Uros Floating Islands, Peru

Lake Titicaca situated between Peru and Bolivia is the highest navigable lake in the world at an elevation of 3811 meters and the largest lake in South America by water volume (and not surface area).

Andeans believed that lake Titicaca is the place where the sun was born ;)!

Take a motor boat from the port of Puno (I would not recommend spending too much time in Puno since there isn't much to do or see in the city) and in 20 minutes you'll enter the ancient world of Uros floating islands. The islands are 100% man made from a reed cold "totora". Every island is home to three to ten families. If you wish, you can even spend the night with one of the families (arrange this with a local agency before your trip to Uros islands), getting the chance to understand the traditional life of Uros local natives living in symbioses with the lake and the nature. 

At the beginning, the Uros people made these floating islands so that they can be moved easily in case of danger. Today they just represent a way of life and a big sightseeing attraction, offering the visitors the opportunity to travel back in time. Even if the locals somehow adapt to the modern world (some of them have televisions, motor boats and there is also a local radio station that emits music several hours a day), they still hunt wild birds and have kept their traditional methods of fishing. 

The island, the houses, the furniture and the boats are all built from weaved layers of totora reeds. Since the reeds rot at the bottom of the islands, every couple of months, the locals add another layer of totora at the surface of the islands. These communities are self-sufficient and their way of life proves one more time that nature is the most precious gift that homo sapiens could ever have.

I heard that, on one of the islands, they also have an elementary school made out of totora, but for college and university the children go to the mainland and most of them never return, being lured by the modern civilization.

Before going back to the mainland don't forget to enjoy a ride in a totora boat. You pay a small fee, you help the locals and you make your experience more authentic. You may also buy some reed souvenirs or colorful textile made by the locals.

Hasta luego!

P.S. Bring some gifts for the children in the Uros islands and you'll get back big happy smiles. Tip: crayons and notebooks are very much appreciated.