The Uros: Living on floating islands in south america.

[Justin Boland]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Titicaca#Uros

Titicaca is notable for a population of people who live on the Uros, a group of 42 or so artificial islands made of floating reeds (totora, a reed that abounds in the shallows of the lake). These islands have become a major tourist attraction for Peru, drawing excursions from the lakeside city of Puno. Their original purpose was defensive, and they could be moved if a threat arose. Many of the islands contain watchtowers largely constructed of reeds.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uros

The islets are made of totora reeds, which grow in the lake. The dense roots that the plants develop and interweave naturally form a natural layer called Khili (about one to two meters thick) that support the islands . They are anchored with ropes attached to sticks driven into the bottom of the lake. The reeds at the bottoms of the islands rot away fairly quickly, so new reeds are added to the top constantly, about every three months; this is what it makes exciting for tourists when walking on the island. This is especially important in the rainy season when the reeds rot a lot faster. The islands last about 30 years.

Much of the Uros' diet and medicine also revolve around these totora reeds. When a reed is pulled, the white bottom is often eaten for iodine. This prevents goiter. This white part of the reed is called the chullo (Aymara [tʃʼuʎo]). Like the Andean people of Peru rely on the Coca Leaf for relief from a harsh climate and hunger, the Uros people rely on the Totora reeds in the same way. When in pain, the reed is wrapped around the place in pain to absorb it. They also make a reed flower tea.

The larger islands house about 10 families, while smaller ones, only about 30 meters wide, house only two or three. There are about 2 or 3 children per family currently.

http://gosouthamerica.about.com/od/topd ... slands.htm
http://www.archaeolink.com/uros_indians ... americ.htm

[Justin Boland]

http://www.worldandi.com/public/2001/may/uros.html

The End of the Uros

Despite their metamorphosis, the people of the reeds still call themselves Uros and perpetuate the Uro reed culture. They depend on reeds for almost everything, though no longer for clothes. They catch pejere, boga, suchi, mauri, and carachi fish, selling or bartering some onshore. They gather eggs and hunt ducks, teals, grebes, moorhens, Patagonia geese, gulls, bitterns, and coots, most of which they eat themselves. They practice no agriculture, although in rare years, when low waters ground their islets, some of them may plant a few potatoes and onions in soil created by decaying reeds. An improved economy allows them to buy barley, rice, protein-rich quinoa grain, potatoes, and chunos (dried frozen potatoes). They sell canoes, totora mats, and reeds for animal forage to the dry people.
Though the Uros were once well protected against intruders, stronger forces have been at work against their isolation. Protestant missionaries have built floating schools among them, and tourists, who like missionaries leave no people untouched, arrive each year in greater numbers. So many tourists are coming that the Uros have begun to embroider pieces of fabric with multicolored wool to sell to them.

[Justin Boland]

Flickr find:
http://flickr.com/photos/yandi/37901443 ... 491089917/

Most of the things on the islands, including the islands themselves are made from totora reeds and it feels spongy to walk on. I like how they combine modern conveniences with traditional way of life, but I don't know what they use the solar electricity for.