On Lake Titicaca we spent the night on a remote peninsula with a local family. This particular community has worked out “homestays” with various tour operators, and we tried this out to get an insight on how the local people around Lake Titicaca live.
After greeting us at the boat and treating us to a local dance, all of the visitors involved were paired up with a family. Our family consisted of Antonio and his wife, both of whom were in their fifties. This was the first question they asked of us - “How old are you?” We were given one of the rooms in his family compound. The home was made of adobe brick and it’s tin roof creaked in the wind. The buildings had no heaters or hot water, but lots of heavy blankets to stay warm. It did get cold, since it is Winter in Peru and the altitude is 12,500 feet at their location.
The next morning, Antonio put us to work on his small farm by feeding his animals, pruning his trees and harvesting potatoes. In Peru they have 2,000 varieties of potatoes. Antonio and his wife were gracious hosts, but our language barrier prevented us from having any in-depth conversations. The people on the peninsula speak Aymara, which is related to Quechua (a native language spoken by the native people of Peru). We did get to listen to them speaking with a friend who joined us for dinner, and they laughed together warmly.
Overlooking the lake.
Antonio’s compound of adobe houses. Our room was at the bottom of the stairs.
Antonio and his pig.
Women were constantly hand spinning yarn with drop-spindles, even as they walked through the villages. The people here are known for their embroideries.
Sunset over Lake Titicaca.