You will be picked up from your hotel in Puno around
6:40 AM, after 2 hours motorboat you will arrive at the
Uros island. Fishermen and hunters inhabit the floating
islands of the Uros. The residents of the Uros use the
cattail, a type of rush, which grows in the lake, to
create the conditions that ensure the islands stay
afloat. The dense roots that the plants develop support
the island. The roofs are waterproof and the houses are
extremely humid because of the surrounding water. At
present they speak Quechua and Aymara. Then we will
visit the Taquile island, including lunch in the
cooperative restaurant, there is also a cooperative shop
on the plaza that sells exceptional woollen goods which
are not cheap but of very fine quality. Taquile Island
is famous for its craft production, particularly for its
beautiful textiles. The island is narrow at about 1 Km.
wide and 6 to 7 Km. long. The visit could be exhausting
because of the 533 steps on the stone stairway to climb
to get to the village and because of the altitude
(13,000 ft above sea level). On Taquile there are
numerous pre-Inca and Inca ruins as well as Inca
terracing. We will return in Puno in the afternoon.
