One drizzly morning, Lewis the Lion woke up early to catch a boat to two of the most important islands on Lake Titicaca: la Isla del Sol (Sun Island) and la Isla de la Luna (Moon Island). Both islands were important religious sites before Colombian times, especially for the Incas who believed that the sun and moon had been created there.
However, the first island that Lewis the Lion visited was the smaller of the two, la Isla de la Luna, also known as Coati or ‘Queen Island.’ This is because the moon is considered the female counterpart to the sun. Luckily by the time that Lewis the Lion had ridden across Lake Titicaca to the Moon Island the weather had brightened up. Then, for a small entrance fee (10 Bolivianos), Lewis the Lion enjoyed exploring an Inca temple complex which surrounded a central plaza. He was very impressed to see the series of stone buildings with symmetrical facades and he marvelled at how the Incas had measured these so precisely even over 500 years ago?
As he was leaving the island, which seemed rather primitive, he was surprised to learn from an old lady living on the island that even though there are only 70 inhabitants living there, they still have a town hall and a mayor! It seemed that most people worked either by farming on the agricultural terraces or by creating artisanal goods to sell to the tourists.
Have a look at Lewis the Lion’s photo gallery to the Moon Island.
Would you like to live on such a small island? Why or why not?
What do you think the advantages and disadvantages would be?