We are back in ¨¡La Pa La Pa La Pa!¨ We had our last official ceremony last night to end disorientation (you know, like the opposite of ¨orientation¨) and now we have our last day free to roam the city. I cant believe it is almost over; Ive only used 1.5 ounces of shampoo and Ive done laundry only three times! We leave Bolivia late tonight/early tomorrow morning.
Im my three months here, I have not yet told you all the things I love here. As a final tribute to this place, here is a list of all the reasons I love Bolivia:
-An electronic version of Eminem coming through my window from a fiesta in the plaza at night
-The availability of soy milk
-Drinking liquids out of a bag
-Fresh carrot juice
-Coca candies
-Coca cookies
-Mangos, prickly pears, baby bananas, y custard apples
-The abundance of cerveza
-MOUNTAINS
-The fact that the kid sitting next to me at the Internet cafe cant read what Im writing
-The rare but delicious vegetarian buffets in Cochabamba
-Freshest smoothies ever (and they come in a bag!)
-Porn calendars are proudly displayed in every tienda, home, and auto shop
-Té de Paris
-Coca mate
-Su Tienda Amiga Yolanda
-Humientas from the lady in a cardboard box
-Falafal en Lafa for 15 bolivianos
-Black market on Sundays and Thursdays (the the fabulous Venus d´ Milo boots I found there)
-Political graffiti on every boulder, buildng, and wall
-Peanut sauce
-Second hand clothing shops in Rurre
-Grapefruits in the Amazon
-Martín the monkey
-Wild chocolate
-Fresh Sorata bread, straight from the Orno Caliente on monday afternoons
-The proper way to carry a baby is: (1.) put a manta (big woven cloth) on the ground and put your baby on it (2.) grab the corners and SWING it over your shoulder onto your back (3.) Tie it and go...
-LLamas hatching from eggs
-Andean ceremonies
-Paying tribute to the Apus
-Listening to the sacred earth
-Api breaks in the mid-morning
-Scottie (aka Cohen), my adopted street puppy
-Being somewhere long enough to adopt street dogs as your own
-Dogs wearing sweaters and other clothes
-The swings in Plaza España
-Drunken taxi drivers who discuss the inbreeding of llamas and dogs on the streets of El Alto
-Water fights during Carnival
-Espuma
-Tomatoes with mustard
And probably more that I have forgotten...
I am a bit relieved to finish traveling with 15 other people; logistically, it has been quite a challenge. But I am so sad to leave the 15 people that have become my family here!
It is scary to go home. It is even scarier that Im only home for two weeks until Im off to Brevard to work for the summer, then Im straight off to school. School?! That will be a strange new adjustment...
Or maybe a new adventure?
¡Chao Bolivia! My next post will come from the States.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Home-Sweet-Almost-Home
I dont leave Bolivia for a couple more days, but last Saturday I felt like I had returned home. That is because we returned to Sorata. We´ve travel so much, so quickly throughout Bolivia and Peru that the three weeks in Sorata was our longest time being stationary, and therefore it is most familiar to us, most like home.
Driving in from Lake Titicaca, I was actually suprised at how happy I was to see Sorata off in the distance. Looking out the window of our mobilidad, I could identify all the parts of Sorata that meant so much to the group: there is Tutu, with the river running beside it; there is the road that leads to Villa Rosa, and the Regae Bar, and David´s farm; there is the path I would run on, and the bridge where I saw a rainbow one rainy afternoon; there is the shop where the banana bread is sold; and there, four rows up from the palm tree filled plaza, is my home, so small from the road, but probably full of my family playing and eating lunch.
The tienda woman recognized Evi, where she used to buy mustard every day. And the woman with the juice shop asked Michaela where she had been. I ran into my homestay sister in the plaza within 2 hours of being back: I was suprised when someone grabbed me from behind, but as soon as I felt her arms I had no doubt that it was her!
Our past three days in Sorata have been exactly what I needed to process, relax, and reflect. It has been nice to focus on our group and enjoying our last bit of time together.
Our main adventure in Sorata was preparing for the Aptapi, which is like an Aymara potluck. We invited all 13 of our homestay families, so we were busy cooking for over 50 people! Our biggest chalenge was that the water in the house was cut off, which means we had no water to cook or clean with. We ended up having to carry water in giant buckets to the house from the town. Despite the little roadblock, we got everything done smoothly (miraculously!), and we had a lot of fun while doing it. We had the speakers turned up loud and we spent all day singing, dancing, cooking, and laughing. It will definitely be one of the memories that sticks with me for a long time.
