31st October

Lago Titicaca, The Uros islands, 10am. Standing on a floating manmade island made solely out of reeds, somewhere within the world’s highest navigable lake, it’s an odd feeling. Lago Titicaca is big, really big, so big it spans across two countries. On our way here our guide pointed into the distance and said that Bolivia was in that direction. Even standing on top of the roof of the boat, all I could see right up to the horizon was water - Titicaca is that big.

Lago Titicaca is also very sacred around here. It is the heart of the Aymara people’s religion and culture and the birthplace of the Tiahuanacan empire. The Incas too took it as their own, and based the own religion and creation theory around it. The creator God Viracocha alledgedly sprung from these shores and summoned the first two Incas into existence to begin their empire. This place is as sacred around this part of the world as Jerusalem is in the middle east.

Now upon the lake, I was not at all sure whether coming to the Uros islands was a good idea, and in the end the choice was made for me as it is part of a bigger tour to the island of Taquile where we are headed this afternoon. The people of the Uros islands are very traditional and their way of life has changed tremendously since the advent of tourism to their homes. I wasn’t very comfortable with being part of this process of change, a process that in places is destroying tradition and communities the world over.

As it turned out, I was wrong to feel that way. While on the islands, talking with the guide and observing the locals, it became clear that tourism simply enhances to their traditional lives, not replaces them. When it was explained that they now have solar powered electricity, lights, radios and other modern phenomena, I started to question whether they were rightly placed in this environment. Should these people be changing their traditions with these signs of modernity? It somehow seemed wrong to me and didn’t sit right, at first.

You think about it a little while though and it all makes sense. These people still live in their traditional way; fishing, making boats, constructing new islands, weaving etc. All that has happened is that they have opened their homes up to tourists, to whom they take great pride in showing their unique way of life, pride that is justly placed. The money gained from tourism goes into buying the modern equipment that they cannot make for themselves.

The equipment they acquire is just what they need, and nothing more. They have chosen selectively which aspects of the modern world that they wish to incorporate into their homes. Solar powered electricity and lights to help their children study in the evening, for now they can go to school with the books and implements that tourism has helped to pay for. Radios to help them keep in touch with what is happening on the mainland just a few miles away. Synthetic rope because it lasts a lot longer in water than their older organically constructed ropes. Every new thing they have chosen to adopt, for a specific carefully considered reason.

Why should they be denied these things? Why should I have a mobile phone but these people not? My concerns dissipated, for I could not find an answer. They have retained their tradition, yet embraced tourism, for the prosperity and development of their community. I ended up feeling very happy for them, and very happy to have met them.

The women of these islands were so cheerful and so, so friendly. They must see tourists two or three times a week, yet their friendliness was delivered with a genuine sincerity. I managed to drop my glasses on one of the islands while I was there, and being quite spindly they were really difficult to see against the matted reeds. One of the women got down on her hands and knees and carefully picked through the reeds for several minutes before they were found. Once rediscovered, she jumped up, gave me a big hug, and a kiss for good measure. At that moment, I felt a connection, a human bond, a conjunction across cultures. Just a small thing, but this woman felt so at ease with me, despite being so very different from one another, as she knew that we are both the same underneath. I love these people, and I kissed her in return.

I’m so glad I went there, super touristy, but a great experience. On the way back I couldn’t help but look across the lake and dream of Bolivia, for tomorrow, we will be there. For so long now I have harboured thoughts of exploring it’s deserts, salars and lakes, it holds a special fascination for me. Of all the countries we have visited on this trip, there is something about Bolivia that stands above the rest. I can’t explain why, just something about it is calling ... and tomorrow we will begin to find out what that is.

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Part of trip: South America 2009 - Ecuador, Peru & Bolivia

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