Today we set off on a boat trip to Taquile Island on Lake Titicaca – further in towards the Bolivian border.
Most of us were still feeling the effects of the altitude, but aspirin and paracetamol were helping, as well as our numerous cups of coca tea. Thankfully, Dave was feeling better than he had been the night before.
Our guide on the boat explained that when we arrived on the island we would be doing a 2km walk, up to 4000m elevation! We’d also be having lunch with a local family and shown some of the Taquile people’s traditions and ways of life.
The walk was hard going as we were still feeling quite dizzy, but we went slowly and allowed ourselves lots of stops – helped by the gorgeous views.
Our lunch was superb – quinoa soup to start and followed by rainbow trout, caught fresh that morning from the lake. Yum!
The Taquile people have so many traditions that they continue today – from traditional dances and music to specifically designed clothing my to indicate their position in the villages. For example, woven hats that are different for children, married or single, men and women. They use a variety of herbs and plants for cooking, cleaning and medicines – we were given a demonstration on how one plant (“choggo”) is crushed, scooped into a cloth and used as a shampoo, body wash and laundry detergent. A local man showed its cleaning power with some dirty sheep’s wool, which came out very clean and white after less than a minute of scrubbing!
We then made our way to the town square, where we were greeted with traditional music and dance. It was obviously quite a tourist hotspot as there were several groups of travellers there, but it was great to experience – even if the music wasn’t quite to our taste!
The sun was fierce up there, despite the chill in the air, so we were ready to make our way down the other side of the island to the port where our boat was waiting for us.
The boat ride back to Uros took about an hour and a half, and then we were dropped off on an empty bit of totora to wait for Huan to collect us in his little boat and take us back to his home.
Once back at our floating home, we had time to rest, read, chill and then enjoy the stunning sunset from our balcony beds – snuggled under thick blankets!
Tomorrow we will explore the local Uros Islands and learn more about their fascinating culture, but for now we’re off to bed – warmed with what Huan calls “local heating” (recycled 2L coke bottles filled with boiling water).
Coyle Family Adventures 