Children in Uros Island Reed Hut
Children on Taquile Island
Children with Alpaca, Cusco
Fish Seller, Taquile Island
Flower Girl, Taquile Island
Male Artisan, Taquile Island
Mother and Child, Taquile Island
Mother Protecting Baby, Cusco
Resident Artist of Uros Island
One of the most interesting cultures you'll find on the lake is that of the Uros people (Los Uros), whose entire community and lifestyle are literally built upon the totora reeds that grow in the ample shallows of the lake.
These pictures are from 2007
Centuries ago the Uros struck out for the middle of the lake to escape the warring Inca and Colla tribes on the shore. They live on over 40 floating reed islands that are maintained by continually adding fresh totora reeds to the top, even as they rot away from the bottom. The Uros live in reed huts, travel in reed boats, and sell handicrafts woven from reeds.
Taquile is an island which sits on the Peruvian side of Lake Titicaca 45 km offshore from the city of Puno. About 1,700 people live on the island, which is 5.5 by 1.6 km in size.
The highest point of the island is 4050 m and the main village is at 3950 m. The inhabitants, known as Taquileños, are southern Quechua speakers.
Alpacas were a cherished treasure of the ancient Incan civilization and played a central role in the Incan culture that was located on the high Andean Plateau and mountains of South America.
Often referred to as the "Archaeological Capital Of the Americas" Cusco is a beautiful city riddled with contrasts between the indigenous styles and the modern western world.
In addition to the floating islands, there are many real islands in Lake Titicaca that are worth visiting. The island of Taquile, four hours from Puno by boat, offers a beautiful, if rustic, escape from the relative urban bustle of Puno.
Taquile Island (Isla Taquile) is a natural island about four hours by boat from Puno.
Unlike Las Islas Flotantes, Isla Taquile is not so reliant on tourism and has a much more authentic feel. The islanders are living in a traditional manner, with no electricity or vehicles.
Taquile has been inhabited for 10,000 years and has a real sense of history about it. Inca stone terracing and ruins are scattered around the island. There are beautiful views all over the island out over the incredibly blue lake and sky. The island is quite small, measuring 6 km / 3.75mi long and 1 km / .6 mi wide, and is a great place for walking.
Cusco, was the biggest city and capital of the Inka Empire “Tahuantisuyo” (that reach great part of Ecuador, Colombia, Bolivia, Peru, Argentina and Chile) and then taken by the Spanish conquerors; today it has an architecture that fuses the Inka with the Spanish style. Their town conserves with pride its customs and traditions.
The official currency in Peru is the "Nuevo sol" and its symbol is S/.
Lake Titicaca's top tourist attraction. Old descending Aymaras that build their houses over floating artificial islands that elaborate themselves on the waters of the Titicaca, in which they inhabit in organizations and with ancestral customs.
The Uros islands lie among stands of reeds in shallow water at the western end, close to the Peruvian port of Puno.
These floating islands are the home of the Uros tribe, one which pre-dates the Incan civilization. According to their legends, they existed before the sun, when the earth was still dark and cold. Because of their simple and precarious lifestyle, the Incas thought them worth little and accordingly taxed them very little.
Yet the Uros, with their basic reed homes outlasted the mighty Incas with their huge stone temples and mountain-top enclaves.
