Gramma Barbie Goes Global

This is what they use to cook on the Uros Islands

We saw the bride and her entourage near the side of the trail as we returned to our boat. There were three bands. Two were in the square where the groom was, along with some dancers in costumes and two men with oxen, and one was with the bride.

Where the groom was

The men on Taquille Island wear a pouch in which they carry their coca leafs. The traditional greeting between men is not a handshake, but, rather an exchange of coca leaves. While we were on the island there was a wedding in progress. We saw the groom exchanging coca leaves with the important men of the island. The color of clothing was all black and the entertainment was elaborate. The bride was a considerable distance from the groom and there was a feast of what appeared to be potatoes going on where she was. There were bands in both locations and dancers in the square where the groom was. Fireworks were being set off. It sounded a lot like gunshots and I never saw any colorful display….seemed more like just explosions.

That the Taquille men and women wear are functional as well. They are woven by the women and are for lumbar support due to the large loads they often carry on their backs. They use slings that they tie around in the front. I saw a woman walking with the sling full, a large sack of potatoes on her shoulders, and a bag in each hand and she seemed to be doing it with ease!

As a child turns 5 on Tequille Island, the hats change for the boys. The hat on the right of the picture is for the boys and the one on the left is for the girls. The girls hat remains the same until she starts wearing just a black shawl like apparel that covers her head and shoulders and hangs to her waist. The boys get a new hat each year until age 20. Each year the knit hat gets to be better quality until it can hold water……the girls do not look at the boys themselves to determine attractiveness. They look at the hats. Once a choice is made, they couple lives together for 3 years. If things do not work out, they go their separate ways after that 3 year trial. Divorce is not an option on this Island!

The men in the dance group were married as indicated by their hats. The married man’s cap is not of as fine a quality as the unmarried caps because they already have their wives!

Taquille Island has some interesting traditions. The hats are just one . The hat our guide is showing in this picture is the hat prepared for a new infant. It is multicolored to show how happy the family is to have a new addition.

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It was quite a walk up for lunch…..