Thursday, 4 September 2014
Taquille Island has been inhabited since pre-Inca times, and the Incas lived there too. When the Spanish came, the Catalan Pedro Gomez de Taquila arrived on the island, and it is believed that the island is named after him. The islanders still lead very traditional lives, both Catalan and Inca traditions. The Catalan tradition is for example, 3 different kinds of hats denoting married men, single men and men of authority or important rank on the island. Incidentally, only married men can become men of authority on the island. Single girls usually cover their faces with a veil like cloth that they usually wrap around their shoulders, it is as much traditional as it is for the cold. Married women, although wearing the veil, do not cover their faces.
An example of an Inca tradition that is still practiced on the island is that if a boy and a girl wish to get married, they must first live together for a minimum of 6 months and maximum of 2 years. If they can get along, they will get married, if they can't, then they will separate. But if they have children in the time they stay together, they are automatically considered married. The idea of this practice is that once you are married, there is no divorce, so you are given the opportunity of 'trying' your spouse before marriage. It's actually kinda cool if you really think about it. It's one thing to like someone, it's quite another to live with that person.
We had lunch on Taquille Island, quinoa soup, trout with rice and potatoes, and coca and munya tea. Then we walked down back to the jetty, and about 3 hours later we were back in Puno. I said goodbye to Allison and Jenni after exchanging emails, I was friendly with the others too but not that close to exchange emails.
Since I arrived in Puno at about 4 pm, I walked around to the plaza de armas, the cathedral and to a viewpoint where you can see the city of Puno built along the mountains. Then I came back to hotel and took a long, long shower to make up for not showering yesterday. The hotel guys repaired my adaptor, and it cost me 50 soles! It's bloody expensive but what choice do I have? In retaliation, I decided to take with me a small towel from my hotel room.
Taquille Island has been inhabited since pre-Inca times, and the Incas lived there too. When the Spanish came, the Catalan Pedro Gomez de Taquila arrived on the island, and it is believed that the island is named after him. The islanders still lead very traditional lives, both Catalan and Inca traditions. The Catalan tradition is for example, 3 different kinds of hats denoting married men, single men and men of authority or important rank on the island. Incidentally, only married men can become men of authority on the island. Single girls usually cover their faces with a veil like cloth that they usually wrap around their shoulders, it is as much traditional as it is for the cold. Married women, although wearing the veil, do not cover their faces.
An example of an Inca tradition that is still practiced on the island is that if a boy and a girl wish to get married, they must first live together for a minimum of 6 months and maximum of 2 years. If they can get along, they will get married, if they can't, then they will separate. But if they have children in the time they stay together, they are automatically considered married. The idea of this practice is that once you are married, there is no divorce, so you are given the opportunity of 'trying' your spouse before marriage. It's actually kinda cool if you really think about it. It's one thing to like someone, it's quite another to live with that person.
We had lunch on Taquille Island, quinoa soup, trout with rice and potatoes, and coca and munya tea. Then we walked down back to the jetty, and about 3 hours later we were back in Puno. I said goodbye to Allison and Jenni after exchanging emails, I was friendly with the others too but not that close to exchange emails.
Since I arrived in Puno at about 4 pm, I walked around to the plaza de armas, the cathedral and to a viewpoint where you can see the city of Puno built along the mountains. Then I came back to hotel and took a long, long shower to make up for not showering yesterday. The hotel guys repaired my adaptor, and it cost me 50 soles! It's bloody expensive but what choice do I have? In retaliation, I decided to take with me a small towel from my hotel room.
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