Uros Islands

One of the most unusual parts of our trip to Peru was our homestay on the Uros Islands, a group of eighty floating, man-made islands constructed out of reeds. The Uros people lived in the middle of Lake Titicaca, where they could defend their homes from the Incans. Each island is anchored in place with a rock, but when the rock is rolled off the island, it can float anywhere in Lake Titicaca, which expands into both Peru and Bolivia.

When I first stepped onto the island, I felt the reeds bounce underneath my feet. It was definitely an unsettling feeling knowing I was not on firm land, but on what is essentially a giant raft. Our host father reassured us that the reeds are piled on three or four feet thick, so there is no danger of falling through!

As you can see in the pictures, the family constructed several buildings on their island using reeds and plywood. They had a “kitchen” (no running water or plumbing), a few cabins, and the latrines. Of course, there is no electricity on the island!

Our host family cooked us dinner–trout, rice, and potatoes– a very common meal in Peru, and host father spent an hour or two talking with us. Fortunately, there was another guest on the island with us, a woman on vacation from Lima, who was fluent in both English and Spanish and could translate for us. Our host father answered our questions about what they do for fun on the island (celebrate weddings with dancing and drinking for a full week), their one-room school-house built by missionaries, and the time it takes to build an island (up to a month, with the help of the whole community). The main source of income for the islanders is the tourism industry, mostly from day-trippers visiting by speedboat from Puno. The families weave blankets and wall hangings, carve figurines, and sell other trinkets to tourists. They also fish, but mainly as a means of feeding themselves.

When night fell on the reed island, it was pitch black. The lights of the distant town of Puno sparkled on the horizon, but on our island, we had a perfect view of the stars. It was also freezing cold on the lake with no buildings or trees to shelter us from the wind. We huddled into our cabin, piled on the alpaca blankets, and wore all of our clothes to keep warm.

In the morning, our host brothers took us out in the canoe to tour the lake before breakfast. Their pet dog, “Lassie”, also jumped in the boat with us. There was a hilarious moment when the younger host brother, Pancho, tried to push Lassie into the lake, until Jasmine advised him that would be a bad idea (assuming he understood her English).

Our host mother launching their canoe made out of reeds for us.

Overall, this homestay was an unforgettable experience and showed us a perspective of life on the Uros Island we never could have gotten from a two-hour visit from Puno.