Wwe asked directions for the path that would take us down through the canyon to the Vilcanota River that runs through the Sacred Valley. It is a little-known walking trail and indeed, we did not encounter anyone, except on farmer and his dog…
I enjoyed visiting Centro Textil Llank’ay the most. The women were very welcoming and since we were the only customers, we had a nice visit with them. One talented young woman was knitting a very fine chullo (hat) and manipulating three colors of yarn which she ran around the back of her neck.
It took me four hours to get to the top—it takes the average person three. I met a guide coming down with a tourist couple and he asked where my group was. I told him I was solita(alone) and he gaped at me.
You can be very creative with this dish. A vegetarian central layer of steamed veggies, egg salad, or various cheeses, work well…And you can use anything that sounds good for garnish: tomatoes, cucumbers, grated carrots—just use your imagination.
Since I arrived in Calca, I have been trying to find a natural dyeing workshop to learn how the Quechua traditionally dyed their fiber.
Raul grows the native Chuncho cacao, whose fruit is smaller than the more prevalent hybrid varieties. Cacao is ripe when the fruit turns yellow.
The coffee here is shade-grown—a growing method which encourages the farmers to nurture the forest as a whole.
I was fascinated with this ancient site where salt has been harvested for over 500 years and maybe even for a millennia. So, on Thursday I decided to again hike up to the salt farms—a beautiful and tough climb from the Sacred Valley.
So, on Friday I decided to make empanadas. With some advice from Mabel in mind and suggestions as to where to find fresh chicken, I walked the 10 blocks to the mercado and started shopping.
Michell’s Mill is the place where more tourists go because of their very interesting alpaca museum, Mundo Alpaca and high-end apparel shop located on the mill grounds.
As you drive through the area around Huarocondo, you see signs for roadside stands selling fresh homemade cheese and yogurt.
Smoothies? You ain’t Seen Nothin’ The Juice Ladies of San CamilloOne of the highlights of the San Camillo market in Arequipa, is the long line of women (about 50 stalls!) selling just about any kind of smoothie or juice you can imagine. Along with the Seccion Fruitas (Fruit Section), it is the most colorful part …
Shopping…Cooking…Eating: Tamales! En Peru! One day a couple weeks ago I asked my host, Adela if she knew how to make tamales. “Claro!”—of course she did. Since I also like to make tamales and wanted to make some here from the foods I could get in the market, we planned a day for shopping and …
I really enjoy walking through the busy streets picking out the places where I want to shop. Each street seems to have its own specialty and once you know which streets cater to which items, then you know where to go.
Luckily, everyone thought is was very funny. I had to repeat peluquería over and over before I could hear the difference and get the pronunciation down. Today, I am still repeating it in my head, especially whenever I pass one of the many salons on the street!
The hike up seemed to get longer as we got closer to the finish. The last 15–20 switchbacks seemed interminable. I was stubbornly refusing to ride the horse and I made it to the top on my own—worn out but thrilled at the accomplishment.
Choquequirao means “cradle of gold” in the Quechua language. After another filling lunch and a rest, we started up the trail to visit the Choquequirao ruins.
Choquequirao is considered to be a sister-site to Machu Picchu, but few people know about it. Researchers believe the site may be even larger than Machu Picchu. A very difficult 4-day trek in and out is required to visit these remote ruins.
Most of our energy for the day was spent at the San Camillo Market, where Rebecca enjoyed pointing out the fruits here that are also grown in Hawai’i.
Tonight, I took the opportunity to point my camera out my bedroom window and try my hand for the first time to capture some of Mother Nature’s power: