The boat dock at Taquile with the lake and mainland in the distance.
Reed boat, with figureheads that bite!
An island made from reeds! And a Peruvian lady in the traditional bowler hat.
Protest of American trade dominance. We're Canadians, honest!Yesterday we took a boat tour out to the Floating Islands of Lake Titicaca. They are a group of 48 islands created completely out of reeds and are anchored by stakes in the ground. They are amazing things, like walking on squishy mats that undulate with the water. The houses there are also made of reeds and there are elaborate reed boats. Of course all this is now touristy. The moment we land the people unveil tables of handicrafts, the reed boatride costs 5 soles, and everyone actually lives in tin houses outfitted with solar panels and satellite dishes located behind the reed houses. Dying culture it is with the kids all going to school in Puno and then going on to university and not coming back to live on the islands. Amazing things though. Each island takes about a year to construct and reeds have to be constantly layered on top to form a 2 to 3 meter thickness. The lake itself was gorgeous. It is so expansive and blue it really is like being on the ocean. We then took a long boat ride out to one of the largest islands on the lake, Taquile. We climbed high up on a rock road to eat lunch and view more handicraft markets. I want to support the locals but at the same time it is hard not to be overwhelmed with kids thrusting knit bags and bracelets at you at every turn. ¨No gracias¨ has become a regular phrase that I repeat constantly. But I don´t think I had know how poor Peru is and how dependant it is on tourism to survive, which sadly does much to alter the traditional culture that people come to see. Well, Taquile was beautiful set in the middle of the lake. From where we ate we could see Bolivia on the horizon.
Oh, there´s a protest going on outside. We saw one the other day against free trade, particularly with the US. Hm, this one has old guys wearing suits. Don´t know what it is about though.
Oh, and I finally convinced my friend to eat street food with me so I had a beef steak empanada. Sooo good. If I get sick at least I had a fantastic breakfast. Don´t worry, no jello cups for me. I think we will have an afternoon of yogurt on the docks. Splendido and çíao!
2 comments:
when i was in africa, our guide told us it was often safer to eat native food (including that sold on the street) than to try "western" fare. and true enough, a bunch of folks got sick after ordering pizza at a hotel. not me, though (i was thrown up on, on the bus, but that's another story).
hope you're taking lots of slideshowable pix, world traveler.
xxx
but street food bolsters the immune system, does it not? ok, sometimes not, but this I will tell myself so I can bear to eat more empanadas.
will post pics when I get back to the states. means you´ll have to look back at old posts, but it´ll be worth it, just you wait and see!
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