Discover the life of the "black blood" people living on floating islands woven from grass

Discover the life of the "black blood" people living on floating islands woven from grass

Wednesday, March 20, 2024 9:15 PM (GMT+7)

Peru's famous Uros Islands. This floating landmass on Lake Titicaca is made entirely of reeds. What really makes this lake unique is the people who live on the lake - the Uros.

Located at an altitude of 3,810 m above sea level, Titicaca is the highest navigable lake in the world . It is home to four beautiful islands, attracting many tourists. Of these, Uros is the most special and impressive destination.

Hundreds of years ago, upon arriving at Lake Titicaca, the Uros people built dozens of artificial islands to defend themselves against the Incas, many of which still exist.

Even though it is an artificial archipelago woven from reeds, thousands of people still live here every day.

By living on floating islands, when threatened by enemies, the Uros simply move their island to another location and escape.

Their long time spent floating on the lake has led them to consider themselves the owners of the vast lake, and they also claim that the Uros have 'black blood' because they do not feel the cold. They also call themselves "Lupihaques", meaning "Sons of the Sun God".

The reed islands themselves can last up to 30 years if properly maintained.

The Uros people constantly add new layers of reeds on top as the submerged reeds begin to rot, a job that is considered part of their way of life.

A large island can support the weight of 10 families, while smaller islands usually have 2-3 families living there.

The Uros are more modern than we think. They cook their food on rocks to avoid catching fire in the reeds. They also use solar panels to light their homes, watch TV and charge their phones.

A unique feature of the way of life of the people living on Lake Titicaca is that they do not have any modern cooking utensils. To facilitate cooking without setting fire to their houses, they have created a small pile of rocks high enough to light a fire on top; at the same time, the fire cannot reach down.

The Uros people not only use reeds to build houses, but they also use it to make furniture, boats and handicrafts.

Handicrafts made from reeds.

The main source of food for the islanders is fishing, bird hunting, and they also raise ducks and guinea pigs (a traditional Peruvian dish). Like the indigenous people's way of life, the wildlife here is also unique.

PV (According to ANTĐ)

Source: https://danviet.vn/kham-pha-cuoc-song-cua-toc-nguoi-mau-den-song-tren-quan-dao-noi-duoc-det-tu-co-20240320211429599.htm