"B" is for behind, as in belated, not as in bum.

It's been two and half weeks since  I've posted anything, all sorts of little things have been going on here, boring, regular things, but things that needed to get done nonetheless, also a 10 day mini vacay to Nevada....stories of that will come later. As well as a semi interesting hospital story. But now it's time to get back to Peru! 

Puno. Funny name to say, considering the lake it's near....get it? "Poo-no, near Lake Titicaca"  Oh seriously Shannon, grow up.

The hotel here was another unique and quirky place, where I had a teensy room. You can't see it in this picture, but there was a mini alcove right beside the door, with one chair and a small round table, barely enough room to sit at. I didn't actually sit there because there was no light. I guess it would be a good place for quiet contemplation. The bathroom was large and bright and sizable, I'd be better off to sit in there, I'm not saying that I did you undestand. But for the amount of time I spent in the room, it was fine.

The morning buffet was like all the others, except this one had a toaster so one could have "real" toast, but still only white bread. I know it was healthy (ish) since it was all preservative free, and freshly made, but I just have an aversion to white bread. White bread and Nescafé....two things I really dislike and those are the two things I saw so much of. Ah well....you know, when in Rome.....

Besides, there was much more than just toast, there was fresh fruit, slices of meat and cheese, pitchers of yogurt (as opposed to pictures of yogurt) hard boiled eggs and a scrambley egg thing, as well as juices. And Nescafé. I'm not a breakfast eater anyway.

First thing on today's agenda was our visit to the floating islands of Uros! Let me give you some information on these, because its just fascinating. Oh but wait, first let me show you how we got to the docks: 

How fun is this? I've never had my ass pedaled somewhere before. Which, understand, is different than peddling my ass.

Anyhow,  The floating islands of Uros are made from the tortora reeds, and here is a quick Wikipedia piece of info, read it through though, it's quite amazing:

" totora is a cattail type rush growing native in the lake. Its dense roots support the top layer, which rots and must be replaced regularly by stacking more reeds on top of the layer beneath. The islands change in size, and more are created as the need arises. The largest island is currently Tribuna. The surface of the islands is uneven, thin, and some liken walking on it to walking on a waterbed. The unwary might not notice a thin spot and sink a leg or more into the frigid waters of the lake."

And what they mean by "the islands change as need arises" is exactly that....if you have a quarrel with your family, you cut your island in half and float away, if you get married or just decide to become a larger family, you attach your islands together. So that's why they never know how many islands there really are...it depends on the latest family feud, or lack thereof. Isn't that really amazing? I love it!

The people that live there are the Uros tribe, they actually pre-date the Incas and speak a whole different language, called Aymara. 

So. We took our little rickshaw down to the docks, the drivers racing  each other, just for fun, veering around corners and almost doing a "bump to pass" type of thing, it was speedy and fun. There is a large and extremely intriguing market near the docks that I'm anxious to explore later.

We boarded our boat, just us, it was a private boat, which was nice, and set off for the islands.

What? Ewwwww.....all that algae....it was pretty disgusting, but it was just in this docking sort of area. The lake itself is cold and clean, I'm not sure what this muck was all about.

Our tourist boat, which had the open top part, and a bathroom as well. Very comfy. The pilot/guide was very informative and explained about what we would see and do. He taught us a few words of Aymara  as well, so that we could at least say hello and thank you and be respectful.

Oh! Speaking of respectful, I was rereading my post about Juliaca and I noticed that I commented on not taking pictures and then I posted 3 pictures...I meant to post that those were stock pictures from a website, not from my camera. 

Back to Uros, the first island we came to was the hospital. Yes, a floating island hospital. 

Not much, but better than nothing. I would imagine that serious cases go to the hospital in Puno 

The islands are constantly rotting from underneath, so new reeds are laid on top, it's an ongoing process. An island lasts about 30 years, but there is a huge amount of maintenance to keep it livable for that length of time. All the tourists that visit cause the islands to deteriorate quicker, but the money helps the people survive and live healthier and happier lives, so once again it's the dilemma of eco tourism and are we really helping or not? More and more of the youth are moving to the mainland, and eventually the islands will be no more.

Each island gets visited in a rotation so that there won't be one family or group that profits from tourism more than another. These are some pictures from "our" family of the day. The men were out fishing, so the women were in charge today. They were  making crafts to sell and tending the children. 

Little Juan had a cold and was given a tortora reed to chew. The white inner part acts similar to aspirin, and is used for teething, colds, fever and hangovers. If its split open and laid upon the forehead, it cures headaches. Parts of are pounded into a paste for a "potato" type of meal, parts are dried and then ground into a flour for breads. The rest of the reed is used to build boats and homes, not to mention the islands themselves. Isn't Nature astounding? What a provider.

Starting some embroidery.

Fresh duck eggs daily! Their diet consists of fish, sea birds, eggs and grains.

This is home. A large bed, clothes are hung on ropes stretched across the roof. There are small tables made with the reeds where dishes are kept, along with, oddly enough, a small TV....an old, old one with rabbit ears, they do manage to pick up signals now and then. Most islands have a small generator  for a bit of occasional electricty. I wondered about the gaps in the roof, what happens when it rains? Apparently, the totora reeds swell up when they get wet, and close the gaps. I wonder how much rain gets in before that happens though?

I sat on the "ground" for but a moment to snap this picture and my bum was wet. No wonder the kids have constant colds and pneumonia. Everything seems damp, even inside the house, the bed seemed cold and clammy.

The boats are fantastic though, like something from Middle Earth. This is from the top of the boat, leaving the island we visited. 

We clambered up that boat, up top, which did seem a bit precarious, and we were taken to an island that had a tiny restaurant on it. 

The women rowed us there. I can't imagine how heavy the boat was, these were strong women.

Our boat, docked at the restaurant island. You can see the rickety ladder that we used to get up to the top "balcony". My big fear was that the whole boat would tip over,but the women seemed confident and unconcerned. 

Below is the tiny island with the restaurant. Note how the kids play right beside the water, kids that are hardly old enough to walk! My heart was in my throat. Apparently the children learn to float almost before they learn to walk. Actual swimming is not taught at a young age, but floating is obviously crucial. The water is so cold, that to a small child, hypothermia sets in very quickly.

I had a cup of coffee, or should I say Nescafé, along with a really tasty deep fried piece of quinoa bread. It's was chewy and sweet, drizzled with a touch of honey. Yummy! 

One of the ladies with us had a very bad headache that day, and when she mentioned it to our guide, Shidy, she took her by the arm and led her to this tiny bush planted in a little plot of dirt near the restaurant and plucked a few leaves and told her to chew them up. The plant is called "ruda" and acts like acetaminophen. Within minutes, her headache had lessened, and shortly after, it was gone!

It's the plant in the centre, with lots of tiny leaves. Just one amazement after another. It was really a day I'll never forget. Seeing something or somewhere that you've always been fascinated by, but never really dreamed you'd ever see is a mind blowing moment. I was sad it was over.

I'd have loved to stay longer, and to have had a chance to have a cup of tea brewed on their tiny stove/oven. I imagine a fire here could be quite a catastrophe.....I'll bet playing with matches gets more than just a "time out".

Heading back to Puno.

What a day. What a day.