Tuesday, March 25, 2014
Pisaq Post 3/25/2015
Saludos, Amigos!
We are back in Pisaq, Peru. Steve has been down here since Feb. 11 and the kids and I have been back down here since March 11. It has been two weeks and I am finally sitting down to update this blog. We are down here until July 13th this year.
Here is an update on what is going on:
On the home front: Our Ccata Chacra house and property are looking great! Our place was well looked after by our good compadres Angelica and Rodrigo who were the care takers of the property while we were away. We left at the end of last June having completed construction on the smaller caretaker house below our house. While we were away, Rodrigo fortified one of the outer walls of the property and completed the adobe work on the smaller house. Since Steve has arrived, new garden beds have been cleared and prepared for planting, and new retainer walls and pathways have been constructed. This year's main projects include fortifying the back wall of the property, constructing a guest room (won’t you consider visiting!) and getting a large water tank to help improve the overall water flow on the property.
The weather is lovely. It is the end of the rainy season, so there are still occasional showers. Everything is green and lush. There are lots of blooming wildflowers. Here in the sacred valley, the cornfields are starting to mature and fresh corn is available at the markets along with tarwi, the native lupine bean, as well as loads of fresh veggies. From the lower lands, we are getting delicious mango, passion fruit, papaya, bananas and more. Plus, we have loads and loads of ripe peaches on the property!
We have already enjoyed two fire pit evenings with friends since the kids and I arrived. The fire pit that Steve designed last year is beautiful. When the sky is clear, the stars are incredible.
We have a lot of great photos, but they take a while to load onto this site with our not fast internet connection. Here is a link to our Peru 2014 photo album thus far:
https://www.facebook.com/annie.barrett.18/media_set?set=a.10203265358811934.1073741828.1148358209&type=3
On the family front:
Steve is busy with his TESC Andean Roots Program. He and his colleague Rachel Hastings have 25 TESC students down here this year. Thus far, the students have had language studies, home stays in Cuzco, trips to the Quechua communities above Pisaq, a jungle trip to Manu and they will travel to Lake Titicaca at the end of this week, visit the archaeological sites in the area, and then begin their 6 week independent projects. Steve and Rachel’s students are down here until June 5. So, Steve is super busy coordinating all of his program’s events as well as the building projects on our property.
We are so happy to have Rachel and Paul’s family down here with us again. (We were all down here together in 2010). Their kids, Rebecca and Arlo are great playmates for River and Sage.
Sage started school at Kusi Kawsay last week. He is in the 4th grade class with Profesora Rosaura, who we love. He is with the kids that were in his class last year, so it is a familiar environment and besides getting up early, he is enjoying school, particularly recreo, recess. Last week was Sage’s 10th birthday! We celebrated with a fresh peach crisp which he shared with his classmates and a lunch out to his favorite restaurant.
River is not attending Kusi Kawsay this year, but he is happy doing his home school work and working on his music and dropping in on the Andean Roots program events. Today he is off learning Quechua with Steve and his students. Last night, River and Sage played music at a local café. They had a great time and their music was well received, so they will likely make this a weekly event.
Annie (me): I am so happy to be down here! The first morning after our arrival, I woke up in our lovely bedroom with stunning mountain views. I looked out the window in front of me at Apu Nusta, the mountain peak across the valley and then out of the opposite window at Apu Linli, the mountain peak that towers above our house. According to local legend, Apu Nusta is the Inca princess and she is in love with Apu Linli. In Andean Cosmology, the entire landscape is considered animate and sacred, and the apus (mountain deities) have a strong presence on life here. They are considered protectors and nurturers and also demand recognition and respect. The feeling that I had when I woke up the first morning of our arrival, and every morning since, is that I am held in their embrace and protection, and that I am in the right place.
My support roles down here are to help Steve, to keep the property projects moving along, and to help the kids get the most out of their time here. As well, I will be beginning my yoga podcasts this week. I will likely be teaching some yoga classes locally and I have more time down here for my own studies and practice. And, of course, I am organizing our Peru Yoga Adventure which will take place at the end of June.
