Dear Families,
It is now Monday and the students are back in classes, this time with new teachers. Our weekend? Full of Peruvian culture, ancient ruins, hiking, open markets, new cuisine, a birthday, and music.
Thursday afternoon we visited one of several local markets in Cusco where an overstimulating amount of goods bombarded our senses: soft clothing made of alpaca wool, sombreros of all types, knives big and small and some quite unusually decorated, leather wallets, hand woven belts, table runners, wall hangings, shirts and striped cotton pantalones, and blankets in bright colors, finger puppets, silver jewelry, earrings made of bird feathers, a plethora of new (to us) fruits and vegetables, including many varieties of both corn and potato, papayas as big as babies, round loaves of bread the size of bike tires, toasted and puffed corn, fried pork rinds, fried banana chips, chocolate in every form, coffee, squash as big as truck tires, cookies, pastries, rolls, rounds of cheese and butter, and then the counters laden with heavy slabs of meat (beef, alpaca, pork), chicken in a myriad of forms, the infamous guinea pig, and of course, all those mysterious medicinal animal parts, including gall bladders, livers, hearts, noses of cows, entrails of sheep, and a couple of pig heads. In the category of musical instruments were pan flutes, small guitars specific to the region, recorders, ceramic whistles, drums, and rattles made of hand carved gourds.
After this shopping extravaganza, we returned to the school for a Peruvian cooking lesson. We learned how to make papas rellenos, or mashed potatoes stuffed with beef, onions, peas, garlic, salt, tomatoes, and carrots, which are then fried and eaten immediately. Delicious. (Plus, our wonderful chef made a vegetarian version.)
Friday after classes, we visited a handicraft market. Ponchos, small back packs, and finger puppets were quite popular, as you will see in some of your travelers' photos. Friday evening we had salsa dancing lessons at the school. Most of the guys protested against this "madatory" cultural activity. However, I think it is safe to say that nearly all of us had fun, and the guys might have come around to actually enjoying salsa! Our instructors are accomplished dancers and inspiring teachers. We have another lesson next week, so it is possible we may return graceful dancers.
Saturday morning we left early by bus with our intrepid guide, Carlos, who took us to the Sacred Valley. First, we visited the circular ruins of Moray, with many levels, or "steps" created for the purpose of experimental and educational agriculture. The Inca used this place as a school and a laboratory, where the oldest and most knowledgeable farmers taught younger ones, and also where these experts studied the effects of altitude on certain plants. Each level of the circuluar ruin might vary in temperture as much as 15ยบ. These Inca scientists selected and saved seeds in seed banks and, according to Carlos, also genetically altered certain species. There are 4,000 known varieties of potato in the world, and in Peru and Bolivia alone there exist 2,500 varieties. The ruins at Moray have been almost completely restored, and potatoes, beans, and other crops are growing there now.
After Moray, we drove on to Salineras, where salt has been mined for centuries by the Inca, who discovered a salt water river (much of it underground) in this area, and while this was of no use for irrigation, the Inca mined the salt by building evaportion pools and scraping the salt from these pools during the dry season. At one time, centuries ago, this salt was even used as a form of money. We toured the evaporation pools and at our guide's suggestion, dipped our hand in the salty stream and watched the water evaporate on our skin, leaving traces of salt on our hands.
We hiked down from Salineras to meet our tour bus near the river, and then drove on to Ollantaytambo, where we toured ruins built on a steep mountainside above the town. Climbing up the incredibly steep steps to the religious center of the Sacred Valley left several of us out of breath, but the effort proved worth it. The pink granite stones (some weighing several tons) placed carefully in this temple exemplify the importance of religion to the Inca, and the effort and strategy necessary to quarry these stones and transport them several miles up and down and across the valley astounded us.
After Ollantaytambo, we traveled to the small town of Taray, also on the Urubamba river, where we stayed overnight at another school owned by Amauta. The only group in residence that night, we threw a birthday party for Victoria, who turned 17. We surprised her with a torta (cake) procured in Cusco, and music and presents and fun. The night was full of card games, water balloon fights, and general merriment.
We woke early the next morning to catch a local bus to Pisac, the most amazing of all the ruins we have yet to view. Our guide Carlos joined us again and we were driven up to a high altitude to start our tour of the many ruins of Pisac. Pisac was the administrative center of the Inca during the height of their empire. We hiked around many of the sites and the combination of the shepherds horns (they blow through conch shells to call their sheep), warm and sunny weather, and wildflowers in bloom everywhere made for a stellar day of sight seeing. Carlos informed us of the culture of the time, the way the social structure worked, and how the priests and priestesses were selected, usually following a "sign" from the gods, such as being struck by lightning!
After the wonders of Pisac, we hiked down along the winding trails full with blooming flowers and the occasional small waterfall, until we reached the town of Pisac and entered the large, open market. Several students bought more beautiful clothing and some muscial instruments. Following the market, we swam in a local swimmng pool adjacent to a hotel, and then were serenaded by our own excellent musicians on the bus ride back to Cusco. All were physically tired by the time we returned to the city, and we split off to our respective homestays for some dinner and recuperation.
This week our volunteer work resumes for the next three days after classes, and we will celebrate the last day of that work with our donations to the orphanages. We have another salsa class scheduled this week, as well as some touring of the local museum and cathedrals.
While some of have experienced a bit of stomach problems and a few sinus colds, our own medico, Joaquin, takes good care of everybody, and the general health is good. Our attitude remains positive and we're ready for more adventure. Our Spanish speaking improves daily!
We will send more photos soon. We hope all is well back home. Adios!
Heather, Olga, Grisha, and Joaquin
