If I Were a Tourist, Where Would I Be?
Sillustani
An incomplete chullpa overlooks the landscape from atop a hill.
Sillustani, located, about 15 minutes outside of the city of Puno, is an archaeological site of a former Aymara burial ground. The burial towers, called chullpas, were used to hold the remains of Aymara elite and were constructed before the rise of the Inca empire (Hardman 4).
On the pathway leading up to the site of the ruins, vendors line the streets with small statues of the chullpas and handwoven scaves, sweaters, hats, gloves, and even tablecloths, hoping to attract visitors and tourists to make a purchase.
On the pathway leading up to the site of the ruins, vendors line the streets with small statues of the chullpas and handwoven scaves, sweaters, hats, gloves, and even tablecloths, hoping to attract visitors and tourists to make a purchase.
A chullpa overlooking a small lagoon. Although not visible in the photo, it is currently undergoing restoration.
Los Uros
Los Uros, known as "The Floating Islands," are a group of approximately 200 islands on Lake Titicaca built out of reeds and inhabited by indigenous Aymara people. To escape the Inca civilization, the Aymara people built the islands out of reeds on Lake Titicaca. Then, when the Spanish conquerors arrived, they continued to live on their floating islands, and remain their to this day.
Each island undergoes a process of reconstruction every 10 to 14 days as the dry and brittling reeds are replaced with fresh ones.
Each island undergoes a process of reconstruction every 10 to 14 days as the dry and brittling reeds are replaced with fresh ones.
Los Uros: The Tourist Experience
When we arrived to one of the floating islands, we were greeted by the president of the island. Anywhere from one to four families live on an island, and each island has a president that represents that island. The president of the island gave us a brief history of Los Uros, and explained the process of constructing an island.
Up until recently, they survived by fishing and hunting small birds, and traveling to Puno in order to sell their catch. However, according to the president of the island we visited, the people of Los Uros are no longer able to fish and hunt because of new government regulations. Now, the people depend mainly on tourism as their source of income. However, because of the large numbers of islands and the low numbers of tourists, not every island receives visitors every day; therefore, most people struggle to make ends meet. The president informed us frankly that, as tourists, the people of Los Uros were dependent upon us for their income, before directing us to some handbags, tapestries, jewelry and figurines that they other residents of the island had for us to purchase. Because I almost felt obligated to do so, I bought a bracelet.
Amantani and Taquile Islands
Amantani and Taquile islands are two islands on Lake Titicaca which are home to Quechua speaking indigenous subsistence farmers. Due to their somewhat remote location, many of the traditional cultural practices remain intact, especially among the women; many do not speak Spanish. However, as it is more common for the men to go to the mainland, Puno, to seek work or for school, many return to the islands dressing in more modern clothes and bringing new technologies with them.
A view of the terraces from a rooftop.
Taquile Island has been a tourist destination since the late 1970s, when it was briefly mentioned in a South America travel guidebook (Ypeij and Zorn 121). Due in part to the efforts of Peace Corps volunteers, the quality of the weaving on Taquile Island had begun to draw the attention of European and American textile companies in the late 1960s. The promise of tourism inspired the purchase of motorboats, partially with the help of a grant reducing the travel time from Puno to Taquile from 12 hours to just 3.5.
In 1983, Healy and Zorn describe the island as lacking plumbing and electricity, and only offering visitors reed mats to sleep on. Within the last 30 years, not only has Taquile acquired plumbing, electricity and beds for tourists, they have also since constructed shops, restaurants, and convenience stores, many strategically located in the main plaza for the convenience of visitors.
Taquile Island was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005 because of the quality of the traditional weaving and textiles of the island (Ypeij and Zorn 120). On Taquile Island, both men and women weave; the activity is not restricted to either gender. The recognition from UNESCO has contributed to some of the interest in Taquile as a tourist destination.
Both Amantani and Taquile are examples of community-based tourism. Because the islands had small populations prior to the arrival of tourism and could claim land ownership, they were able to regulate and control tourist activity. Each island has a Tourism Board that ensures that all residents of the island benefit equally from tourism, and sets the price of goods and services.