We are excited that Steve’s cousin Erica and husband Tino will be visiting us at the end of April and that Olympia friends Mary, Peter and Mateo will visit in early June. As well, we have lots of friends down here and love hiking, adventures and excursions of all types, so stay tuned for more posts.
On the community front:
Steve and I have been asked by Rodrigo and Angelica to be one of the sets of padrinos, or godparents, of their matrimonio, their marriage. We are already bonded to their family since we are the godparents of their child Ana. As is Andean custom, many couples such as Rodrigo and Angelica pair up early on and are considered married by common law. But, at a certain point once their family is established, they have a formal ceremony which involves formal recognition by the law, the church and the community. It is considered a great honor to be asked to be padrinos for a wedding, as it demonstrates a lot of trust and respect. We have accepted the offer, and as such, we are obliged to support them as a couple and family and to contribute to the wedding party. The wedding will be on June 28th and it should be a fun affair, Quechua style.
That is the scoop for now!
Abrazos y besos, hugs and kisses to family and friends! May you all be well!
Saturday, May 4, 2013
Back in Peru, May 2013
Hola amigos,
Saludos desde Pisac, Peru! Our family came back down just over a month ago and we will be here until the end of June. The kids and I have not been here since August 2011, but Steve made two shorter trips here in Fall 2011 and Spring 2012. We are happy to all be back here together!
We are now living in our house at Ccata Chacra (pronounced Hot -a - chakra, which means sloped field in Quechua). Everything is going well. Here is a summary of the past month:
March was a super busy month for our family in Olympia, WA and this time I felt overwhelmed and apprehensive about our trip. It was interesting that I felt so apprehensive because every time I have been here I have loved it. I have come to understand that I have a more difficult time with these transitions back and forth than Steve. It is worth it for sure, but it is a lot of work to get everything in order. Many thanks to our friends in Oly who are helping take care of our house! I also realized how attached I was to my busy life in Olympia, even though I knew it was too busy and I needed a break. Even when we arrived, it took me a few days to finally feel like I was ready to be here, but I can honestly say I am very happy to be here!
The pace of life here is so much more sane. We walk everywhere and sleep well at night because of all the great exercise. I spend far less time on the computer or on any electronic device. I have ditched the daily planner, because my weekly schedule is simply not that busy. We are eating healthful and delicious fresh foods that we buy at the markets and cook at home. It is such a refreshing change of pace and a more harmonious family rhythm. I am hopeful that I can take some of this slowing-down energy back to Olympia.
If you are new to this Peru blog, I will catch you up on our property and house here. In 2010, we bought about an acre of land that is 1 km from Pisac. It was a passionate and somewhat crazy decision. One of Steve's and my mottos in life is: "Ask not what the world needs, ask what makes you come alive." So, we feel very alive here and wished to continue a connection to this amazing area.
To get to our house from Pisac, we walk along beautiful Incan corn terraces on a dirt road that is only wide enough for walkers, bikers and moto-taxis (three wheeled motor cycle vehicles that are used for hauling heavy stuff). At the end of the road, we walk up a steep path for 100 meters (only accessible by walking due to some step).. Our property consists of a 200 or so peach trees and other vegetation, flowers, other native trees, etc. There was an original adobe one-room structure which we "remodeled" (to use that term loosely) in 2011. Now we have an adobe house: two bedrooms, one living room/kitchen and one bathroom. The house is beautiful with an entire wall of windows that look out to the amazing mountains around us, including the Pisac Incan ruins, as well as the cornfields below. It is very stunning view and beautiful house, and all Steve's design!
In 2012, Steve left the house in the care of a Peruvian family. Now, that we are back, we are making the house our own. We have been busy furnishing the house and painting. As well, we have substantial projects outside the house: rock walls and patio and building a care-taker/guest house. Steve is mastermind of all these projects and takes it all in stride. We have a wonderful team of workers who have also become our friends who are helping us with these projects.
