Want to travel to a fairytale world; to an almost imaginary land you only read of in the likes of children’s storybooks? Of islands that float freely on gentle undulating waves in faraway lakes with stout kindly cheerful folk dressed in colors of candy welcoming you with open arms? That world really exists and we were delighted to stumble upon it on our travels in South America.
The Uros islands are islands that are in fact man made and not solid earth. They are made with reed and are anchored on Lake Titicaca on the Peruvian side of the giant waterbody. The islands though are not fixed and can be moved as and when needed. Tortora rushes are the reed of choice that are used to weave the islands together and numerous such islands are clustered around the lake and inhabited by the Uros people.
The lives of the Uros people are hugely reed dependent and revolve heavily around Tortora. Not just the islands themselves, their boats too are made of the reed. Traditional handicrafts are also made out of the very same reed. There is no such thing as wastage when it comes to their beloved reed. They even eat edible portions of it which you can try too if you stop by on one of the islands that have a restaurant on it.
Plump women dressed in bright combinations of red, pink blue and yellow welcome you on to the islands with folk song and sell little trinkets ( you guessed it, many made of reed). While they have traditionally depended on fishing for survival, the Uros people now moved closer to the shore by the government for safety, are increasingly relying on tourism as a source of steady income. Being tourism dependent, most women and kids willingly pose in their traditional garb with tourists.
So who exactly are the Uros people and why do they live such an unconventional lifestyle ( or rather hopelessly traditional lifestyle) in today’s day and age?
The Uros people are thought to have fled persecution at the hands of hostile tribes including the Incas. They speak Ayamara, one of only a handful of Native American languages to have survived through to the 21st century. The Uros people appear to have been frozen in time. Their voluntary isolation and mobile homesteads perhaps has much to do with it. They seem to be hospitable, friendly and extremely warm as a people.
To experience its extraordinarily distinct local culture it is now possible to arrange for home stays on the island. A night at one of the islands is very reasonably priced. Arrange for home stays with local travel agents in Puno or directly with the home stays ( costs around 15-20 soles for a night’s accommodation) . These usually include a trip to Isla Taquile and some overnight accommodation offer breakfast and dinner at extra cost. The best part of the overnight stay though happens early on the next day. Be sure to wake up for sunrise to watch picturesque fishing boats out on the water with dawn light casting a soft golden glow all around. The sight is magical in itself. Even the traditional boats of the Uros people have a somewhat storybook feel and they come in all kinds of lovely shapes.
If you are strapped for time and only want to visit the islands as part of a day trip, it is best to do it independently.Just show up at the harbor pay 10 soles for a return trip and you are good to go. Boats leave every hour.
While motor boats are used to ferry you to the islands, a boat ride in the traditional reed boats that look like they are straight out from a fantasy novel is usually tacked on at a small fee ( our boat took us to the island of Qananpacha. For more read below). Where your boat takes you depends on the discretion of the boat driver. Most times, they visit islands on rotation and sometimes you may not be taken to an island with a restaurant on it. Make sure to enquire before you hop on if you want to taste tortora or muna mate, a herb tea grown only in and around Titicaca. Also find out if the boat stops at Qananpacha. Not all boats stop here.
Qananpacha has its own little decrepit post office there from where you can send a post card to your loved ones anywhere in the world ( the postcard will probably only get to them months after you get back as was the case with us). Locals boast that it is one of a kind, purportedly being the only floating post office in the world. The same island also has a restaurant, accommodation and handicrafts being sold by locals.
Whatever you choose, whether you choose to stay overnight or do a day trip, either way a trip to the floating Uros islands is quite the magical experience.
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