Puno is one of Peru’s most famous destinations, the location of this city, close to the sky at an altitude of 3830 m.a.s.l. and right next to the highest navigable lake in the world “Titicaca Lake” (3815 m.a.s.l.) are some of the reasons to place this site on anyone’s bucket list to Perú.
Once in Puno, the to-do list of activities could be endless, but there is “a” site that is to Puno as Machupicchu is to Cusco… the Uros Floating Islands.
Man-made islands of totora (a kind of reed) the islands are the home of the Uros community, good people completely adapted to live at that altitude, under that strong burning sun, on soft reed islands far away from the mainland and the big city.
If you are wondering what they have for lunch? Not burgers or fries, of course, their diet consist in totora (they peel the reed as if it was a banana, great for their children’s teeth), clay (they make a cream that has the consistency of mayonnaise, they use it as a dipping, locals think is very good for digestion), fish from the lake (so sad that most of the endemic fish is gone due to the foreign species introduced such as trout) and lake birds (they make jerky from them and eat their eggs) , they hunt them with self-made guns and spears.
They consider this food a delicacy, my verdict is that is a must try (well, maybe not for weak stomachs), I have never tried myself the seagull (it comes next on my list of must try), So far I can say that the fish is marvelous, the clay is salty and earthy, and the reed has no taste at all (not sweet or salty) and is a really healthy snack for local children…
Host families in the lake can give you this food for a low rate always arranging this with anticipation. Only for true foodies!
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