Profile
Blog
Photos
Videos
After leaving the floating islands, we traveled 2 1/2 hours by boat on Lake Titicaca to Taquile Island. The people who live on this island are said to be the last descendants of the Incas. They are subsistence farmers growing quinoa, wheat, corn, potatoes, beans, and sweet potatoes. They also raise animals such as sheep. We were told that these people want to live primitively and will not allow foreign investors. They have begun to engage in agritourism which involves tourists living with a family, sharing their meals, and maybe even helping with tasks on the farm.
Taquile islanders also welcome day tourists like our group. We hiked for about an hour around the rim of the island enjoying beautiful panoramas of the lake and the interior of the island. We arrived at a home where we were served lunch at tables overlooking the water. Lunch included puffy fry bread and salsa, quinoa soup, rainbow trout or vegetable omelet, rice, and vegetables. It was followed by a tea of coca leaves and thyme to aid in digestion. Delicioso! We observed the men knitting hats and a woman weaving on a blackstrap loom. We learned that the color of a man's hat advertises his marital status...red are single and white are married. Items were available for purchase, of course.
- comments