Petersburg Times.
boat would hardly budge. As he wrestled the engines controls – nothing more than a
wrench welded to a piece of rebar – we slowly propelled back into the choppy
waters. Countless islands and baby blue waters lay ahead of us but the ice-cold
breezes and snow-capped mountains were stark reminders that I was far from the
ocean.
We were lost somewhere in the choppy waters of the highest navigable lake in the
world. Perched well over two miles above sea level, it’s an odd place for a boat
adventure. Nestled between the Andean nations of Peru and Bolivia, this 3,000
square mile lake is home to more than 30 islands, one which is believed to be the
birthplace of the Incas. From the northeastern shore of the lake, the Cordillera Real
stretched back into Bolivia with peaks over 21,000 feet – some of the highest
mountains in the western hemisphere.
It’s all surrounded by the loneliness of the altiplano, a barren, windswept land of red
rock and lifelessness where one can drive for days without seeing another human
being. Titicaca is a world of contrast and contradiction where Caribbean-blue waters
lie encased in miles of scorched red earth that run straight up to the snow-capped
peaks of the Andes. It’s easy to see why the Incas called this place the “womb of
mankind”.
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I could hear the young boys pacing back and forth outside my door before the sun
came up. Emerging from my room in the frigid breezes of the Bolivian morning, I
discovered a half dozen children in alpaca sweaters eager to lead me to the docks
for a small tip. We shuffled through the dusty streets of Copacabana to the shore
where a few rotting piers stretched out into the baby blue waters. An old man in a
colorful bowler cap gave me a stern look and nodded for me to get in the boat.
Within minutes, armies of campesinos emerged from the shanties and made their
way to the dock. As they piled into the small craft, it began to violently bang against
the crumbling dock with waves crashing upon the hull. Every 15 seconds or so, we
rammed the pier and bodies went flying as a loud noise ripped through the boat. A
few concerned men stood near the edge with their hands in their pockets and
casually watched the boat’s crack grow larger. As water started to seep in through
the cracked hull, a couple pigs ran across the floor and started to drink.
Copacabana slowly disappeared in the haze of fumes that was coming from our
boat. All that could be heard was the hum of the engine, occasionally interrupted by
the squeal of a pig. We bounced off into the rough waters of Titicaca towards Isla del
Sol, the Island of the Sun. Inca legend has it that Inti, the sun god, created Manco
Capac and his sister, Mama Occlo and placed them both on Isla del Sol. Giving them
a golden staff, he commanded them to found and empire on the spot where the staff
would vanish into the earth. Their journey would eventually lead them to Cusco,
Peru where the staff disappeared and – according to Inca legend – the area became
known as the “navel of the world”.
Pulling up to the shores of Isla del Sol, it mattered little that it was the birthplace of
the Incas. Families washed clothes in the blue waters of the lake while a couple of
mules kicked dust clouds into the air. Locals disembarked and raced up the
mountainside as I headed off to explore the island’s stone sights and rocky paths.
Around every bend and past every hill I found old women with lamas in tow. These
docile creatures are the ultimate Andean beast of burden – they make great
traveling companions, they are easy to take care of, they can bare heavy loads and
as I would later find in Copacabana, they are also quite tasty.
With a full belly of llama, I boarded a rickety bus to through the Peruvian border and
onto the port city of Puno. In comparison to the surrounding villages, it is a
metropolis, the “urban” capital of Titicaca. Its bustling streets are filled with taxis,
discos, restaurants, internet cafes and shops selling everything from laptops and cell
phones to lama fetuses (for witchcraft rituals) and bundles of coca leaves. While it
retains an interesting Third World ambience of dusty streets, wandering livestock,
skyrocketing crime rates and nervous soldiers and police, it’s one of Titicaca’s main
thoroughfares.
When the weekends roll around, Puno is the hub of Titicaca’s bare-bones nightlife.
People come in from the islands and small villages to suck down cervezas, soak up
the atmosphere and dance the night away. The central pedestrian-only Lima
Avenue is lit by dim rows of old-world street lights which shine down upon the
bustling bodies. Families, romantic couples, travelers, giggling high school girls and
teenage punks all wander the streets in search of a good time.
I had only made it a couple of blocks down Lima Avenue when I was forcefully
grabbed by a waiter and pulled into a private anniversary party where I became the
gringo of honor. As the band played, my bizarre and comedic dancing moves
attracted the attention of everyone in the room – women began to fight over who
was going to dance with me while the husbands bought me shots of aguardiente and
asked me about my travels through Bolivia. I found Peruvians to have a very
intense sense of hospitality as I was barely allowed to leave the premises. Every
attempt to escape to my hotel to sleep off the hangover was interrupted by a
barrage of men that insisted I have another drink.
I was released from the hospitable care of my joyous “captors” the next morning
and sent off back into the lake’s rough waters in search of a place some of the locals
called the “water beds”. Constructed entirely of strands of reeds, the floating islands
support entire communities. Tribuna, the largest island in the area is over 13,000
square feet and has a population of around 150 residents and even its own soccer
field. There are about 70 islands in all, each carefully made and maintained from the
tortora reeds that thrive along the coast of the lake.
