| Amantani Island - Cultures Strengthened by | | | | in with the footprints of responsible tourism. We |
| Tourism | | | | sometimes live in a fantasy world imagining that |
| As the boat cruises slowly across the | | | | without tourism people would live their lives in |
| impressively encapsulated Lake Titicaca it is for | | | | peace, traditionally, sustainably, and happy in a |
| passengers to forget that they are coasting at | | | | world without the stresses of the "real world." It |
| 3810 meters above sea level. It would be easy | | | | seems, however, that on Amantani Island I have |
| forgive someone to think that they were | | | | found something to the contrary. |
| effortlessly sailing along one of the world's great | | | | As I sit down with my homestay papa, who tells |
| seas. The lake, at one point in histoy, must have | | | | me he is fifty although he looks to be closer to |
| been covered with a myriad of fishing boats. | | | | seventy, I shake his hands and notice that they |
| Local people have netted these waters for the | | | | are warn and rough from long days working the |
| small native fish that live in its cold waters for | | | | terraces of potatoes and of corn. He begins by |
| years. However, recently, these waters have | | | | telling me about how happy he is that we have |
| been overrun by large kingfish and trout put into | | | | come to stay with them, how much it means to |
| the lake as a more readily available source of | | | | their family to be able to earn a small wage. |
| protein. And much like the new foreign fish that | | | | "Tenemos todo que necesitamos (we have |
| are occupying the depths of the water, a new | | | | everything we need)" he tells me in a firm voice |
| foreign visitor is beginning to grace the surface of | | | | as if reassuring his pride as much as he is letting |
| its waters as well. | | | | me that they don't need us, "we can grow our |
| The boat begins to approach its island | | | | crops, drink our sheep's milk, and eat our chicken's |
| destination. Women dressed in brightly coloured | | | | meat." But as he explains, life is much more |
| clothing that has been inspired by traditional, | | | | comfortable than it has been in the past. He has |
| Christian, and Muslim influences sit patiently along | | | | seen three of his sons run off to the city of Puno |
| side the concrete dock awaiting their timid new | | | | to work odd jobs for meagre wages amongst |
| guests. As they sit, the women's hands are in | | | | the noise and stress. As they work in the city, |
| constant motion as they hurry to knit a locally | | | | he worries, they could lose their birth language of |
| inspired beanie which they hope to sell to their | | | | Quechua, their traditions, and maybe even their |
| intrigued visitors. The foreign guests nervously | | | | minds. |
| crawl in to meet their homestay mamas and then | | | | Tourism, here on Amantani, seems to be |
| are quickly whisked away to be shown how the | | | | reinforcing the cultural norms of the people. Each |
| people live here on Amantani Island. | | | | night a local dance is put on by the local |
| The truth is that most people who arrive to this | | | | population. Locals and guests alike are dressed in |
| remote island in the middle of the world's highest | | | | traditional garbs as rhythmic tunes of pan flute, |
| navigable are somewhat expecting the local | | | | charango, and drums entice the people to share |
| inhabitants to live in completely primitive | | | | hands, beers, and dances. Near the end of the |
| conditions. I'd like to believe that it's not the case | | | | night the tourists take seats along the walls of |
| that people go to these islands in hopes of finding | | | | the community hall as the locals perform local |
| out that its occupants live in relative poverty, but | | | | dances describing work, love, and life. It would |
| I'm sure some travelers seek, and maybe even | | | | be hard to imagine such a cultural exchange |
| relish in, that situation. The truth is however, | | | | happening on a nightly basis if it weren't for the |
| that despite the traditional clothing, the jagged | | | | groups of tourists who grace the island's green |
| pre-Inca terraces, and stone walls that describe | | | | turf each day. |
| this island, many on the island are living quite a | | | | Despite the anticipatory notion that travelers may |
| modern life. Much of the new found "luxuries" | | | | have in regards to the island the houses aren't |
| that the local people are beginning to enjoy are a | | | | rickety old shacks with straw thatched roofs. In |
| direct result of the growth of a tourism market. | | | | fact, the vast majority of them are well build |
| Academics and journalist from around the world | | | | cement painted houses, fitted with modern toilets |
| all so often discount travel as another arm of | | | | and powered by modern solar panels; both of |
| globalization's or the "Western World's" | | | | which are amenities only made possible by the |
| imperialism. However, it seems that far too | | | | boat loads of tourist groups and backpackers who |
| many dispel the possible positive affects brought | | | | seek to understand this lake culture. |