Peru

A brand-new country in my collection - Peru! Thanks to Marcos, I've got this great postcard of ladies cooking on a floating island of Uros  located in the lake Titicaca. Population of people who live on the Uros, a group of 44 or so artificial islands made of totora, a plant native to the place.These islands have become a major tourist attraction for Peru, drawing excursions from the lakeside city of Puno. Their original purpose was defensive, and they could be moved if a threat arose. Many of the islands contain watchtowers largely constructed of reeds. Such an interesting place to live... I've also watched a documentary about it on the TV, talking about how they take care of the island and rebuild it little by little. 

Edwin Vásquez Cam was an Olympic sport shooter from Peru. He won a gold medal in the Free Pistol event in the 1948 Summer Olympics, his country's only Olympic gold medal so far. In order to celebrate 60 years from his gold medal, Peru launched this stamp above. Thanks, Marcos!