Lake Titicaca: Uros Islands

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A lovely leisurely start to the day today meant breakfast at 8:30am and time for more rest and chill. Thank goodness as several of us were feeling worse again from the altitude…. cue more aspirin, paracetamol and coca tea!

At 10:30 we hopped on Huan’s boat (with his 12 year old grandson Axel driving again), and set off to explore the various Uros Islands.

There are 120 islands here in total, with about 4 or 5 families living on each one. Uros means “son of the sun”, and the people here are fiercely proud of their culture.

Huan took us to visit a local primary school and a museum and then we let the boat drift into the “totora” so that he could harvest some and explain how it is used here.

Welcome to the islands
Local primary school
Each building is for 2 grades (there are about 50 children at this school for example)
Huan Selfie!
Eating totora
Trying it for ourselves
It can help with headaches
So much to learn from one plant

The totora is so much a part of the Uros people’s lives – they build with it, weave with it, use it for medicinal purposes and eat it. Traditions that pre-date the Incas. It was incredible to learn so much.

A new island is being built here for this family
“Cocina” (kitchen)
The tiny museum
The white ‘stones’ are actually frozen potatoes – used here for eating and as chalk in schools
Demonstrating how the totora root is anchored to the bottom of the lake

Next up was a ride on what the locals call “Mercedes Benz” – the two-tier traditional boats of the Uros people. Historically these were used with paddles, but today someone with a motor boat ties up to the side and sort of ferries them around! The animal heads at the front of the boats are pumas, as Lake Titicaca means “grey puma” in Aimara. Locals believe that the shape of the lake shows a puma pouncing on a rabbit (you have to really look hard to see it!).

Our journey took us to a local restaurant where we enjoyed freshly-caught trout (grilled or fried) and ceviche (for those braving the spice!).

Martin loved the ceviche

After lunch, we headed home to try our hand at kayaking in the lake…

Another stunning sunset to ease us into an evening of card games, reading and sadly, packing for our onward journey tomorrow.

A 5am start saw us packing the last bits up, warming up with cups of coca tea and enjoying some warm flatbreads and avocado for breakfast. Time to say goodbye to Huan and his beautiful island home.

Taking the boat back to the mainland

What a wonder to be able to stay with local people and experience some of the traditions of life here – despite having to acclimatise to the altitude, which has been tricky at times, this beautiful place with its beautiful people is absolutely worth the visit.

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