Taking The Michael

Perhaps our first real awareness of Lake Titicaca came from watching the Michael Palin series “Full Circle”. So, having one day here, we were determined to take his lead and visit the floating islands of the Uros and the Yavari ship which both featured in the programme.

So, the first of these was a boat trip on Lake Titicaca to the floating islands. Looking at the lake from the hostel rooftop,

we realised that it was going to be quite a beautiful day, so, packing our suncream into our daypacks, we were picked up by a minibus at 8:50 am and (after picking up passengers from other hotels) we arrived at the docks and got onto our boat.

Whilst waiting for the boat to set off, we were entertained by a boy playing pan pipes and singing.

We don’t think he was affiliated with the trip and was just some random urchin from the street looking to make a bit of money. As far as I know, though, he didn’t get any!

The boat set off on the journey on Lake Titicaca,

and straight away the lake became magical, with the light creating an amazing vibrancy to the blue water.

The journey to the Uros took around thirty minutes. Within fifteen we were passing through the start of the totora reeds that the islands are made from,

so I popped onto the roof of the boat for a clearer look at where we were heading.

It was a strange feeling, sat atop the boat as we passed through a narrow channel through the reeds.

It became even stranger when signs of habitation, such as pigs living in the reeds, came into view.

Almost, it seemed, all at once, the channel through the reeds ended and we came into a small bay area around the islands, immediately spotting one of the totora reed boats that the people of the Uros are renowned for.

Our boat pulled up at one of the floating islands, and we were helped off it onto the reeds. It came as a slight surprise to find that the ground we were walking on was spongy and springy, almost like walking on an inflatable bouncy castle, and, while you didn’t sink into it as such, you were fully aware that you were not on firm ground.

We were led to a square of totora benches and were treated to a demonstration of how the islands are made. The roots of the totora reeds form a dense floating base, on which layer upon layer of totora reeds are layered to create each island. We were shown how the reeds are bound together, and how the very same reeds are used for everything from eating through to building the huts on the islands.

When the demonstration was over, we were left to wander around the island for fifteen minutes. Being one of the bigger islands, with eleven people living on it, there still wasn’t a great deal to do except look at the trinkets each family was selling.

Although we knew we’d be able to buy one for a fraction of the cost on the mainland, we were particularly attracted to one piece of weaving one of the families was selling, so, despite every sinew in my body trying to resist parting with the money, we bought an ideal bit of tat for our house!

There’s some debate on various websites as to whether the people of the Uros do actually live on these islands still, or whether they live in Puno town and just beat the tourists to the island. There were signs of someone living on our island (the solar panel being used to power one of the huts)

but it was impossible to tell if the islanders did live here fully. And to be perfectly honest, we didn’t care! Some travellers seem to be forever lambasting an experience if it isn’t 100% authentic. After travelling around the world for nearly six months, we really don’t think there is any areas that you can class as being 100% authentic. Nowhere is an island (although I suppose the island we were on was, but you know what I mean!) and even old cultures absorb new technologies. So, whether the majority of the people did actually live here was academic; they were maintaining an example of how the Uros people lived for hundreds of years, employing the same techniques and methods that their ancestors had used, and it felt like a step back in time.

Then came the thing that we had been waiting for; a trip in a totora reed boat!

Ever since watching the Michael Palin episode, I’ve wanted to go in one of these, and now was our chance!

So, clambering onto our boat and heading to the stern,

we set off on a journey to another island, with the women of the Uros waving us goodbye and singing to us as we cast off from the mooring.

There were two reed boats to serve the passengers from our trip. Strangely enough, one of the boats was full to bursting, yet ours was practically empty with only six other passengers on it! This meant that we could really appreciate the journey and lounge about, whereas on the other boat the passengers were nearly gaining biblical knowledge of each other as they tried to squeeze in!

It was a really brilliant experience, to ride on the totora reed boat on Lake Titicaca, passing reed sculptures,

boats being used solely by the indigenous people,

and all the while being sang to by three small children from the island who had joined us in our boat. Very magical indeed. Including the “amigo” song they sung, where they made a point of walking up and down the boat and touching each passenger’s hand as they sung!

The second island we visited was more of a tourist area than the original island. Containing a bar, restaurant and shop, it was obviously designed to extract the last bit of money out of the trip passengers, but it was still possible to enjoy without spending a penny.

Top of the attractions here was the watch tower. Used in centuries passed to spot danger from other tribes (the whole reason why the Uros people started to live on the floating islands as a barrier to being defeated), now it was a perfect place to get an overview of the whole area. We waited in line for other tourists to climb up, take their photos, and come down again, and frankly it was quite frustrating to watch how long they were taking to climb and descend the ladder. Finally, when only one other person had gone up, I took my opportunity and practically ran up the ladder before anyone else could think about spending five minutes on the climb!

Memories of ascending the Diamond Lookout Tree in Western Australia flooding back, I scaled the ladder in mere seconds.

The structure shook from side to side as I bounded up it, and completely terrified the girl who had gone up before me!

The view was worth it, as you got a real feel for the layout of the islands and how close some of the huts were to the water.

Coming back down to terra firma (or should that be reeda sponga), we looked at a couple more reed boats on the water,

as well as an eagle tethered inexplicably to a pole,

before we boarded our boat again and headed back to the mainland.