In 1983, Healy and Zorn describe the island as lacking plumbing and electricity, and only offering visitors reed mats to sleep on. Within the last 30 years, not only has Taquile acquired plumbing, electricity and beds for tourists, they have also since constructed shops, restaurants, and convenience stores, many strategically located in the main plaza for the convenience of visitors.
Taquile Island was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005 because of the quality of the traditional weaving and textiles of the island (Ypeij and Zorn 120). On Taquile Island, both men and women weave; the activity is not restricted to either gender. The recognition from UNESCO has contributed to some of the interest in Taquile as a tourist destination.
Both Amantani and Taquile are examples of community-based tourism. Because the islands had small populations prior to the arrival of tourism and could claim land ownership, they were able to regulate and control tourist activity. Each island has a Tourism Board that ensures that all residents of the island benefit equally from tourism, and sets the price of goods and services.
A rooftop view of Lake Titicaca, and tourists relaxing in Taquile's main plaza.
Amantani and Taquile: The Tourist Experience
After about a two hour boat ride, we arrived on Amantani island around 3 p.m. Our group of about 12 people was divided among five host families. Each family took us to their home where we dropped off our bags before embarking on an hour long hike to the top of Pachatata, one of two mountains on the island, to watch the sunset. Although the hike was a bit challenging because of the pace and altitude, the view of the sun setting on Lake Titicaca was the perfect reward and well worth the effort.
After the hike, we returned to our host families and ate dinner. Our family consisted of a father, mother and daughter. Only the father and daughter spoke Spanish; they had to translate Quechua to Spanish for the mother, making conversation difficult. As a result, I did not communicate with my Amantani host family very much; I asked a few questions about tourism to the island. As was the case with Los Uros, my host father said that the families who receive visitors rotate, and each family receives about two groups of visitors each month. Also like Los Uros, tourism is the main source of income for the island. Before going to bed, my host father asked us if we had any medicine with us, because his wife had a headache; I gave him two Advil from the 100-capsule bottle that I had with me.
We left Amantani Island early the next morning and sailed to Taquile, about 45 minutes away. There, we walked for about 45 minutes across the small island to the town square, where there was a shop selling some of the woven products that had earned the island recognition for UNESCO. Our tour guide informed us that, although bartering with the shopkeepers might work in Puno, in the shops of Taquile, all the prices were fixed by the community Tourism Board and could not be lowered. After having time to explore the shop and make purchases if we wished, our tour group ate lunch at a restaurant. As with the islands of Los Uros and host families on Amantani Island, the restaurants rotated who would receive tourists that day. There were only two meals on the menu, trout and an omelette, and both were absurdly overpriced by Puno's standards.
After the hike, we returned to our host families and ate dinner. Our family consisted of a father, mother and daughter. Only the father and daughter spoke Spanish; they had to translate Quechua to Spanish for the mother, making conversation difficult. As a result, I did not communicate with my Amantani host family very much; I asked a few questions about tourism to the island. As was the case with Los Uros, my host father said that the families who receive visitors rotate, and each family receives about two groups of visitors each month. Also like Los Uros, tourism is the main source of income for the island. Before going to bed, my host father asked us if we had any medicine with us, because his wife had a headache; I gave him two Advil from the 100-capsule bottle that I had with me.
We left Amantani Island early the next morning and sailed to Taquile, about 45 minutes away. There, we walked for about 45 minutes across the small island to the town square, where there was a shop selling some of the woven products that had earned the island recognition for UNESCO. Our tour guide informed us that, although bartering with the shopkeepers might work in Puno, in the shops of Taquile, all the prices were fixed by the community Tourism Board and could not be lowered. After having time to explore the shop and make purchases if we wished, our tour group ate lunch at a restaurant. As with the islands of Los Uros and host families on Amantani Island, the restaurants rotated who would receive tourists that day. There were only two meals on the menu, trout and an omelette, and both were absurdly overpriced by Puno's standards.