The families came in the afternoon and we all crowded into the house. When it came tiem to eat, there was a MAD DASH to the fruit salad. It was honestly a stampeed of bolivian women, and people were fighting for the serving spoon. We had made almost a bathtub full of it, and it was gone in 10 minutes. It was funny to watch all the mothers fill up there plates then slyly dump them into there purses, saving it for later. Whe we gave them to-go baggies at the end of the fiesta, there was yet another mad dash. I swear some of them left with two or three totebags full of leftovers. By the end, we only had hummus and salad left in the pots- Im pretty sure that not a single Bolivian touched either thing!
For me, the day before the Aptapi was also filled with cooking (still with no water, I might add...). I decided to make dal baht for my whole group as a special treat and thankyou. It was fun but tiring, cooking dal, baht, tarkari, saag, and achar for 16 people. And I was worried that it might not be good, since I had no recipe, little experience, and only bolivian ingredients. I was suprised at how well it turned out; it was actally really tasty and everyone loved it.
Driving in from Lake Titicaca, I was actually suprised at how happy I was to see Sorata off in the distance. Looking out the window of our mobilidad, I could identify all the parts of Sorata that meant so much to the group: there is Tutu, with the river running beside it; there is the road that leads to Villa Rosa, and the Regae Bar, and David´s farm; there is the path I would run on, and the bridge where I saw a rainbow one rainy afternoon; there is the shop where the banana bread is sold; and there, four rows up from the palm tree filled plaza, is my home, so small from the road, but probably full of my family playing and eating lunch.
The tienda woman recognized Evi, where she used to buy mustard every day. And the woman with the juice shop asked Michaela where she had been. I ran into my homestay sister in the plaza within 2 hours of being back: I was suprised when someone grabbed me from behind, but as soon as I felt her arms I had no doubt that it was her!
Our past three days in Sorata have been exactly what I needed to process, relax, and reflect. It has been nice to focus on our group and enjoying our last bit of time together.
Our main adventure in Sorata was preparing for the Aptapi, which is like an Aymara potluck. We invited all 13 of our homestay families, so we were busy cooking for over 50 people! Our biggest chalenge was that the water in the house was cut off, which means we had no water to cook or clean with. We ended up having to carry water in giant buckets to the house from the town. Despite the little roadblock, we got everything done smoothly (miraculously!), and we had a lot of fun while doing it. We had the speakers turned up loud and we spent all day singing, dancing, cooking, and laughing. It will definitely be one of the memories that sticks with me for a long time.
The families came in the afternoon and we all crowded into the house. When it came tiem to eat, there was a MAD DASH to the fruit salad. It was honestly a stampeed of bolivian women, and people were fighting for the serving spoon. We had made almost a bathtub full of it, and it was gone in 10 minutes. It was funny to watch all the mothers fill up there plates then slyly dump them into there purses, saving it for later. Whe we gave them to-go baggies at the end of the fiesta, there was yet another mad dash. I swear some of them left with two or three totebags full of leftovers. By the end, we only had hummus and salad left in the pots- Im pretty sure that not a single Bolivian touched either thing!
For me, the day before the Aptapi was also filled with cooking (still with no water, I might add...). I decided to make dal baht for my whole group as a special treat and thankyou. It was fun but tiring, cooking dal, baht, tarkari, saag, and achar for 16 people. And I was worried that it might not be good, since I had no recipe, little experience, and only bolivian ingredients. I was suprised at how well it turned out; it was actally really tasty and everyone loved it.
Sunny Island
We just ended our two nights at Isla del Sol (Island of the Sun), in Lake Titicaca.
Titicaca was incredible; absolutely more than I imagined. The beach was beautiful and the water was emense. I kept forgeting that it wasnt an ocean. When you see the pictures, you will know what I mean!
We got to spend time laying in the sand and it truely felt like paradise, but the sun was strong- we were about 14,000 feet HIGHER than sea level, if that gives you an idea. Besides relaxing in the sand, we spend time doing group reflections and playing lots of games. It was a beautiful break from all the moving and doing that we have been busy with for the past few months.
