t'ikas on her braids

t'ikas on her braids

a vendor waits by her cart

of many colors

Punenos, the inhabitants of Puno, love bright colors, especially brilliant turquoise. Here it is seen in the tall shop-on-wheels and even the waste basket and plastic bag next to the cart. The large t'ikas on the ends of the vendor's long black braids are typical of southern Peru. She is standing in the narrow calle near our hotel, while her precious cart barely straddles the narrow sidewalk. Puno hugs the shore of Lake Titicaca, the largest lake in the world above 2,000 m. The founding of Puno dates back to the late seventeenth century after the discovery of silver mines in the area. Beautifully crafted silver jewelry is readily available in many shops, although prices are steadily rising as the supply of silver declines.

on her home of reeds

on her home of reeds –

reed floor, reed walls, reed fuel –

the cook fries flat bread

The clay cook stove with its clay pots sits in the open, fueled by dry totora reeds, since no fires are allowed inside the huts made of reeds. The Uros cook wears her hair in long braids ending in huge tassels called t'ikas. The style of her hat, colorful jacket and full skirt, perhaps even the tassels are traditional attire for the women of the floating islands. In addition to frying flat bread, the cook is boiling some small fish. Most of the fish in Lake Titicaca are imports, rainbow trout from Canada and king fish from Argentina, which have overtaken the native fish. Tourists are another invasive species, but we are greeted warmly, ushered in twos and threes inside their tiny homes, then led by the hand to the crafts spread out for sale on the yielding ground of floating reeds.