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Imaginatively located on the highest navigable lake in the world, Lake Titicaca, we’d been told the Floating Islands of Uros are a tourist trap and the only thing to see in Puno. Right on both counts, but a tourist trap for a reason; they’re really quite interesting! Over five hundred years ago, the original inhabitants fled from the shores of the lake to avoid the impending Incan invasion. Now, they avoid property tax. But they also offer an insight into one of the strangest ways of living in the world, and it was a great way to break up the 18hr bus journey from Cusco, Peru to La Paz, Bolivia.
With heavy hearts, we jumped in a taxi to Cusco Terminal Terrestre and took a bus for 20 soles to Puno. Fairly uneventful, and we arrived in Puno seven hours later worrying slightly about how we were going to fit all of our plans into just one month. In a flash of convenience, a lady jumped on us while we fiddled with our bags and offered a fantastic sounding hostel for only 20 soles per person. That hostel was Hotel Europa, and included a double with private bath, Wi-Fi to the room and hot water . Breakfast was an extra five soles per person, and was pretty terrible, so avoid this if possible. Normally the rooms are 80 soles from the price list behind the till. Apparently in Bolivia it is a legal requirement to have this displayed! The mega-convenient part kicked in when the hotel manager could arrange our floating island tour for a meagre 20 soles each, and then would also book our 30 soles each bus ticket to La Paz for us to leave that same afternoon! Within twenty four hours of reaching Puno, we’d be in Bolivia! The whole half hour was scarily helpful and we rounded it off with an almuerzos (menu of the day) that actually tasted pretty good for only three soles (60p). That night we watched Kung Fu Panda in the room and enjoyed a good night’s sleep!
 Entering the Floating Islands of Uros, poplation 1,500.
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An early start sprinting around Puno for last minute cash and supplies meant we could leave for the islands at just before 9am. Picked up from the hostel in a minibus, us and eleven or so others made our way to port where we hopped on a medium sized boat and slowly made our way to the islands through banks of reeds, passing Tracy Island on the way. As we drew closer, the famous islands spread across the lake in front of us. At its deepest, the lake is 274m in depth and the waters are crystal blue. Unlike the normally sheltered and sometimes grumpy welcome that most Peruvians offer, each island’s inhabitants waved cheerily beckoning the boat to set anchor at its edge – tourism is the main source of income for these islands and they are keen to capture potential income’s interest! Each of the fifty islands are covered in reed houses for the total population of 1,500, and they also make sculptures of fish, swans and other creatures to increase their own individual island’s appeal. Everything is made of reed; it is their main construction material – and can also be a source of food, we tried some, it wasn’t too bad, a bit like slightly sweet celery!
 Finally, our destination, Isla Uros Manco Papac.
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We docked at ‘Isla Uros Manco Papac’, which has eight families living on it and a population of thirty five. Virtually all that we met were barefooted women and children, the men out completing their duties of hunter gatherer. We bounced on to the reed trampoline of an island to warm greetings and shook the offered hands, then took our seats ready for the informative talk about how the islands are made and the people survive. In the 1500s the Uros people fled the shores of Lake Titicaca to escape the advancing Incan civilisation, and originally lived on the lake in large reed boats with a simple house and kitchen on board. Needing space, they eventually converted these boats to islands by binding them together and laying yet more reed on top to create large flat spaces. However the boats underneath soon began to rot, and they had to invent new methods of creating their floating islands. Which is where they found even more uses for the plentiful reeds that grow on Lake Titicaca’s shores, in depths of 1-2m.
 The finished representation, complete with model kitchen nearly as big as man.
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At a certain point in the life cycle of the reed soil, they found that it floats. By excavating the soil in large blocks, and cutting them to size with handsaws, they had the floating Lego bricks with which to make a new land. Each brick is then secured with synthetic rope (cheaper and more durable than the straw they used years ago). The base layer of floating reed root soil is about 1m deep, and then alternate layers of reed are layed on top, perpendicular to each other for strength, to a height of a further 1m. These islands are then secured by further rope, six in the case of this island, with the rope then bowed down with a stone mid-weight to allow the passing of boats over their island’s anchors. In high winds the islands still move, and some of the anchors may break and need replacing as time passes.
 One of the native fish, Carachi, isn’t that tasy apparently (although still edible) hence the trout farm.
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The average life span of each island is 20-25 years, at which point the base layer begins to rot and the eight month construction of a replacement island then begins. In the middle of most islands is a small pond, which is bounded with netting and allows the cultivating of trout for food which are not indigenous to the area. Other fish are, but not as tasty apparently. The depth of Lake Titicaca around these islands is approximately 17m, an answer to a pop question we’d been fed previously by Lee and Chloe and won Lynette a rather attractive artisan necklace. The other main sources of food is birds (such as Cormerand), and the selling of tapestries and models they produce to visiting tourists so that they can visit Puno market and buy rice and flour, as they cannot grow any food themselves. We were also told that no animals live on the islands, but we did see a few pigs and the odd cat – so at least they can feast on bacon sandwiches occasionally. There are even schools for the local children on the islands, however if they want to go to university then it is a daily trip to the mainland to visit Puno university.
 The slightly demeaning rendition of Twinkle Twinkle, little star that was given to us.
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Shortly after the informative lecture, rather oddly all the local women gathered to sing a few local songs for us. This was quite entertaining until they offered to sing it in English, and recited a few bars of ‘Twinkle, twinkle, little star’ which was more demeaning that endearing. Nevertheless they then had their swift revenge, as they bustled us off into each of their huts to show us how they lived, which felt more like a daylight mugging as different goods they had made were thrust in our faces and ‘special prices’ offered. Nevertheless we came away with a very attractive mobile (dangles above babies cots) that needed swapping the first time as one of the handmade women that swung from its cantilevers was lacking a head; sure to cause nightmares in even the most hardy of infants.
 Where we purchased a mobile, planning very far ahead.
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We then visited a second island, skilfully dodging the offer of making our way there in a traditional reed boat for ten soles, designated as the capital of the area. It had restaurants and a small market shop; they even offered to stamp our passports for one sole each. Questioning the legality of inventing your own principality and passport stamp we declined, instead taking the opportunity to pose with their mascot eagle for one sole. Cheesy, but he was a funny old sod and nearly took the head off a few people standing by which put a smile on our faces. We probably should have set him free or something but we were surrounded by deep water and had a funny feeling the locals could swim a lot better than us.
 Taken from a viewing tower, you can see the houses stretching off into the distance.
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Having explored the islands for the morning, which didn’t really need any more but did make a great trip out with minimal hassle (a boon when travelling and every footstep and penny needs to be accounted for!). Revitalised we headed back to Puno and boarded our pre-booked bus to La Paz. Next stop; Bolivia!
More From Mr & Mrs Travel Blog
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There is a reason why i didnt look at these pages before, they awesome and im full of envy. Looks fantastic Mace’s, is there any point me saying’hope you have a nice time’!!! Just be safe, and look forward to all the updates. Hows the knee? Heid’s