We went to the Incan ruins on the North side of the island. The island, and especially the ruins, are on of the holiest sites in the Incan empire, because the place is considered to be the birthplace of the Sun and of the Inca. We went at dusk and it was truely magical. Our bolivian friends, Doña Fransica and Don Roberto, conducted an Aymara ceremony for us, which made the experience even more special. I have seen quite a few ceremonies by now, but this one was particulary powerful. Something about Fransisca and Roberto chanting and turning in unison to give thanks to the Apus really touched me.
Our last day, we hiked together across the ridge that follows the island. From the path, both sides of the enormous lake was visible, as was the snowy mountains in the distance. It was a great end to our stay.
Titicaca was incredible; absolutely more than I imagined. The beach was beautiful and the water was emense. I kept forgeting that it wasnt an ocean. When you see the pictures, you will know what I mean!
We got to spend time laying in the sand and it truely felt like paradise, but the sun was strong- we were about 14,000 feet HIGHER than sea level, if that gives you an idea. Besides relaxing in the sand, we spend time doing group reflections and playing lots of games. It was a beautiful break from all the moving and doing that we have been busy with for the past few months.
We went to the Incan ruins on the North side of the island. The island, and especially the ruins, are on of the holiest sites in the Incan empire, because the place is considered to be the birthplace of the Sun and of the Inca. We went at dusk and it was truely magical. Our bolivian friends, Doña Fransica and Don Roberto, conducted an Aymara ceremony for us, which made the experience even more special. I have seen quite a few ceremonies by now, but this one was particulary powerful. Something about Fransisca and Roberto chanting and turning in unison to give thanks to the Apus really touched me.
Our last day, we hiked together across the ridge that follows the island. From the path, both sides of the enormous lake was visible, as was the snowy mountains in the distance. It was a great end to our stay.
Animal CRACKers
While in Peru, animal crackers were my drug of choice. But thats not to say that there arent other drugs floating around. Peru and Bolivia are well behind Colombia, Brazil, and Mexico in cocaine production, but there is definitely still an industry here.
Did you know that you can call one of many phone numbers in NYC, and within 3 minutes you can have cocain delivered, no matter where you are. It costs $20 a gram.
Ive always thought chemical drugs are a bad idea- bad for your health, bad for your relationships, bad for your brain. But before this trip, I had never thought about how drug use affects the communities that produce those drugs.
In South America, the cocain industry is ruining lives. Coca farmers are having there fields burned by the DEA, and being forced to work for low wages in the production of pasto basico (coca paste). Women transport drugs as a last resort for cash, and are sentanced to years in prison with all of there children. Peasants forced by poverty into the drug trade are sentanced the death penalty, while a NYU freshman caught with cocaine recieves only a small fine.
Did you know that in Bolivia it is illegal to transport large amounts of toilet paper? Toilet paper and gasoline are two of the main ingredients of pasto basico.
When you choose to use cocaine, you are choosing to oppress so many peopple in this area, and you are putting so many lives in danger. That is something they dont teach you in D.A.R.E. class...
Did you know that you can call one of many phone numbers in NYC, and within 3 minutes you can have cocain delivered, no matter where you are. It costs $20 a gram.
Ive always thought chemical drugs are a bad idea- bad for your health, bad for your relationships, bad for your brain. But before this trip, I had never thought about how drug use affects the communities that produce those drugs.
In South America, the cocain industry is ruining lives. Coca farmers are having there fields burned by the DEA, and being forced to work for low wages in the production of pasto basico (coca paste). Women transport drugs as a last resort for cash, and are sentanced to years in prison with all of there children. Peasants forced by poverty into the drug trade are sentanced the death penalty, while a NYU freshman caught with cocaine recieves only a small fine.
Did you know that in Bolivia it is illegal to transport large amounts of toilet paper? Toilet paper and gasoline are two of the main ingredients of pasto basico.
When you choose to use cocaine, you are choosing to oppress so many peopple in this area, and you are putting so many lives in danger. That is something they dont teach you in D.A.R.E. class...
