En el lago Titicaca, que divide Bolivia y Perú, las plantas de totora (Schoenoplectus californicus) son fundamentales para el desarrollo de sus pueblos, ya que se utilizan para la construccion de viviendas, la construcción de nuevas islas, para artesanías, papel, para medicamentos, alimentación y para la construcción de barcas con métodos tradicionales.
Las barcas se utilizan para moverse por las islas, para pescar y para el turismo. La técnica constructiva es preincaica, valiéndose únicamente del atado de fibras vegetales como son la totora y la pita (Agave).
REED BOATS IN TITICACA´S LAKE
In Titicaca´s Lake, which divides Bolivia and Peru, reed plants (Schoenoplectus californicus) are fundamental for the development of their villages, since they are used for the construction of houses, the construction of new islands, for crafts, paper, for medicines, food and for the construction of boats with traditional methods.
Boats are used for island travel, fishing and tourism. The construction technique is pre-Inca, using only the binding of vegetable fibers such as totora and pita (Agave).
Boats are used for island travel, fishing and tourism. The construction technique is pre-Inca, using only the binding of vegetable fibers such as totora and pita (Agave).
Para el proceso constructivo de la balsa, primero se corta un gran número de totoras con cuchillo, lo mas profundo posible para obtener mas longitud y se dejan secar al sol extendidas sobre el suelo durante dos o tres días. En el suelo se extienden cuerdas de pita de forma paralela a una misma distancia entre ellas sobre las que se colocan grupos de totoras verdes recién cortadas que se van solapando. Se coloca primero uno de los extremos hasta llegar al medio y luego de forma espejada lo mismo para el otro extremo. Para rellenar se utilizan totoras secas. Luego se tira de las cuerdas de pita que quedaron debajo de las totoras para comenzar a darle la torma tubular a la balsa, para esto se requiere un grupo de gente trabajando para tensar bien las cuerdas ya que la balsa funciona por la densidad de las fibras que se mantiene por el atado entre ellas.
Reed is an herbaceous plant, fibrous, perennial and aquatic, which can reach up to 3 meters in length.
For the raft construction process, first cut a large number of reeds with a knife, as deep as possible to obtain more length and let them dry in the sun spread on the ground for two or three days. On the ground, pita strings are stretched parallel to one another at the same distance over which groups of freshly cut green reeds overlap. One end is placed first until it reaches the middle and then mirror-shaped the same for the other end. Dry reeds are used for refilling. Then pull the pita ropes that were left under the reeds to begin to give the tubular torma to the raft, for this a group of people working to tighten the ropes well because the raft works by the density of the fibers that is maintained by tying between them.
Reed is an herbaceous plant, fibrous, perennial and aquatic, which can reach up to 3 meters in length.
For the raft construction process, first cut a large number of reeds with a knife, as deep as possible to obtain more length and let them dry in the sun spread on the ground for two or three days. On the ground, pita strings are stretched parallel to one another at the same distance over which groups of freshly cut green reeds overlap. One end is placed first until it reaches the middle and then mirror-shaped the same for the other end. Dry reeds are used for refilling. Then pull the pita ropes that were left under the reeds to begin to give the tubular torma to the raft, for this a group of people working to tighten the ropes well because the raft works by the density of the fibers that is maintained by tying between them.
Las barcas se contruyen con dos grupos de atados que al final se unen a una tercera pieza formando la base.
Las dos primeras mitades se realizan de la misma forma, y son grandes atados de totora con tiras de pita torsionada que forma una especie de "cuerda".
La tercera parte de la estructura se hace con la misma técnica pero es mucho mas pequeña y se utiliza para unir. Se dejan dos cuerdas de pita bien largas debajo de las tres partes atadas de totora, con esas cuerdas se irá cosiendo la barca utilizando mucha fuerza para tensionarla. Primero una de las cuerdas abraza uno de los grandes atados de totora y luego se ata al centro, luego se hace lo mismo con el otro atado.
Los extremos se curvan con la fuerza del atirantado, se forman así la proa y la popa.
El tensado final se realiza mediante los golpes de una piedra sin filo sobre la cuerda de pita, lo que ghace que se deslice la cuerda en la dirección en que queremos ajustar y darle mayor tensión. Mientras una persona golpea otra debe tensar la cuerda, para ello cada artesano-constructor cuenta con una herramienta hecha de madera que permite levantar la cuerda y tirar de ella.
The boats are built with two groups of bundles that at the end are joined to a third piece forming the base.
The first two halves are made in the same way, and are large reed bindings with twisted pita strips that form a kind of "rope".
The third part of the structure is made with the same technique but is much smaller and is used to join. Two long pita strings are left under the three binded parts of reed, with these strings the boat will be sewn using a lot of force to tension it. First one of the ropes hugs one of the big reed bundles and then ties it to the center, then does the same with the other tied.
The ends are curved with the force of the cable-staying, forming the bow and stern.
The final tensioning is done by hitting a blunt stone on the pita rope, which makes the rope slide in the direction we want to adjust and give it more tension. While one person hits another person must tighten the rope. Each craftsman-builder has a tool made of wood that allows the rope to be lifted and pulled.
The boats are built with two groups of bundles that at the end are joined to a third piece forming the base.
The first two halves are made in the same way, and are large reed bindings with twisted pita strips that form a kind of "rope".
The third part of the structure is made with the same technique but is much smaller and is used to join. Two long pita strings are left under the three binded parts of reed, with these strings the boat will be sewn using a lot of force to tension it. First one of the ropes hugs one of the big reed bundles and then ties it to the center, then does the same with the other tied.
The ends are curved with the force of the cable-staying, forming the bow and stern.
The final tensioning is done by hitting a blunt stone on the pita rope, which makes the rope slide in the direction we want to adjust and give it more tension. While one person hits another person must tighten the rope. Each craftsman-builder has a tool made of wood that allows the rope to be lifted and pulled.
Fuentes / source:
Imágenes / Pictures:
(1) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Photo_-_Floating_Islands_(Puno,_Peru).JPG
(2) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Urso_man_pulling_boat.jpg
(3) pixabay.com
Información / Information:
http://mundototora.blogspot.com.es/2009/10/cosechando-totra.html
https://blogcatedranaval.com/2012/04/16/los-caballitos-de-totora-del-lago-titicaca/
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