The Uros are Pre-Inca people who construct their own land by weaving reeds islands in Lake Titicaca in Bolivia. We visited the Uros people on the way to the island of Taquile. The speedboat does the mandatory stopover regardless of whether you wanna visit the islands.
The visit was a mixed feeling, while it was fascinating to visit the various reed islands, the whole scene was over touristy, largely because it was just a short half hour visit to one artificial reed island and having these indigenous people totally dependent on visiting tourists buying their wares. It just didn’t feel real, however it was still an experience to be walking on these floating artificial island that is still maintained by the Uros even if it was just for the tourists.
Well, Julia, your editing skills must have been dictated by your unconscious knowledge that the Uros Islands aren’t in Bolivia, but in Peru :-).
Lake Titicaca is split almost evenly between Peru and Bolivia. The highest concentration of population is in Peru (Puno, Ayaviri, Desaguadero) The Uros Islands are in the Puno Bay, in Peru, just like the islands of Amantani and Taquile.
Isla del Sol and Copacabana are right over the border, in Bolivia.
Earth Roamer, I perfectly understand your mixed feelings about the Uros. I like the fact that this culture is able to survive thanks to tourism, but they often take commercialization a bit too far…
And of course I meant Bolivia… stupid lack of editing skills…
These are so great, and make me want to go to Peru even more than I already do…!