Qhantati, one of the floating islands of Los Uros will stay close to my heart. My experience there was peaceful and perfect. The way of life is simple and beautiful. On Lake Titicaca, I (La Americana) traveled with Estefanía (La Española), and Perrine (La Francesa). Qhantati was the first, and by far, the best island we visited, hands down.
Los Uros are floating islands, man-made from totora, a reed like plant that grows naturally in the lake. These small island communities use totora to build nearly everything, including the ground, the huts, the boats, and other household items. On Qhantati, there are 6 families and they operate as a very tight community. I believe there are 40 something islands and most of the people live their entire lives there, not straying far from home.
My friends and I, all three of us, were so ecstatic upon arrival and were warmly welcomed by the family of Cristina, her husband Victor, their daughter Maribel, and her boyfriend Abram. Estefanìa connected with Cristina through a co-worker in Lima and therefore we had the opportunity to fully experience the island instead of just pass through it. Our overnight visit there was far beyond what the average tourist experiences on the floating islands (which I have read that many see as floating souvineer stands). This particular family is very interested in hosting kind, caring visitors, but the tourism they seek is far from mainstream as they wish not to exploit the authentic, fragile nature of Los Uros. They are working hard toward shaping and maintaining a specific type of tourism for their island. Solely through word of mouth, they invite travelers to learn about one of the oldest communities in the world, that of Los Uros.
Friday, March 26, 2010
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Courage
I went on a little mini-advenuture yesterday that was a lot of fun and at the same time took some courage! I had a goal of seeing this waterfall (Catarata del Rio Tigre) and since I´m here in Oxapampa without my Spanish speaking sister, Estefanìa to help me get around, everything is a bit more challenging. However, it has been a beneficial challenge for me to do some solo travel in order to practice my Spanish without a crutch. Just finding out where to go and how to get there is an interesting process. I tend to get nervous about approaching people to ask, but I realize that as with everything, I will be better at it with practice. I am learning that the balance between independence and effective interaction is a necessary part of a rich traveling experience.
Anyway...I ended up taking a moto-taxi, essentially a motobike with a covered back seat for passengers (THE way to get around here in Oxapampa) and it included a guided tour by the driver. So, Carlos was my guide for the day. He is from Oxapampa and is the proud owner of 2 moto-taxis, which he operates alongside his brother. They provide quick rides as well as extensive tours. He is also a farmer of coffee and various fruits (of which there are many I`ve never heard of here in Peru). I don´t remember which ones he grows, but some of the more popular here are granadilla (growing everywhere on vines that look like grapes), cherimoya, lulu, and lucuma to name just a few.
Carlos, whom I found by way of his wife selling citrus at the Saturday market, was friendly and informative, and luckily I was able to communicate significantly well with him. Little by little, I am understanding the individual accents of different Peruvians.
After negotiating a reasonable hourly rate (only about $3 per hour), he drove me to the path and then we trekked by foot a good mile and a half each way, including some steep incline. I was glad I didn´t attempt the trip by myself. I had taken the bike (lent to me by the señora I´m staying with) to town and was planning to ride it all the way to the hiking path, but it was a pretty good distance away and I definitely wouldn´t have known where to go to see all of the views. Carlos showed me a much more unique route, veering off the path into the very wet, lush, thick rainforest in order to get better views of the waterfall. The hike included some serious climbing and he had to coax me through a couple spots of rushing water up to our knees!! Here, everyone wears tall rain boots which I have been borrowing on the farm, but didn´t have on yesterday.
I got to see some amazing plants! Those of which I recognized were bamboo and air plants. He also pointed out coffee and banana trees as well as a tree that he called Yongol which has HUGE leaves.
In my adventures, I am realizing that even though I am here alone, I´m really not alone at all. I can always meet someone new to help me find my way, but it has to start with confidence in myself and my ability to succeed in whatever goal I might have, large or small. I´m finding that if I make myself face certain discomforts straight on and perservere through the harder parts of life, I learn more and am more proud of myself in the long run.
Viva la vida!
Anyway...I ended up taking a moto-taxi, essentially a motobike with a covered back seat for passengers (THE way to get around here in Oxapampa) and it included a guided tour by the driver. So, Carlos was my guide for the day. He is from Oxapampa and is the proud owner of 2 moto-taxis, which he operates alongside his brother. They provide quick rides as well as extensive tours. He is also a farmer of coffee and various fruits (of which there are many I`ve never heard of here in Peru). I don´t remember which ones he grows, but some of the more popular here are granadilla (growing everywhere on vines that look like grapes), cherimoya, lulu, and lucuma to name just a few.
Carlos, whom I found by way of his wife selling citrus at the Saturday market, was friendly and informative, and luckily I was able to communicate significantly well with him. Little by little, I am understanding the individual accents of different Peruvians.
After negotiating a reasonable hourly rate (only about $3 per hour), he drove me to the path and then we trekked by foot a good mile and a half each way, including some steep incline. I was glad I didn´t attempt the trip by myself. I had taken the bike (lent to me by the señora I´m staying with) to town and was planning to ride it all the way to the hiking path, but it was a pretty good distance away and I definitely wouldn´t have known where to go to see all of the views. Carlos showed me a much more unique route, veering off the path into the very wet, lush, thick rainforest in order to get better views of the waterfall. The hike included some serious climbing and he had to coax me through a couple spots of rushing water up to our knees!! Here, everyone wears tall rain boots which I have been borrowing on the farm, but didn´t have on yesterday.
I got to see some amazing plants! Those of which I recognized were bamboo and air plants. He also pointed out coffee and banana trees as well as a tree that he called Yongol which has HUGE leaves.
In my adventures, I am realizing that even though I am here alone, I´m really not alone at all. I can always meet someone new to help me find my way, but it has to start with confidence in myself and my ability to succeed in whatever goal I might have, large or small. I´m finding that if I make myself face certain discomforts straight on and perservere through the harder parts of life, I learn more and am more proud of myself in the long run.
Viva la vida!
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