Lake Titicaca-A Conundrum

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Geo: -15.84, -70.05

We could not decide if we should go to Lake Titicaca or not. We have heard very mixed reviews of it and having been there, I get it. It is a beautiful lake – the highest navigatible lake in the world. And they have created a tourist experience that is downright bizarre. First of all, every tour operator offers the exact same 2 or 3 packages. There are literally hundreds of the exact same boats that pile up with tourists all within an hour of each other and plow out to a series of islands inhabited by indigenous people who have built their islands from reeds. The experience is completely contrived down to the ladies singing a song in Quechua, one in Spanish then singing 'Row Row Your Boat' in a form of English that is barely recognizable and has no meaning whatsoever to them. I could feel the resistance to doing this ‘show' especially by the younger women of the group. The other side of this story is that it is a very interesting site to see how these people live on the reed islands that squish under your feet.

The remainder of the day is spent riding on the motor boat for 2.5 hours to an island (Taquille), spending about a 1.5 hours eating lunch and hiking up one side of the island then down the other side, getting in the boat and driving 2.5 hours back to Puno. By the way, it was only Canadians on the boat who spent the majority of the boat ride on the top so we could really see the scenery...a hearty crew we were because it was cold.

So would I return to Puno? No. Would I have chosen not to go? Because it was on the way to Arequipa and Colca Canyon, I guess I would recommend a person to go only if they have extra time on their hands. Otherwise, it's just too contrived for me although beautiful. And Jim did get some good photos; some of which he had to pay for which is something we generally don't do. We don't take the picture if the subject demands to be paid.

It is such a conundrum of tourism! How do people create guenuine experiences for tourists and for the local people that sustain a tourism industry, meet the needs of locals and tourists without taking advantage of either and not creating resentment, hostility, and/or abuse of the people or the environment? Is it possible? How do we, as individual travellers, contribute to a sustainable, healthy, tourism industry? It is, and always has been, a big question for me. I feel a lot of tension around this topic because I am so much a part of it. Would love to hear some comments on this one...

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Comments

[Elizabeth]

I wonder what HE thinks of the tourist trade poking around his home environment. He's a cutie for sure!

[Wendy]

I bet he's making his sister a Fair Isle sweater.