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Taquile Island
 
We left Uros for the two and a half hour boat journey to
Taquile, an island on the Peruvian side of Lake
Titicaca thirty miles offshore from the city of Puno. About three thousand people live on the island, in sixty
communities, which is a three miles by a half or two and a half square miles.
The highest point of the island is 13,287 feet above sea level and the main
village is at 12,959 feet. The inhabitants, known as Taquileños, are southern Quechua speakers. The Incas came here in 1430 bringing cereal, potatoes and
corn. We arrived at eleven forty five and took a slow climb to the top arriving
at twelve thirty five, very puffed out with the altitude. We are at fifteen
degrees, fifty five minutes five two South and sixty nine degrees, forty one
minutes zero one West. We ate lunch at the communal restaurant called San
Santiago, Manuel told us of life on the island.
Taquile, whose Quechua name some believe was Intika, was part of the Inca
Empire and has a number of Inca ruins. The island was one of the last
locations in Peru to capitulate to Spanish domination during the Spanish
conquest of Peru. It was captured for Carlos
V and eventually passed to Count Rodrigo of Taquila, after whom the
island was named by colonists. As the Spanish forbade traditional dress, the
islanders adopted the Spanish peasant clothing. They are known for maintaining
that as traditional dress today. They combine this with finely made Andean-style
garments and accessories (ponchos, belts, mantles, coca-leaf purses, and
others).
 
Hats are key here, men wear predominantly red if they are married,
red with lots of white are single. Men knit using many of the one thousand
traditional patterns and symbols available and knit a hat which they present to
their prospective father-in-law for judgment, a good approved one is
waterproof and colourful. Women knit very colourful belts for their
husbands, their own hair woven in to the ties, they wear shawls with huge
pom-poms with conservative colours if they are married, very colourful if they
are single. Men wear a woven bag, called a Chuspa, it carries their coca leaves
to chew - for aiding relief at altitude, make tea with and give out to friends
and visitors. There is no divorce here, the couples live together for two or
three years and generally the first child prompts the permanent union of
marriage. Taquileños run their society based on community collectivism and on the Inca moral code ama sua, ama llulla, ama qhilla,
(Quechua for "do not steal, do not lie, do not be lazy"). The island is
divided into six sectors or suyus for crop rotation purposes. The
economy is based on fishing, terraced
farming horticulture based on potato cultivation, and tourist-generated income from approximately
forty thousand tourists who visit each year.
Taquileños are known for their fine handwoven textiles and clothing, which are regarded as among the highest-quality handicrafts in Peru. Knitting is exclusively performed by males, starting at age
eight. The women exclusively make yarn and weave. Taquileans also are known for
having created an innovative, community-controlled tourism model, offering
homestays, transportation, and restaurants to tourists. Taquileans have lost
control of transportation to and from their island. Although they still benefit
by selling textiles and providing meals, they have almost no control over the
mass day-tourism operated by non-Taquileans. Taquileans are developing
alternative tourism models, including lodging for groups, and local guides, who
have recently completed a 2-year training program. Taquile has a radio station and is equipped with generators, although
islanders have elected not to use them in favour of solar
panels. The island has the curious distinction of being free of dogs.
The natives consider dog and cat delicacies. Although chicken is
eaten, it is not raised on the island due to problems with foxes. In 2005, "Taquile and Its Textile Art" were honored by being
proclaimed "Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity" by
UNESCO. We left at two thirty to get back to Puno at five ten after an
exceptional day of surprises and tradition.
ALL IN ALL WOULD HAVE LOVED MORE TIME TO SIT AND
WONDER IN THIS PEACEFUL PLACE
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