An addendum to yesterday (Lake Titicaca)

Re the trip to the floating islands:

There are 5 families on Chumi Island. Somewhat prosaically, if one falls out with another family (or dare I say one's partner??) they just get a saw and cut off that piece of the island - so they told us ... And if one falls out with a neighbouring island, one just pulls out their anchor during the night - and voilà! Hmmm...

I like the modern touch: the solar panels!



FAST FACTS:
These islands are made and re-made from the totora reeds which provide home, sustenance and transportation for their residents. These floating islands are the home of the Uros tribe, one which pre-dates the Incan civilization. They speak Aymara but the younger people are learning Spanish at school now.

Because of their simple and precarious lifestyle, the Incas thought them worth little and accordingly taxed them very little. Yet the Uros, with their basic reed homes, outlasted the Incas with their huge stone temples and mountain-top enclaves.