Guinea
Pigs, Wool and the Ollantaytambo Ruins
Well, we’re on the bus again!
That became a joke because there was a lot of ‘riding on the bus’ in
Peru to get from one place to another!
This ride is taking us to the Lima airport for a flight to Cuzco,
Peru. Cuzco is known as the ancient
capital of the Inca Empire and the oldest city in South America. It was a short flight and suddenly we were
‘on the bus again’! The bus rides were
actually pleasant though. We got to know
our fellow travelers and views out the window always offered something new and
amazing sights to see. Things like
rugged mountains ….
Magnificent panoramas …
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| A large chicken farm |
We drive passed Cuzco and on toward the Sacred Valley but I managed to snap a few shots of Cuzco in the distance. We will have more on Cuzco later.
I caught a young person keeping an eye on his baby Alpaca.
A decorated car!! No it
wasn’t a wedding. The car was new to the
family and Peruvians decorate their new cars and take them to the church to
have it blessed. Faith is a very
important part of life for the people of Peru. By the signage on the vehicle it looks like they will use it for earning money for their family.
Then there was the very strange, but very exclusive Naturavive
Hotel … located on the side of a mountain .. No, literally, it is hung on the
side of a mountain!! We were told the
only way up to it is to climb a ladder that is on the mountain side; and the
only way down is a zip line – but not sure if that was a joke!!
We are now in the Sacred Valley of the Incas and it’s time for
lunch. We stop in Chinchero and enjoy an
authentic Peruvian lunch. The people of
Peru enjoy 35 varieties of corn, 20 types of native fruits, 15 species of
tomatoes, and 8000 species of potatoes!!
All native to the Andes region.
They also enjoy a fresh cheese called Queso fresco or Queso Blanco. A ‘super food’ in the Andean regions is
Quinoa! We are familiar with Quinoa here
in the states but in Peru it is used in soups, biscuits, crackers, cakes,
pancakes, salads, breads, and so many other dishes. Then there is a delicacy (according to our
guide) served in Peru. Guinea Pig. That’s right, those cute little critters that
many of us had as pets. Families in the
countryside keep colonies of the little animals and when they are prepared for
a meal their little heads and tiny feet are still attached. Needless to say this was a bit stressful for
us. They also eat Alpaca – we
didn’t! There is also a variety of fish
dishes to choose from.
Our lunch was made and served by a Peruvian family. First a bowl
of soup, made with Quinoa in it, and it was very tasty. Then a small plate with stuffed peppers, some
fruit, crackers to top with a couple of queso dips, one of the 8000 varieties
of potato that I think was boiled and
some small pieces of really well cooked meat – which turned out to be, you got
it, Guinea Pig! Most of the group gently
ignored it, but we braved it and tried it.
Neither of us wanted to insult our hosts as they really went all out to
serve us!! To be honest it was cooked so completely it seemed like Guinea Pig
Jerky!!
After lunch we were treated to a demonstration of the Andean
tradition of making textiles from naturally dyed handwoven Alpaca wool. Take a look …
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| Note the colorful yarns hanging from the ceiling. |
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| Colors all come from plants, minerals and insects. |
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| Examples of how they use color |
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| Working on cleaned Alpaca wool into yarn |
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| Above and below - the actual coloring of the wool |
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| Weaving a blanket or a shawl |
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| A finished product |
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| Many products available for sale |
Next stop – Ollantaytambo Ruins – an ancient complex of temples and terraces towering high over the valley, the last stand of the Incas in
their defense against the Spanish Conquistadors. Amazing architecture of the Incas are well preserved in this settlement considered a living museum of 15th century life. We enjoyed exploring this amazing place.
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| It is said that the Incas used the natural outcropping on this mountain side, which looks like the face of a possible god or deity, to build this amazing settlement. |
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| Market at the base of the settlement. There were always places to 'buy' things'! |
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| View from the top of the settlement |
Jan 🌷🌷🐾🐾
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