Visiting magical Uros floating islands of Peru

Elevation, 3,830 m (12,556 ft).

Can you imagine living “on the lake” higher than Mt. Fuji?

My 79 years old Mom, my sister and I visited this magical place on Earth. During our stay in Puno in Peru where Lake Titicaca is located close by, we all got hit with altitude sickness and had to call a doctor for my Mom.

However, being able to visit this world's highest navigable lake Titicaca, the birthplace of the Incas, and meeting these indigenous people of Peru called Uros who migrated to Lake Titicaca 3,700 years ago and who still live on this lake with their handmade floating islands was all worth our hard time.

They showed us how they build their floating islands and houses and boats all with just totora reeds.

You can also eat the bottom part of this reed and it was delicious!

I saw them walking barefoot, so I did too.
The reeds felt so soft and bouncy and beautiful to walk on. The chief of the island noticed I took off my shoes and commented pointing my barefoot and I wished I spoke their language.

They receive many Japanese tourists like me, and they showed kindness by singing two old Japanese folk songs in Japanese, while all I could say was “Waliky!” in their language when they greeted us hello saying “Kamisaraki!”.

With their long history of living on lake Titicaca, straddling the border between Peru and Bolivia in the Andes Mountains, 2000 Uros people still live on these floating islands.

Now they have sun panels and get electricity from the Sun. Talking about upgraded off-grid living!

#PowerSpot #OffGridLiving #indigenous