Bolivia > Peru
On the way from Cusco to Lake Titicaca, we crossed back over the boarder to Bolivia. To be honest, I didnt realize how much I loved Bolivia until we left and then returned. It was a good feeling to hold bolivianos in my hand rather than Peruvian soles. My surroundings didnt change much (after all, its only an imaginary line that we crossed...) but there was a feeling of familiarity and good vibes in the air as soon as we made the transition.
Before I get too far into Bolivia, I want to share a list of a few final observations on Peru:
-While in Peru, especially Cusco,one can easily forget that they are in South America. Everything has the feeling of a quaint European village: narrow cobblestone roads, cute little houses on the hillside, everything neat and tidy but not too modern.
-The churches are GOLD GOLD GOLD GOLD. The huge cathedral in Plaza de Armas in Cusco could easily feel at home in Vatican city; it was actually built on and with old stones stolen from ancient Incan holy sites.
-Animal crackers. The animal crackers in Peru are addicting and Im pretty sure that there were days when I ate them for all three meals.
-Peru is SO toursity. Everywhere you go people are yelling and grabbing you and trying to sell you things. It was scary at best and intimidating at best. I was VERY relieved to get away from all of that.
-The textiles are prettier and have brighter colors, but they are WAY more expensive (like everything else in Peru).
-The markets are better, and they have way more produce. You can even find squoosh!! which is my favorite vegetable from Nepal. The bread, however, is pretty bad.
-There are squat toilets at the ruins of Pisaq!!!!! Squat toilets, just like Asia. This will probably stand out as my favorite memory of Peru. Not kidding.
-Women dress up in elaborate costumes and carry around baby goats in the plaza, and they make you pay to take pictures of them.
Before I get too far into Bolivia, I want to share a list of a few final observations on Peru:
-While in Peru, especially Cusco,one can easily forget that they are in South America. Everything has the feeling of a quaint European village: narrow cobblestone roads, cute little houses on the hillside, everything neat and tidy but not too modern.
-The churches are GOLD GOLD GOLD GOLD. The huge cathedral in Plaza de Armas in Cusco could easily feel at home in Vatican city; it was actually built on and with old stones stolen from ancient Incan holy sites.
-Animal crackers. The animal crackers in Peru are addicting and Im pretty sure that there were days when I ate them for all three meals.
-Peru is SO toursity. Everywhere you go people are yelling and grabbing you and trying to sell you things. It was scary at best and intimidating at best. I was VERY relieved to get away from all of that.
-The textiles are prettier and have brighter colors, but they are WAY more expensive (like everything else in Peru).
-The markets are better, and they have way more produce. You can even find squoosh!! which is my favorite vegetable from Nepal. The bread, however, is pretty bad.
-There are squat toilets at the ruins of Pisaq!!!!! Squat toilets, just like Asia. This will probably stand out as my favorite memory of Peru. Not kidding.
-Women dress up in elaborate costumes and carry around baby goats in the plaza, and they make you pay to take pictures of them.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Pisaq
Today we spent the day outside of Cusco at the ruins of Pisaq.
We opted out of visiting Machu Pichu, deciding that other things were more more important to us (and LESS touristy), so these Incan ruins were the first we have really seen in Peru.
The whole area was incredible. The nearly perfectly fitted original stone work at the site was a stark contrast to the restored walls, which are no more than rough rocks pasted together with mortar. It was an amazing experience to walk along the cliffs on the narrow hallways, and imagine citizens of the Incan Empire going about their daily chores on the same path, half a milinium ago. One mountains side overlooking the ruins was covered in small round caves; we learned that this is actually the largest Incan cemetary.
I wont go into to too much detail about the day. It was pretty neat and pictures will show more!
In a few hours I will be hopping on a night bus to Copacabana. I cant wait to return to Bolivia!!! Peru has been an interesting contrast, but I am excited to escape the freakishly European vibes and once again feel like I am in South America. Tomorrow morning we will catch a boat to Isla del Sol on Lake Titicaca. This island is the birthplace of humanity, according to Incan myth. It is supposed to be a very magical place!
We opted out of visiting Machu Pichu, deciding that other things were more more important to us (and LESS touristy), so these Incan ruins were the first we have really seen in Peru.
The whole area was incredible. The nearly perfectly fitted original stone work at the site was a stark contrast to the restored walls, which are no more than rough rocks pasted together with mortar. It was an amazing experience to walk along the cliffs on the narrow hallways, and imagine citizens of the Incan Empire going about their daily chores on the same path, half a milinium ago. One mountains side overlooking the ruins was covered in small round caves; we learned that this is actually the largest Incan cemetary.
