The Uros

Arriving at the floating reed islands of the Uros I felt as if I had entered another place in time. It was mid-day and the sun beat heavy. The golden reeds which blanketed the ground and the houses stood out intensely against the blue sky and the deep indigo water. Stepping onto the islands I felt a wave of motion as the entire island moved with the water, it was subtle sensation I had never felt and it immediately brought my awareness to my body and the surroundings. As I looked around I noticed the brightness of the colors of their clothes and the stout figures of both the women and men. As we sat in the center of the island we could see water on all sides, an elderly woman sat on the ground watching from a distance as the leaders of the community welcomed us and gave a theatrical presentation on how the islands were created and the politics of the community. I was amazed and inspired by the creative power these people held as they had created everything around them, from the clothes they wore to the ground they walked on.

Yet somehow I was saddened by the experience. I felt sad to be a tourist who comes with nothing but money to offer, to be part of the industry that is polluting their environment, to be part of the reason why communities like this now rely economically on industries like tourism. While it was a surreal experience for myself and my senses, having never felt the movement of the waves so intimately or seen such human ingenuity, I became aware that this was very real, this was these people’s reality and they were learning how to adapt and part of this adaptation was to open their homes to strangers and sell their crafts to consumers.      

me and Daniela, age 13

Daniela with the textile she was working on. The textiles all depicted stories of family and community life on the islands.

Daniela and her mother.

Model made by the leaders of the community depicting how the islands are made and how the reeds are used as materials for building and sustenance for the people.

Young boys fishing in the reeds.