drank it if it were boiled.
Rudy is three and may be the happiest kid I've ever met. He has nobody else to play with and seemed pretty happy to have two more guests, especially ones willing to play with him.
You don't necessarily feel the island float per se, but the ground is pliable and sinks a few inches when you walk on it. The reeds, once walked on, start to deteriorate and rot and a new layer must be added every 4-6 weeks depending on the weather.
There is no heating so once the sun goes down it becomes frosty within ten minutes. It's so obvious why the sun is the top God in the Inca pantheon.
While we waited for dinner, we played with Rudy, making up ball games
We also climbed to the top of the viewing platform to take a look around. This is a view looking east.
It probably is obvious but in case it isn't, there is no television or internet on the island. I don't think Rudy had ever seen a smart phone, he was transfixed by it, pushing buttons and looking at photos.
Irina, the other guest, told us to be ready at 5:15pm for the sunset. She and Dodo climbed up the viewing tower to watch.
"Hey, get up here, you gotta see this!" I climbed up and joined them. It did not disappoint.
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