The Uros people have lived for centuries on floating islands on Lake Titicaca, bordering Peru and Bolivia. These islands, made of Totora reed that is commonly found on the lake, range in size but are frequently big enough to house a family of four people. The locals are very resourceful in their use of this reed, layered about 3m deep and built to keep the inhabitants of these islands afloat. These islands take approximately 3 months to build and last for 30 years or more. It's like living on a floating deck, but one you can anchor and move anywhere on the lake!

Lukasz and I also spent a night on the island of Amantani. Four hours by boat from the port of Puno, Amantani is home to about 3,000 Quechua-speaking people. There are no hotels on Amantani; We stayed with a local family and were given the chance to see how they live on a daily basis. They are a self-sufficient people, relying on agriculture and fishing. The people of Amantani are new to the tourism phenomenon; They have only been working with the tourist industry of Peru for 5 years.

Taquile island, on the other hand, has been engaging in tourism for at least 3 decades and it shows. Shops abound, there are a few restaurants (there are none on Amantani) and a selection of places to sleep. Still, it's worth a visit and a good launching point to visit Amantani if you are not sleeping there directly.

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