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In the Puno Bay of Lake Titicaca, the Uros people have built floating islands of reeds on which they live. These floating islands have been their home for centuries.
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Some island inhabitants make their way to the mainland.
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One of the group of floating islands helps illustrate the typical structure of these islands, made from the reeds that populate the bay.
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These catamarans help people move goods (and tourists) between islands.
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A typical Uros dwelling on one of the floating islands. The houses (and nearly everything else on the islands) are made of reeds.
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This domesticated heron got a bit territorial...
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Looking past one island to another, each island hosts a small community of extended family members.
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As the number of tourists to the islands increases, so too does the tourist-based commerce. Kris buys a lovely pillow case from Olga on one of the islands.
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Don, Kris, Nicole, and Ben from the upper deck of one of the reed catamarans.
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Makin' flour. What of it?
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An ornate reed gate decorated this floating island.
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Ben makes quick friends with Rosalinda, a young island inhabitant.
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According to our guide, the ruins at Sillustani (30 km north of Puno) are of the pre-Incan Colla culture.
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More structures at the Sillustani site.
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Don (Ben's dad) checks out the circle from which (our guide surmised...) the Colla people launched balloons to try to examine other planets.
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From the back of one of the chullpas tourists can get a glimpse of how the Colla people buried their leaders inside--with up to 30 sacrificed people to accompany him to the other world.
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Don and Kris (Ben's parents) get a snapshot at the base of one of the chullpas at Sillustani.
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Some of the chullpas at Sillustani may have been Incan imitations of the Colla funerary techniques.
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The ruins at Sillustani also included an interesting array of works in progress.
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A man in traditional dress played the flute for visitors to the ruins.
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A young Andean girl welcomed us into her family's home.
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Some of the decor, though symbolic, was a tad...gruesome...
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The family had a loom and some of their crafts on display and for sale.
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One of our hosts demonstrates how they turn quinoa (a local delicious grain) into flour.
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Our hosts took the time to prepare an Andean snack for us, including quinoa fritters, and boiled potatoes with edible clay and cheese.