Island Hopping on Lake Titicaca

Trip Start Apr 08, 2005
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Trip End Apr 09, 2006


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Thursday, May 5, 2005

Up early this morning for a pancake breakfast and set off by boat to Taquile Island, a fascinating place to learn the traditions of these hard-working folk. These included;
1. Each male must wear a hat which symplosises his marital status
2. The men do all the knitting and the women do the weaving
3. The single girls wear shawls to cover their faces and speak very quietly,(they´re very shy) this all changes after marriage!

We were lucky enough to visit a local wedding on the island (the month of May is for weddings, there were 4 on the island today). It is traditional that the wedding commences with a cermony on day 1 and for the following 2 days and nights the bride and groom have a party... Bride and her god mothers at the wedding reception
Bride and her god mothers at the wedding reception
 . However, the party is held in the grooms home whereby he sits in 1 corner surrouned on either side by his Godfathers and the Wife in the opposite corner similarily surrounded by her Godmothers. They must not communicate with each other or guests, and must not smile, express emotions for the 2 days and nights it is a symbol of their devotion!

Prior to the marriage the couple must live together for 2-3 years (usually marry at age 18) and after marraige, the wife must cut her hair (which would usually have been to her waist) and the husband kits it into a belt which he must wear for his life, again a symbol of their devotion!

Some of the homes on the island have solar powered energy, this was a gift/bribe from a politician in exchange for their votes in the elections!!

After lunch of fresh kingfish we boarded our boat for a 3hour stunt to Puno.
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