The bed of reeds only lasts about three months before they start to rot away. As a
result, the islands are in a constant state of repair and refurbishing with new holes
appearing and being fixed every week. When I wandered too close to the edge of an
island, my foot penetrated the soft ground and plunged into the frigid waters of
Titicaca. To me it was a laughing mater, but not to the Uros who apologized
profusely; every once in a while, a resident will fall through a hole and be devoured
by the reeds. Some mainlanders treat the Uros with suspicion – according to local
legend they have black blood in their veins which allows them to survive freezing
nights on the lake.
The islands moved and shifted with the waves and currents of the lake and I could
feel the pushing and pulling with every foot step on the reed base beneath my feet.
It was nothing more than a giant raft but held an entire community – there were
chicken coups (some animals have their own islands), pigs, children running and
playing, men building fires and groups of fishermen coming and going in reed rafts
made into the shapes of animals. In their world, reed is used for just about
everything – when it is still fresh, the soft hearts are eaten and when it is all but
useless, it is burned as fuel.
We left behind the reed islands in the wake of our boat, which literally “rocked” the
whole community. I looked back on shore to find a man bracing himself for the
impact of the waves. The endless journey to Isla Taquile left plenty of time for me to
contemplate such a unique existence.
Known as the “island of weavers” for their textile work, Taquile is a world lost in
time, far from the bustle of Puno. After a strenuous hike up more than 500 stone
stairs to the top of the mountainous island, I found a quiet plaza where curious
locals came out to greet me. Men wore black pants, white shirts and colorful
waistbands while the women strolled the dusty paths in black skirts and shawls. The
colors of hats and other garments indicated a person’s age, marital status and social
rank.
Due to their isolation and autonomy, the people of Taquile have been running their
own form of tourism since the 1970s to ensure that the culture is preserved. There
are no ritzy hotels, cars or even electricity but locals open their homes to visitors
who want to learn more about life on the lake. That night my host family cooked me
a wheat pancake, showed me a few knitting tricks and put me to bed on a mat of
reeds in a candlelit room. The average cost for a room on Taquile is one U.S. dollar
but the experience is priceless. Titicaca is more than a destination – it’s an
experience.
IF YOU GO:
Getting There:
As one of the highest cities in the world, La Paz’s thin air often causes mild cases of
altitude sickness. A day of rest, abstinence from alcohol and tobacco and a hot cup
of coca tea usually has most travelers acclimated within a day or two. From La Paz,
there are a number of bus companies that make the four hour trip to Copacabana
for less than US$5.
Getting Around:
Crillon Tours, Tel. 0102/2337-533, 305-358-5353 in the US, www.titicaca.com and
Transturin, Tel. 0102/862-2284, www.turismobolivia.com, both offer cruises and
hydrofoil routes between Puno, Copacabana and Isla del Sol.
Public boats are cheap and go just about everywhere but English is rarely spoken.
Sometimes even Spanish isn’t understood - a number of indigenous languages are
used on some of the islands.
Where to Stay
Accommodations around Lake Titicaca are among the cheapest in South America.
Small yet clean rooms with shared bath can be found in Copacabana for literally less
than the price of a couple of beers and even the ritziest accommodations in the area
can be had at bargain prices.
Hotel Cupula, Calle Michel Perez 1-3, Copacabana, Bolivia, 00591-2-862-2029, www.
hotelcupula.com, has seventeen clean and comfortable rooms with a beautiful patio
area and a view of the lake. There is also a restaurant on premises. Suites start at
US$20.
In Puno, the Best Western run Hotel Colon Inn, Calle Tacna 290, Puno, Peru, 0051-
51-351432, www.titicaca-peru.com, offers three-star accommodations with a bar
and restaurant on premises. It is centrally located near the Plaza de Armas and
there is also a knowledgeable and helpful concierge.
Sonesta Posada del Inca, Sesquicentenario 610, Sector Huaje, Puno, Peru, 5151-
364111, www.sonesta.com , offers 62 rooms with spectacular views of Titicaca and
the surrounding mountains. All rooms are equipped with modern amenities and
there is a restaurant. Rooms start at US$70 per night.
Where to Eat:
Bolivia and Peru aren’t known for their cuisine. As a matter of fact, food can
occasionally be downright horrible. Nevertheless, larger cities in both countries have
a number of fine restaurants serving Chinese, Italian and Mexican cuisine. Some
local delicacies include llama (tastes like chicken), coi (guinea pig) and “lechon al
horno”, pork marinated with white whine, lemon and red pepper. Trout from the lake
is the most popular specialty in the area.
In Copacabana, La Orilla, Av. 6 de Agosto, one block from the beach, has great
views of Titicaca and specializes in lake trout. There is occasionally live music on the
weekends.
The Sumaj Untavi Restaurant at the Inca Utama Hotel & Spa, Huatajata Island,
Bolivia 2, 2-233-7533, in Huatajata is a great place to catch a folkloric pena with
dinner.
More Information:
Travelers needn’t be fluent in Spanish but a command of simple phrases will make
travel in the region much easier. Visas are issued upon arrival in both countries and
It can get very cold around the lake so travelers should come prepared with winter
gear.
The official site of the Commission for the Promotion of Peru at www.peru.org.
pe/defaulteng.asp has more information on Puno and the Titicaca region. You can
also reach them in the U.S. by calling (866) 661-PERU.
The basic website of Bolivia’s Vice-Ministry of Tourism can be found at http://www.
desarrollo.gov.bo/turismo/Bolivia-Travel/setframeING.htm.
