For those of us still acclimating to Lake Titicaca altitudes, the 3970 meter climb to the Moon temple at its summit can be challenging. This writer, with the help of our guide, discovered how to snip off muña sprigs, for a sort of menthol courage that invigorates your next step on the climb.
As you ascend, natives descend towards places where they work, school children go to school, and around you neatly arrayed and maintained fields seem to broadcast their fertility. It feels at once everyday and exotic—but above all beautiful.
Eucalyptus trees are everywhere, but you learn these are relatively recent weed trees brought to Taquile from Australia about 35 years ago before their negative impact on agriculture was fully understood.
We learned that the island has six communities with a population of about 2500, following pre-Inca Aymari customs, though they speak Quechua.
Taquile Island Moon Worship
At the summit of the climb is a Moon Temple, still pressed into service from time to time. This is a moon-centered culture, which follows the moon’s rhythms making sacrificial offerings at certain moon cycles or ceasing work on others (New Moon). It’s a bit confusing to learn that one of the primary schools is 7th Day Adventist. Then again, to be anywhere in Peru for just a short while is to learn that the 85% Catholic statistic only tells the start of the story. Religion is a mescla almost always.
Customs Maintained
The enduring customs of dress among the island people are perhaps the greatest curiosity.
