Welcome to Tequile Island. The lake elevation is at 12,507 feet above sea level. Our purpose today: Enjoy a trout lunch, up in town. Surviving elevation sickness and just lack of air. Whew! Some huffing and puffing this time for lunch. I did it!

Taquile Island

Taquile is an island on the Peruvian side of Lake Titicaca 45 km (22 miles) offshore from the city of Puno. About 2,200 people live on the island, which is 5.5 by 1.6 km in size, with an area of 5.72 km².  Highest point of island:  13287 feet above sea level.

The inhabitants, known as Taquileños, are southern Quechua speakers.

In 2005, "Taquile and Its Textile Art" were honored by being proclaimed "Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity" by UNESCO.

It took our boat about 2 hours to reach Taquile Island from the Uros floating islands, just off shore of Puno, Peru.

 Taquileños run their society based on community collectivism and on the Inca moral code ama sua, ama llulla, ama qhilla, (Quechua for "do not steal, do not lie, do not be lazy"). The island is divided into six sectors or suyus for crop rotation purposes. The economy is based on fishing, terraced farming horticulturebased on potato cultivation, and tourist-generated income from the approximately 40,000 tourists who visit each year.

 The wildlife on Taquile includes rams, sheep, cows, guinea pigs, chickens. Dogs and cats are rare and if wanted a permission from the authorities of the community is needed.

 Taquile also offer a wide range of typical dishes. Breakfast consists of two pancakes with sugar or bread with eggs with a cup of tea made from either Muña or Coca. For lunch, you get a vegetable soup, fish with rice and a tomato and onion salad. For dinner, the taquilean people serve a nice vegetable soup with bread.

 Huff and puff!  Puff and Huff!  Sure glad I quit smoking last year!

 The majority of the inhabitants on Taquile are Catholic. They adapted this religion harmonizing their ancient culture with the new Christian culture. The mother earth (Patchamama), the principal Andean deity which directly controls harvesting, fertility, offering a number of payments (offering) each year and three coca leaves prior to each activity or trip. God is present throughout the year in the festivities. There are two Catholic churches (the largest in the Centre and the other in Huayllano) and an Adeventist church (Huayrapata).

 Taquile has a radio station and is equipped with generators, although islanders have elected not to use them in favour of solar panels. The island has the curious distinction of being free of dogs because the natives consider them, as well as cats, delicacies. And although chicken is eaten, it is not raised on the island due to problems with foxes. You encounter a number of flowers and trees on the Island, among which are Kolle, the tree used to roof the houses and for firewood, the Cantuta flower (the national flower of Peru), the Chukjo (used as detergent) and Muña (for stomach disease). A variety of flowers on the island are used as natural medicines, like Muna. The coca is brought from Puno and mainly comes from Cusco.

 These kids were cool.  I think they were heading home from school.  They taught me you don't have to climb the hill fast.  Enjoy the view.  Smile.

 I made it to the square!  Yeah!  I am ready for lunch, and to sit down awhile.  :)

 Still a few more steps up to the entrance of the restaurant.

 At last!  Lunch.  We were eating upstairs on the roof.  :)

 Great lunch.  Great view.

 I guess the children that followed me up the hill lived out behind the restaurant.

 Lunch started with some kind of yellow soup.  Not sure what, but it tasted good.  Bread and some tomatoes and hot peppers on the side.  I forgot to take a picture of the main course of potato's, rice and trout fillet.  It was good.

I found out we had to walk up hill some more before going down a lot of stairs to the other side of the island.  OK...