C & C globetrotting around the world…

Lake Titicaca, the largest lake in South America, is more than 3 times larger than Luxembourg and straddles the border between Peru and Bolivia. We took a bus from Cuzco (Peru) over the border to Copacabana (Bolivia), having to wait in the morning for the border to open, although the locals were crossing anyway. When we arrived in Copacabana, we were exhausted because we both caught a cold. Because of this, we didn’t really get to explore it as much as we would have otherwise. Instead we spent lots of time in the room sleeping to recover.

Titicaca is notable for a population of people who live on the Uros, a group of 44 or so artificial islands made of floating reeds. These islands have become a major tourist attraction for Peru and can be visited from the lakeside city of Puno. Their original purpose was defensive, and they could be moved if a threat arose. Many of the islands contain watchtowers largely constructed of reeds. Besides the floating islands of the Aymara people, there are many other natural islands on the lake. Amantaní is a small island populated by 4,000 Quechua speakers. There are two mountain peaks, called Pachatata (Father Earth) and Pachamama (Mother Earth), and ancient ruins on the top of both peaks. The hillsides that rise up from the lake are terraced and planted with wheat, potatoes, and vegetables. Long stone fences divide the fields, and cattle and sheep graze on the hillsides. Another island, Taquile, is also accessible by boat from Puno. Culture is very much alive on Taquile, which can be seen in the traditional cloths everyone wears. Taquile is especially known for its handicraft tradition which is regarded as among the highest quality handicrafts not only in Peru but in the world. The Taquileños run their society based on community collectivism and on the Inca moral code “do not steal, do not lie, do not be lazy”.

On the Bolivian side, the small town of Copacabana is the starting point for excursions on the lake. Isla del Sol (“Island of the sun”) has many hills with agricultural terraces, which adapt steep and rocky terrain to agriculture. The main economic activity of the approximately 800 families on the island is farming, with fishing and tourism augmenting the subsistence economy. There are over 180 ruins on the island. Most of these date to the Inca period circa the 15th century AD. In the religion of the Incas, it was believed that the sun god (Inti) was born here, making the island a very important place. We will have to explore the area another time.

While in Copacabana, we walked a bit around the lake, but even the slightest physical activity was exhausting at 3,808m altitude and with a blocked nose. However, at dinner we met 3 Luxembourgers and chatted with them for a bit. The last Luxembourger we met was Henri, the Grand Duke! The next day we hopped on a bus from Copacabana to La Paz and it was a very nice ride. We saw Lake Titicaca from different angles and enjoyed the view of the beautiful sapphire water. At San Pablo de Tiquina, we took a ferry across since it’s the narrowest point of the lake. The passengers took a small boat across while the bus was put on a ferry-type construction. It didn’t seem very stable, but it worked. We continued on the altiplano, passing village fiestas, until we arrived in La Paz.