Bye Bye Cusco....

Machu Picchu

 

Cui

Our fabulous coordinator Adela invited us to her home to enjoy a taste of the local cuisine.She cooked us Cui, aka Guinea pig, and a pepper stuffed with local vegetables, potatoes, and herbs.

We finished the tasting with a lovely homemade beverage made by Adolfo,  Adela's husband.

Our day of service

We couldn't have had better weather for this day. It was sunny and warm and we felt energetic. The day before we had hiked up to the small community  called, Tanka, and learned what we would be doing and then worked for a couple of hours. Our service project was to put a mixture of mud and cactus juice from a cactus called "Giganton" between the rocks of a ten to twelve-foot retaining wall.

Some children as young as five appeared and started helping us. We sang some songs with them and chatted as we worked, When we stopped for our picnic lunch, we took some pictures with them.

It truly was an unforgettable day and we felt so good about what we got done for the community. 

 

 

 

We learned that before there was shampoo, hair was washed with this cactus so back at our home stays we washed our hair with it and we had super soft hair. That evening we had a very special dinner in a field with our families. The food was cooked under the ground and is called "Patachanca".

Tired stones!

Ollantaytambo Ruins

Today we went to the Pumamarca, The Temple of the Sun in Ollantaytambo. We learned about the incredible history of the Incan empire. Although it was difficult with the altitude the view was well worth the hike. One of the many sights we saw were of Pre-Incan ruins. They were preserved because of the Incan architectural philosophy of building with the surrounding environment.  Similarly, when conquering other groups, they respected their religious and cultural practices, as long as they worshipped the sun god above all others.  During construction, the king utilized the best artisans from those groups and the strongest workers to help build this beautiful temple.  We were in awe to see these gigantic stones, and amazed at the distance they were carried and the precision with which they were cut.  We also saw beautiful baths that were used for purification and a stone that is said to have incredible healing properties.  There was so much history to know and so many lessons to learn from these ancestors. It was a gorgeous day and the sun came out when in the Sun temple. We stripped off layers and felt warm in days!

La escuela Valle Sagrado in Urobamba

Music Class

 Ceramic Class

Dance Class

Faculty Workshop 

 Farewell
 

 

Girl with the eyes...

 

The steps...

The road to Patacancha passed through a valley, along a small river and into switchbacks which ascended to about 7000 feet (I think) and the Amawaki Coop. Along this road are many terraces that were built by cultures before the Incas arrived. This picture shows an amazing amount of terraces which created micro climates so that different vegetables could be grown. I estimated 60 - 70 terraces. This is the only place where we saw steps such as these. One could also see parts of the aqueduct which carried glacier water to the crops as well as to the villages in the Sacred Valley.

 

Amazing tour and lesson with Awamaki weaving collective

 

 

Celebration, ceremony, and Pachamama

Yesterday we were open to change and were rewarded with a spontaneous trip to a festival celebrating a saint in the small town of Rumeri, outside of Ollantaytambo.  There was a mass that filled the small church that was followed by dancers of all ages with incredible costumes and movements.  The entire community came out to celebrate and spend the day with one another. 

 

After we visited AniWasi, the Sacred Valley Health, and met amazing leaders who are doing incredible work in rural communities. They train community members to be community health providers, in addition to health campaigns that are crucial to the community.  

After that came a series of unforgettable moments. We walked along terraces down to Rio Urubamba, where we offered flowers to the river and soaked up the beauty of the Sacred Valley. While there, a rainbow magically appeared and we were all humbled by this place.

 

The final experience was a visit to the shaman for a ceremony to set our intentions.  It was very powerful and we were all moved by the rituals and the words he offered each of us.  We ended the ceremony by walking out into the night, under a blanket full of stars.  

 

Mate de Coca

This stuff has been crucial with the 0 to 13,000ft. elevation change. Muy delicioso.

 

Inka cola

My first Inka Cola! Peru's national soft drink. It's really good!

Why we are here

Group is in Cusco

Hello family and friends of the Town School! After a few delays in the United States, the group has arrived safely in Cusco. They will be having lunch in Cusco and heading down the Sacred Valley to Ollantaytambo. They will start updating the blog this evening or tomorrow morning. Please call with any questions 303.679.3412.

Erin Lasky
Director of Operations

Delayed in Dallas

Preparing for our Peruvian adventure

 From Mount Tamalpais in the Coastal Range of Alta California to the Cordillera Oriental Range in the Andes Mountains of Peru four intrepid adventurers begin to prepare for their trip.

       The essentials are packed.