Living over Water - Restorative Redevelopment of Devastated Ecocultural Landscapes - page 276

FIGURE 14.42 The islands closest to Puno are characterized by signage, observation tow-
ers, and large groups of tourists. ( Continued )

assume their quaint positions as if in a living museum diorama. Jenkins (2003) in his
travel guide to Peru is very critical of the charade, lamenting the rapid devastation of
the traditional values of these islanders from being the one-time proud guardians of
the lake as recently as only twenty years ago. How much of this cultural erosion can
be related to the prominent presence of the evangelical Christian school and active
missionaries is open to debate. More likely, it is simply the proximity to the major
mainland city and a consequent succumbing to the lucrative seduction of group tour-
ism that is the biggest culprit. Today, a cusp may be approaching as many foreigners