Visit Lake Titicaca in Peru

Lake Titicaca in Puno, the harbor city on its bank may be approached through the Andes by train or by road. Maria Bonifarte Antonini writes in her Peru travel book entitled “The Beggar Sitting On top Of the Nugget”, “We reached the highest point of our way at around one in the afternoon, the ridge of the 4,528 meter Roserowalto where the single railway line crosses on of the wide foot paths of the plateau. There’s a sign on the dilapidated station building, hotel Feru Carrion meaning railway hotel, nowhere a sole except the passengers of the train and the staff of the Hotel Feru Carion.

This the bleakest landscape so far on our journey. A sudden strange noise similar to a child’s cry hits our ears a creepy stretched melody, the Altiplano wind. We nearly feel relief when living the area behind us which is so reminiscent of a desolated lunar landscape. Now we are on our way down. Lich is served roasted chicken with tastily-prepared rice and fresh salad and a bottle of ice cold beer. It is incredible how they could prepare these so fresh and appetizing.

The beer popped loudly when we open it and its froth is immediately on the table. The other tables are also being cleaned. We’re not the only victims of the air pressure difference caused by the altitude. Sta. Lucia stands at 4,048 meters. The sun is still burning down and we feel a bit sleepy during the long train trip. The seemingly endless plateau is suddenly transformed into a deep blue water surface and more and more lakes of varying size appear in the Tilmao barren lowland plain.

We’re nearing the base of the Titicaca Lake indicated by lagoons, hollow and deep valleys into the hills of the plateau and making the sky cloudless - its color ranging from clear ashier to deep blue. What a marvelous land. Our glass thirstily drinks as the yet unknown crystal clear colors, fantastic shades of yellow and blue which exist only at this high point. But, with such a low humidity and such air free from any pollution. Puno, with 102,000 inhabitants is the center of the colony bearing the same name.

The Titicaca Lake is the only navigable lake in the world located so high at 3,820 meters above sea level. It surfaces 8,300 square kilometers. This huge body of water has a temperature balancing effect. It moderates the change and temperature which can exceed even 40 degrees. The symbolic significance of the snowy peaks reflected in the dark blue water of the lake is at least as important as the water’s practical role for the natives.

Mythical stories are connected to it. According to them, the lake rose from the tears of bounding star of St. Puma, the Titi. One man of the Inca origins says that the Vira Cocha, the god of creation places the first couple onto the surface of the Titicaca Lake and gave a golden rod into their hands in order to find a land which is most suitable for cultivation. The opinion that the Inca gold was hidden in the lake from before the Spanish together with Huwaskar’s 200 in weight golden necklace may have been connected with these beliefs.

Captain Gustav fruitlessly searched the bottom of the lake with his mini submarine. Even so, fro an archaeological point of view, interesting findings were made there which can bee seen today in the museums of Tiwanaco and La Paz. The biggest part of the lake belongs to Peru; the smaller Quencha ends here and the world or the Imara speaking nations begins.

The lake in the surrounding serve of three major well-know ethnic groups in pre-Hispanic ages on its northern and eastern side of the Lobacas and then on the Southern, the Pcajes. Titicaca latke is also however home to a special nation. The Uro Indians lived on self-made floating island on the lake. The basis of the Uro’s base traditions existence is fishing.

They catch trout, Frisch fish and other lake fishes. But, also grow potatoes on the small plots on their houses. Tourism plays an increasingly important on their lives. The ethnic group today consists of 1,500 people with their own language. Living on about 40 islands made Totowa. This plant similar to sage offers much genuinely possibility to live. The living islands are made at a cut Totowa bundles. As the bundles observe the water and rot, they place new bundles in the island’s surface.

Some are really floating islands while others are fixed to the bottom of the lake. The houses standing on the islands are also made of Totowa breed ac both is used in lake transportation. However, the Totowa became world famous when four Heyadal used it to build his legendary - with which he traveled 4,300 sea miles from Peru to Polynesia to prove the existence of the Sea connections between the ancestral Peru and the Far East.

A well-known anthropologist of California University in the January 1966 issue of eh periodical antiquity drew attention to the similarity between the ridge ship of Ancient Peru and Ancient Egypt. And the ridge ship is not the only characteristic in which these two ancient show a surprising similarity. “We have to go up to the Andes and examine the Indian ridge ships again”, I told my wife. The very day the converse ended. We got on a plane towards La Paz in Bolivia and on the next day we were already there at the sky blue Titicaca Lake at the top of the world. 12,800 feet high above sea level were all around us - six and even 9,000 feet higher.

Snow covered peaks were stretching towards the pure blue sky. Behind us on a plateau, were the ruing of Tiahuanaco, the biggest capital and 6:38 of South America from before the Inca Era with its ravaged Alacapano pyramid, megalithic walls and gigantic statues of it unknown priest king, human in stone. Out in the lakes some Imarandias were fishing and navigating here and there in the strong wind. Only the swelling sound can be seen in the distance. On most of the boats, bettered linen was flying. But through tradition, one or two put huge ‘tutora’ reed matting at the top.

Three ships were coming towards us with lightning speed and soon we can already see the Indians with their striped hats peeping form behind the sails and then, also the ships appeared above the waves. It is a marvelous spectacle. Ships made with such expertise. Stalks of straw placed with the greatest accuracy gave the ship the perfect symmetry. An elegantly streamline ship and the closely-bound on the front and back Sendal ship curved. Peaked bundle seemed to be puffed of points or gilt beams. They plow through water with high speed among the reeds on a straight shot right through to the shore where they firmly stopped in the mud and the Indians waited to the dry land with their catches. Remembered Thor Haierdow at the beginning of the big adventure in his book entitled “The Rah Expeditions”.

The Norwegian Sea biologist and anthropologist lead five expeditions making him immortal and proving that the ancestral ethnic could have reached each other through the seas and oceans. The scientist died on April 18, 2002 in Italy. He was buried in his native country with as much palm as a king. Those interested in the Inca culture should visit the nearby Mocayacta ruin area with an outstanding example of Incan-Sacral architecture. Though entry is free of charge, we have to pay for the8:28 before we get to the entrance of the inclined four-kilometer path.

On the Hawailila which is a pretty mountain town, 40 kilometers from the Kusko and the Andes. It’s famous for its 17th century Jesuit Church for the carving and paintings in it particularly the canvas illustrating Esteban Murillo Immaculate Conception. The Feliz Viaje peak is 4,335 meters high but even this seems small next to the 2,000 meter higher Ausangate which is climbed by traditionally dressed Indians of the environ at the beginning of June every year.

They don’t do it for sport but out of faith. According to their belief, the gods of the high mountains can supply them with life-giving grain as well as destructive landslide and storms. Therefore, it is important to win their favor. They bring a lot of ice from the peaks and use it for healing and magic. Along the roads crossing the mountain, they’ve bee stopping places since ancient times.

Nowadays, tourists can not only have the rest of these places, they can also do some shopping. The people from the neighborhood bring their food stuff to sell here hoping to get a few coins.