Lake Titicaca, Peru

We arrived cold and breathless on the shores of Lake Titicaca after another epic bus ride through southern Peru. Approaching the lake from the steamy Peruvian coast, the city of Puno provided an immediate shock to our systems: at a breathtaking 3,800 meters above sea level, Puno is located on the Andean altiplano, a high altitude plateau stretching between Andean ranges in southern Peru, Bolivia, and northern Chile. Although the middle of summer, it is also the rainy season; in the middle of most afternoons, Titicaca’s famous blue skies darkened and burst into a show of thunder, lightning, and bone-chilling drizzle. Despite this, the sacred Inca lake lived up to its mythological heritage, providing us with a colourful and majestic few days on both the Peruvian and Bolivian sides of the lake.

Puno, Peru sits on the western banks of Lake Titicaca

From Puno, we arranged a day trip to visit some of the islands within Peruvian territory, including the famous floating islands of Uros. Uros is a collection of approximately 40 man-made islands made entirely of totora reeds, which are woven and matted together to form a layer several meters deep. Conveniently, the reeds form an important food-source for the Uros people: after chewing the idonie-rich base, the remaining parts of the reed are thrown onto the ground, replenishing the island’s base. In addition to the novelty associated with the islands’ unique construction (the ground sinks several inches with each step you take), they are also breathtakingly beautiful: set against the bright blue of the sky and lake, the islands are populated during the day with women adorned in bright clothing and accessories meant to resemble a flower.

An Uros woman rows a traditional reed boat

One of the floating islands of Uros, in Lake Titicaca, Peru

Potato plants

Lake Titicaca, Peru

From Uros, we sailed for several hours to Taquile, a naturally occurring island of approximately 2,000 Quechua speakers. Like those living on Uros, the Taquileños have a distinctive culture dating back several thousands of years: the community is based on principles of collectivism, has no police, no divorce, and is the only place in the world where a form of five-needle knitting — practiced exclusively by the island’s males — exists. Famous for high-quality and unique textiles, the islanders convey meaning and significance through their crafts: men are identified as being single or married by the hats they wear; wives judged by the number of colourful coca bags they produce for their husbands; and betrothed couples demonstrate their commitment to one another by producing textiles for one another, with a man weaving his future-wife’s wedding dress, and women weaving locks of their hair into belts for their future husbands.

Humming bird on Taquile island, Lake Titicaca, Peru

Taquile island, Lake Titicaca, Peru

A woman on Taquile island, Lake Titicaca, Peru

Taquile island, Lake Titicaca, Peru

Taquile island, Lake Titicaca, Peru

Locals prepare for La Candelaria festival on Taquile island, in Lake Titicaca, Peru

Women preparing for La Candelaria festival on Taquile island, Lake Titicaca, Peru

A good examples of different hats within Taquileños culture: Red signifies the man is married, red and white signifies the man is single, and the black hat signifies a goverment representative

The women wore 30+ skirts for La Candelaria festival celebration. Taquile island, Lake Titicaca, Peru

A view of Lake Titicaca from atop Taquile island, Peru

On Taquile island, Lake Titicaca, Peru