I wont go into to too much detail about the day. It was pretty neat and pictures will show more!
In a few hours I will be hopping on a night bus to Copacabana. I cant wait to return to Bolivia!!! Peru has been an interesting contrast, but I am excited to escape the freakishly European vibes and once again feel like I am in South America. Tomorrow morning we will catch a boat to Isla del Sol on Lake Titicaca. This island is the birthplace of humanity, according to Incan myth. It is supposed to be a very magical place!
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Fathers, Hope, Potatoes
We are back in Cusco after our adventure to Nacion Queros. First we hoped on a bus to Ocongate, a town close to the territory of Nacion Queros. We snacked on Peruvian animal crackers (a favorite) while we altered and re-altered our plans to reach Queros.
A day later we piled our stuff and ourselves into an open-bed truck bound for the snowy pass above Quiko (a village a part of Nacion Queros). From the pass we hiked down into Quiko. We spent more time than planned in Quiko. We waited for Alex (still sick with Dengue) to ride a horse into the village a day late. Then a furious hail storm (WHY are we ALWAYS caught in winter weather?!) kept us from moving on. The next day three sickies (Alex, Ecca, and Caiti) rode out (headed back to the clinic in Cusco for more care), and the rest of us hiked down to Quiko Chico (¨little Quiko¨) to begin our homestays.
In Quiko Chico we lived with families and learned more about the ancient culture of Queros.
I wasnt sure how to go about explainting the past week, so Ive organized it by topic, the easiest way I know how:
NACTION QUEROS
Nacion Queros is a community of people who have maganed to preserve Incan tradition and culture. They marry within the community to preserve Incan blood, too. They speak only Quechua; their knowledge of Spanish language is about as equal as mine, sometimes even worse! The women would always yell things at us in Quechua, and they didnt understand why we didnt know what they were saying. Nature is a very important part of the preserved Incan culture and life. To them, the all of the earth is living! Water has energy, and the mountains (the ¨Apus¨) are guardians. Each day we would chew coca and offer thanks to the Apus; they know each mountain by name. The people have the ability to sit on the ground and listen to the earth, who offers them advise and wisdom. The Andean enviroment around Queros is nearly inhospitable. It is bitter cold, the altitude makes even simple tasks difficult, and the only food that grows is potatoes. So WHY have people chosen to live here for so many centuries? According to the people, the land around Queros is some of the most sacred in the world. Even in my short time there, I was able to sense its holiness, too.
WEAVINGS
Weaving is a huge part of life in Queros, and one of their only means of livelyhood. The complicated patterns and advanced techniques have been passed down since the time of the Inca. The textiles are truely the most incredible Ive even seen! Every man and woman in the town is constantly spinning yarn from llama or sheep wool- they do it as necessarily and unconsiously as they breathe. Upon first arriving, we received a display of textiles that would make a rainbow look dull. We ALL took advantange and nearly bought out the town.
HOMESTAYS
In Quiko Chico, we split up and got to live in houses with families. When I say ¨houses¨ I actually mean one room stone huts with grass roofs and straw floors. The houses are so simple that every families owns at least several (in different villages and around each of their potato fields). To cook, we built a wood fire on the floor in the casita. Each meal was potato soup; often supplimented with the special rice and pasta that we brought in from Ocongate. For flavor was salt and dirt. The food was basic, but it was still good. During the day we got live the lives of our families: harvesting potatoes, herding llamas, and sheering sheep. It was absolutely the most rural Ive ever been (wins over the buffalo dung village in Nepal by FAR), and I LOVED experiencing the ancient life and culture of the area.
PACHA MANKA
Upon our arrival in Quiko Chico, the village welcomed us with a Pacha Manka ceremony. This is basically a sacrifice and a feast in honor or Pachamama (mother earth). We caught and killed two rams, and got to help with the skinning and preparing of the meats. I participated in the ritual slaughter of two goats in Nepal, but this experience was different and much more personal. Rather than decapitating the sheep in one strike of the knife (like the goats in Nepal), each sheep was killed by slowly (probably as quickly as possible, but still slowly...) slitting their throughts. After the slaughter, those of us who were willing got to help clean the animal. I have never dealt so closely with such a recently dead animal. There is something very powerful and disturbing about skinning an animal when its body is still warm. This experience has made me see even more clearly the connection between a piece of meat and a living, breathing animal. In fact, the two are inseperable. I think the practice of eating meat is fine, as long as you understand the difference between meat and animal is actually no difference at all.
