Puno, Peru
The fairytale-like Uros Islands are made entirely from totora reeds; the lives of the inhabitants of these artificial islands are entirely dependent upon the reed beds they live among. Totora reeds were first used centuries ago to build these islands on Lake Titicaca by the Uro-Aymara families who made their home on the lake. The local people’s boats are also made from totora reeds, and they use these vessels for fishing. Even some of the islanders’ handcrafts are made from totora reeds, and the friendly people of this community offer their work to visitors as a souvenir of their visit to this magical place.
