Caballitos de Totora

In my best Spanish….I think that means “little horses made of reeds”…I could be wrong here.

So, why am I writing about little horses made of reeds? Well, it’s because I think these are a shining example of how culture can survive and, at the same time, be a source of pride and an attraction for visitors. My tour guide to Chan Chan informed me that a young Peruano status-seeker once proposed that the local fishermen of Huanchaco should consider giving up their simple, handmade boats in favor of much faster and efficient motor boats. The fishermen balked at the idea, protested that motor boats would cause too much noise and allegedly, according to my tour guide, had a law passed prohibiting the use of motor boats forever (or at least until the law gets changed).

Caballitos de Totora

Archeological evidence suggests that the Moche people (the tribe that pre-dated the Chimu) were the first to use this type of boat in Peru some 3,000 years ago. They are still used today by the fishermen and so far as I know, this is the only place in South America where these types of boats are used.

Renewable Resource

The reeds that these boats are made of take 10 months to grow and 2 months to dry. The boats themselves only last ~3 months. The fishermen make quite an effort to keep their fleet in “ship shape”.

A Culture Sold Out on a Wholesale Level

In my Machu Picchu post, I alluded to my horrible experience aboard the vistadome train back to Cusco. Here’s how it went:
First, if you are familiar with the Disney “Small World” ride then you might get a feeling for what this train ride might be all about. It really is 3 1/2 hours of “It’s a small world” with less leg room. First, the train crew attempts to re-enact a traditional dance of residents of the Altiplano (stay-tuned for more on that). Of course, the dance is restricted to the already narrow footpath down the center of the train car. The costumes they wear are absolutely garish and awful and can’t possibly be representative of the ancient people. Of course, the dance is done to some lounge-act version of horrible 80′s American pop music. After the horrible re-enactment, the train crew puts on an alpaca fashion show – complete with even more completely tasteless music. Everyone else on the train gave obligatory applause for each clothing item presented…I couldn’t bring myself to show any appreciation…I felt that that would be a sign that this is what people actually come to Peru to experience. It’s not. This experience was very representative of my time in the Cusco area. Little flute bands running around, playing covers of…you guessed it, awful American pop tunes…oh, and some tourist at some time must have asked them to play “LaBamba” as they ALL play that one too (by the way, LaBamba is a Mexican folk song from the state of Veracruz, it’s not Peruvian and Peru ain’t Mexico!)

Now, I’ve been to many a place that might be considered “over-touristed”, for example the Taj Mahal or The Galapagos but never have I seen such pandering from the local residents. Sure, they are all happy to make a buck but they haven’t sold out the way the Cusquenos appear to have sold out on an absolute wholesale level.

So, in my opinion, much of the rest of Peru could learn valuable lessons from the fishermen of Huanchaco; namely that it is o.k. to retain tradition and culture. People will still visit Peru as it has many wonderful treasures to see and lots of great things to do. Travelers and tourists will still spend money, why not keep the experience more authentic?