MIGUEL ANGEL
Miguel Angel is the teenage son of the Dragons contact in Queros. He is also my new big crush. I think he could have been best friends with any of my brothers in Nepal. Just wait until you see pictures of him, youll fall in love, too!
SEÑOR PAPAS
In the Quechua language, there is only one word that means Father, Hope, and Potato. Mr. Aloo Aloo Potato Head Principal Sir (one of my favorite characters from Nepal) has finally met his match in every citizen of Nacion Queros! I have NEVER met people as passionate about- or dependent on- potatoes. Potatoes are the only food that grows in Queros, and as I mentioned before, they eat them everyday. There are over 200 types of potatoes grown in Queros, and each person knows every single type by look and flavor. Each day, men would open up woven mantas (like blankets) on the earth and lay boiled potatoes on them to eat. They pick them up one by one, carefully peel them, and consume them graciously. If you think I am exagerating about these peoples love of potatoes, then you are wrong.
FISH FARM
I have grown up with the knowlege that fish farming is bad: pollution, contamination, etc. So when I found out that Quiko Chico has a new fish farm project, I was pretty sceptical. Will it ruin their pristine environment? Will it inhibit their ancient habit of migrating their homes and fields, thus depleting the local soil? Yet for a community whose diet consists of only potatoes, the fish would provide important nutrients to combat malnutricion. I later found out that this fish farming technology isnt as new as I thought to the community. The Incan Empire maintained a practice of fish farming hundreds of years ago, too. The Quiko farm, being on such a small scale and so removed from modern cities, would probably use less chemicals and produce less waste than the fish farms that I am familiar with. On our last day in Quiko Chico, we had a feast of fried trout from the new project (with boiled potatoes, of course)...and I actually ate it. There you have it folks: the first meat I have eaten in years! I dont feel guilty about it, but I am still not sure about my opinion of the farm project. Will it help or harm the community? Only time will tell, I guess.
PONY RIDES
I got to ride out of Quiko Chico to Ocongate on a horse! Actually, it was a pony/mule, since calling it a horse would imply that it was big enough to ride. Despite my worry that I was slowly killing the animal under my weight, it was really fun. I rode bareback with no reins, only a single rope tied to one side of the horses face...try stearing a horse THAT way!
A day later we piled our stuff and ourselves into an open-bed truck bound for the snowy pass above Quiko (a village a part of Nacion Queros). From the pass we hiked down into Quiko. We spent more time than planned in Quiko. We waited for Alex (still sick with Dengue) to ride a horse into the village a day late. Then a furious hail storm (WHY are we ALWAYS caught in winter weather?!) kept us from moving on. The next day three sickies (Alex, Ecca, and Caiti) rode out (headed back to the clinic in Cusco for more care), and the rest of us hiked down to Quiko Chico (¨little Quiko¨) to begin our homestays.
In Quiko Chico we lived with families and learned more about the ancient culture of Queros.
I wasnt sure how to go about explainting the past week, so Ive organized it by topic, the easiest way I know how:
NACTION QUEROS
Nacion Queros is a community of people who have maganed to preserve Incan tradition and culture. They marry within the community to preserve Incan blood, too. They speak only Quechua; their knowledge of Spanish language is about as equal as mine, sometimes even worse! The women would always yell things at us in Quechua, and they didnt understand why we didnt know what they were saying. Nature is a very important part of the preserved Incan culture and life. To them, the all of the earth is living! Water has energy, and the mountains (the ¨Apus¨) are guardians. Each day we would chew coca and offer thanks to the Apus; they know each mountain by name. The people have the ability to sit on the ground and listen to the earth, who offers them advise and wisdom. The Andean enviroment around Queros is nearly inhospitable. It is bitter cold, the altitude makes even simple tasks difficult, and the only food that grows is potatoes. So WHY have people chosen to live here for so many centuries? According to the people, the land around Queros is some of the most sacred in the world. Even in my short time there, I was able to sense its holiness, too.
