TAQUILE island, set on the seemingly boundless horizons of Peruvian Lake Titicaca, four hours from Puno; is a perfect haven of tranquillity. The stillness of the afternoon is interupted only by the voices of women calling to their herds, and blasts of radio accompanying the labour in a terraced field.
Not even the bark of a dog chasing a bicycle can be heard. The island is devoid both of canine and vehicular life. The rich, nut brown soil contrasts with the deep blue of the lake, bordered only by the sight of the distant snow capped mountains of the Cordillera Real, suggesting the enchantment of Bolivia.
Taquile has a population of one thousand Quechua speaking Indians, who live without a water supply or electricity.
Water is drawn from the lake in buckets, and herds of sheep and cows are led between the farms and the lakeside along steep paths that cut into the terraced hillsides, crowned by Inca ruins 4,000 metres above sea level.
Taquile is no ordinary idyll. To visit the island is to experience the taming of tourism itself. The natives have tackled tourism's onslaught with the same determined vigour with which they have preserved their centuries old customs, language and way of life.
Battle for Control
From the moment the tourist makes enquiries at Puno quay about the possibility of visiting Taquile, there is a discernible shift in the balance of power from the tourist to the islanders themselves. When Puno entrepreneurs started to include Taquile, which lies four hours away by boat, in their itinerary, islanders reacted swiftly and fought a decisive battle for control of the trade.
They were opposed to the commonplace practice of local people being used as a colourful draw for tourists without benefitting materially from the intrusion. Taquile islanders were determined not to suffer the same fate as the people of the floating islands of Uros, on whom tourism has had a huge negative impact. As if to draw this contrast, the islanders stop off at Uros on the way to Taquile.
The floating islands have been the major tourist attraction of the Puno area for many years; They are constructed from layers of reeds that grow in the shallows of Lake Titicaca.
The Uros people gain little from the daily tourist incursions, apart from the oranges and sweets which are handed out to their children. Begging is prevalent, and tourists are entreated to buy their hand made souvenirs, many of which are sadly out of date with Nineties ideas of what looks authentically ethnic on a living room wall.
The Uros Islands have become little more than a floating human zoo, where tourists throw some food, reluctantly buy a souvenir, take a few snaps and then move quickly on in search of something less spoiled.
Excessive interest has created an environment which the tourist is no longer interested in visiting. The people of Taquile prevented boats from landing on their island until they had organised their own passenger service to and from Puno and made it clear that no hotels would be built on the island.
Sharing the Spoils
They set about organising an accommodation system whereby tourists would be put up with local families. This ensured that each family would get a share in the spoils.
After the painful climb up one hundred steps to the entrance to the village, the breathless tourist is greeted by a local reception committee. There is a small entrance fee to pay, and those who plan to stay the night on Taquile are allocated a local family.
It is then up to the visitor to decide the length of his or her stay. The people of Taquile fall short of the expectations of those who tend to see indigenous people as noble savages, living in innocence of the ways of the world.
Their relationships with strangers, although courteous, friendly and pleasant, remains firmly rooted in commerce. The system of reciprocity is very strong, and even the smallest gift demands and elicits an immediate response.
Fruit and fresh food is at a premium and those who have the foresight to bring gifts to the host family will be rewarded with cups of herbal tea and cakes.
In contrast to tourist markets all over Peru, where there is fierce competition for the tourist dollar and where prices are completely subject to demand, the high quality woven garments for sale in Taquile's cooperative shop have fixed prices which are by no means low.
A Sense of Pride
The islanders present their goods with pride. There is a feeling the buyer is privileged to gain access to the fruits of their labour. Weather conditions are harsh, and much resources go into knitting and weaving woollen garments to protect against the cold at night and the sun's rays during the day.
The women spin yarn for the wool from which the men knit their chullos. These are worn at all times and are tightly woven, brightly coloured, woollen caps of the type that adorned Wee Willy Winkie's head. A rough woven shirt, a black waistcoat and cummerbund, woven calf length trousers and leather sandals complete the male attire. The colours of the chullo and cummerbund indicate marital status.
The women wear full skirts with brightly coloured petticoats, embroidered blouses and a black shawl. The islanders seem to have no more than a passing curiosity in the material trappings of the outside world, despite their keen entrepreneurial instinct.
Goods which they have taken to their hearts are the torch, the radio and the cassette player. Only on Taquile can you catch sight of teenage boys lounging around the Inca ruins, knitting their chullos and listening to AHA.