We got back to the docks, passing the lighthouse

and several pelican boats (non traditional!!)

before finding our minibus and getting back to the hostel.

Visiting the floating islands of the Uros had been a longstanding desire for both of us, and we loved every minute of the visit. It was a fascinating insight into an indigenous culture, irrespective of whether all the people actually live there anymore, and indeed was one of the highlights of the trip so far.

We rested for half an hour back in our room, and then set off to do our second homage to Michael Palin, visiting the boat The Yavari.

The thing that particularly interested us in the “Full Circle” series was the back story behind this boat. Originally commissioned by the Peruvian Government in the nineteenth century, it was constructed in Britain, dismantled piece by piece on the shores of South America, and then transported by mule across the Andes to Lake Titicaca where it was re-assembled. Over the years it had fallen into disuse until a British woman spotted the rotting shell of it and started to restore it. So we were intrigued to see what stage the restoration was at, “Full Circle” being broadcast in the late 1990’s.

To get there was a forty five minute walk, so we decided to use one of the small tuk-tuks to do the journey instead.

Negotiating a 4 soles fare to the boat, we set off on a bumpy and extremely noisy journey to the outskirts of town.

The tuk-tuk driver pulled up just before a hotel, behind which lied the Yavari, so we paid our fare and walked towards the hotel entrance.

As we crossed the train tracks before the hotel, we spotted a group of three small boys dressed in full national costume and with painted on moustaches!

It was Independence Day in Peru and there was obviously some sort of parade about to happen (we could also hear a band rehearsing), but it didn’t appear to be starting yet so we continued on our way to the Yavari.

For the next five minutes, we struggled to find the entrance. We knew it was behind the hotel, but there seemed to be no clear way to actually get behind the hotel! Eventually, I plucked up courage to approach the reception desk of the hotel and ask “Donde esta la Yavari?”, to which the receptionist indicated through the hotel. So, dressed in our finest clothes, sporting only two months of ingrained dirt, we walked through a relatively plush hotel and came out of the back of it to finally spot our entry point to the ship!

Passing probably the fattest Llama/ Alpaca we’ve ever seen,

we walked along a swaying wooden jetty and finally made it onto the ship.

A guide was just starting to take a French couple around the vessel, so we joined the tour and were led around every section of the boat, informed at all times as to the extent of renovation that had taken place.

We were even allowed down into the engine room of the boat, which contained many of the original brass fittings from the nineteenth century,

as well as going into the ship’s bridge complete with the original wheel!

It was a really interesting and worthwhile experience, so much so that we donated more than the recommended donation on finishing the tour. To have such unfettered access to all areas of the boat was a rare experience, and we enjoyed the fact that we were on a boat that we had first become aware of on a TV programme over ten years ago. In fact, we liked it so much that, when we found the wheel for the anchor,

Mandy tried to raise it so we could sail off across Lake Titicaca towards Bolivia and never leave!

Thoughts of piracy and raiding merchant vessels on the high seas of the err…. lake, flooded our minds! Unfortunately, our plan was foiled when we realised we didn’t have the first clue on how to steer a nineteenth century ship, so we left and headed back towards the rear of the hotel.

Before reaching the hotel, we spotted and heard the Independence Day parade that we’d suspected was taking place.

We were too far away to really appreciate it, but could see the colours of the costumes and hear the festival music, which was better than nothing. If only we hadn’t attempted to be pirates, we might’ve made it in time to the main road to watch it! Oh well!

Passing the Llamas again, we realised that one had gotten into the festival mood, wearing little woollen baubles in its hair!

We, on the other hand, had to work out how to get back to the centre of Puno from the middle of nowhere! We luckily managed to flag down a cab on the main road, and didn’t get robbed, ripped off or held for ransom on the way back!

Tired from the days exertions, we couldn’t really face the hassle of finding a new restaurant to eat in, so repeated our “find” from yesterday, ate like the locals again and enjoyed it just the same today. We then headed for a final look at Plaza Uno

the pedestrian area next to it

and finally Plaza De Armas

before heading back to the hostel to pack ready for leaving tomorrow.

About 9pm, we had the bright idea of going onto the roof of the building to see the view at night and see if there were any fireworks happening for Independence Day. There was nothing going off so, shutting the door behind me and coming down the stairs, the next two seconds came very close to landing me in a Peruvian Jail on a homicide charge!

I don’t have any recollection of actually making contact with it, but I must have clipped a heavy plant pot on the stairs. Which proceeded to fall off the stairs, plummet fifteen feet, and crash into minute pieces on the floor below, right between two English people eating at the table below.

If it had been an inch to either side, it would at best have seriously injured one of them and at worst killed them! A very scary moment indeed.

Having made sure they were alright, I went to speak to Alfredo, finding his wife Gilda instead. She told me not to worry about the mess and that they’d clear it up. I don’t think they truly understood the mountain of earth and potware that was covering the entire floor, so insisted they give me something to clear it up. It took me and Mandy a full twenty minutes to clear the mess up, all the while aware of the other two guests trying to eat their dinner having just experienced a near death experience!

Suffice to say, as soon as we’d cleared the mess up, and Alfredo and Gilda had reassured me that they didn’t want paying for the damage, we locked ourselves in our room, only venturing out for a drink when my “nearly homicide victims” had gone to their own rooms!

An eventful end to our stay in the Andes!!