WEAVINGS
Weaving is a huge part of life in Queros, and one of their only means of livelyhood. The complicated patterns and advanced techniques have been passed down since the time of the Inca. The textiles are truely the most incredible Ive even seen! Every man and woman in the town is constantly spinning yarn from llama or sheep wool- they do it as necessarily and unconsiously as they breathe. Upon first arriving, we received a display of textiles that would make a rainbow look dull. We ALL took advantange and nearly bought out the town.
HOMESTAYS
In Quiko Chico, we split up and got to live in houses with families. When I say ¨houses¨ I actually mean one room stone huts with grass roofs and straw floors. The houses are so simple that every families owns at least several (in different villages and around each of their potato fields). To cook, we built a wood fire on the floor in the casita. Each meal was potato soup; often supplimented with the special rice and pasta that we brought in from Ocongate. For flavor was salt and dirt. The food was basic, but it was still good. During the day we got live the lives of our families: harvesting potatoes, herding llamas, and sheering sheep. It was absolutely the most rural Ive ever been (wins over the buffalo dung village in Nepal by FAR), and I LOVED experiencing the ancient life and culture of the area.
PACHA MANKA
Upon our arrival in Quiko Chico, the village welcomed us with a Pacha Manka ceremony. This is basically a sacrifice and a feast in honor or Pachamama (mother earth). We caught and killed two rams, and got to help with the skinning and preparing of the meats. I participated in the ritual slaughter of two goats in Nepal, but this experience was different and much more personal. Rather than decapitating the sheep in one strike of the knife (like the goats in Nepal), each sheep was killed by slowly (probably as quickly as possible, but still slowly...) slitting their throughts. After the slaughter, those of us who were willing got to help clean the animal. I have never dealt so closely with such a recently dead animal. There is something very powerful and disturbing about skinning an animal when its body is still warm. This experience has made me see even more clearly the connection between a piece of meat and a living, breathing animal. In fact, the two are inseperable. I think the practice of eating meat is fine, as long as you understand the difference between meat and animal is actually no difference at all.
MIGUEL ANGEL
Miguel Angel is the teenage son of the Dragons contact in Queros. He is also my new big crush. I think he could have been best friends with any of my brothers in Nepal. Just wait until you see pictures of him, youll fall in love, too!
SEÑOR PAPAS
In the Quechua language, there is only one word that means Father, Hope, and Potato. Mr. Aloo Aloo Potato Head Principal Sir (one of my favorite characters from Nepal) has finally met his match in every citizen of Nacion Queros! I have NEVER met people as passionate about- or dependent on- potatoes. Potatoes are the only food that grows in Queros, and as I mentioned before, they eat them everyday. There are over 200 types of potatoes grown in Queros, and each person knows every single type by look and flavor. Each day, men would open up woven mantas (like blankets) on the earth and lay boiled potatoes on them to eat. They pick them up one by one, carefully peel them, and consume them graciously. If you think I am exagerating about these peoples love of potatoes, then you are wrong.
FISH FARM
I have grown up with the knowlege that fish farming is bad: pollution, contamination, etc. So when I found out that Quiko Chico has a new fish farm project, I was pretty sceptical. Will it ruin their pristine environment? Will it inhibit their ancient habit of migrating their homes and fields, thus depleting the local soil? Yet for a community whose diet consists of only potatoes, the fish would provide important nutrients to combat malnutricion. I later found out that this fish farming technology isnt as new as I thought to the community. The Incan Empire maintained a practice of fish farming hundreds of years ago, too. The Quiko farm, being on such a small scale and so removed from modern cities, would probably use less chemicals and produce less waste than the fish farms that I am familiar with. On our last day in Quiko Chico, we had a feast of fried trout from the new project (with boiled potatoes, of course)...and I actually ate it. There you have it folks: the first meat I have eaten in years! I dont feel guilty about it, but I am still not sure about my opinion of the farm project. Will it help or harm the community? Only time will tell, I guess.
PONY RIDES
I got to ride out of Quiko Chico to Ocongate on a horse! Actually, it was a pony/mule, since calling it a horse would imply that it was big enough to ride. Despite my worry that I was slowly killing the animal under my weight, it was really fun. I rode bareback with no reins, only a single rope tied to one side of the horses face...try stearing a horse THAT way!
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