So, the first two weeks of our time down here were spent getting situated and getting the property projects going. Then, we had the lovely occasion to have my parents, Steve's parents and family friends, Fred and Linda Oswald down for two weeks. The projects continued on with our team of workers, but we switched gears and played hosts and tour guides and took the crew to many of the major Incan ruin sites here in the Cuzco are, Sacred Valley as well as to Machu Picchu. Even though I have visited these sites before, each and every time I see them anew it takes my breath away. They are so majestic and magical!
It was a real treat to go to Machu Picchu. Machu Picchu is simply amazing! Definitely one of the 7 wonders of the world! The last time Steve and I were in Machu Picchu was 17 years ago when we hiked the Inca Trail into Machu Picchu. This time, we took the train. This was River and Sage's first time in Machu Picchu, and I'm glad we waited until this year because they were better able to appreciate the site then if they had been younger.
We also took the family crew on cultural excursions that you don't get with a tour. For example, we went up to Viacha, the community above Pisac, to spend the day harvesting potatoes with the family members of our work crew. I should say a few words about these folks. Rodrigo has been working for us since the building project began in 2011. He is married to Angelica who also often works here too. They have two children, Ana and Ronald, and we are the padrinos (godparents) of Ana. (There is whole story about Ana's Andean hair cutting ceremony - corte de pelo- and how we became her godparents in a previous blogpost). Rodrigo and Angelica's extended family members also have been working on our building project. They are all from Viacha, and because we are the godparents of Ana, we are all considered compadres,or family.
The day in Viacha was a wonderful cultural opportunity and lots of fun! We all headed up in shared taxis. Bob and Judy got to ride in the car with the two hens (which would become lunch!). Because this was the first day of the potato harvest, there was a special ceremony to ask for blessings and express gratitude to the apus, the mountain deities, and the potato crop. Each family member and guest was given a cup of chicha, corn beer, and offered the glass up to the mountains and then poured a bit of chicha on the newly harvested potatoes. In the Andes, there is the overarching understanding and appreciation of Pacha, the creative energy that expresses itself in everything: in every mountain, in every plant, in every person. In yoga, we call this Maha Shakti. Everything exists within a relationship to everything else, so it is natural and proper that at the time of harvest, the earth is honored and the potatoes are thanked.
After the ceremony, we got busy in the field and harvested potatoes. An earthen oven was built and we ate freshly harvested, earth baked potatoes with aji (chile) and cheese and caldo de gallina, hen soup. Most of our family and guests hiked back down to Pisac, a beautiful 2 hour drop along an Incan path arriving just in time for sunset.
It was so special to share our home and surroundings with our wonderful parents and friends. If you have an inclination to take a trip down here and visit us, please do! We'd love to see you here!
Now that that our family guests have departed, we are back to our house and property projects and re-establishing a rhythm for ourselves here and reconnecting with our friendships here. As well, since it is Steve's sabbatical, he has several contacts and connections that he is forging and strengthening in the areas of traditional agriculture. Local potato harvests and daily conversations with locals about their farming and ongoing harvest activities definitely count as sabbatical material!
River and Sage are playing their instruments and this month's goal is to get them playing music with locals and learning the Andean music. We have a Mothers' Day date with a local family that are musicians, Peruvian BBQ and music on the new patio. The kids are also into photography, especially River, and the photos you are seeing in this blog post are mostly his work! Sage has returned to Kusi Kawsay School for this month, and River is homeschooling. We just had a Saturday full of Kusi Kawsay anniversary celebrations at the school. Sage danced with his class in full Peruvian cowboy dress. Very cute!
Stay tuned for more updates! Even though I am trying to not be on the computer too much, I am committed to this blog! There are a few pictures included here, and you can see more by linking to my FB page.https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10201018750648134.1073741825.1148358209&type=1
Abrazos!
Saludos desde Pisac, Peru! Our family came back down just over a month ago and we will be here until the end of June. The kids and I have not been here since August 2011, but Steve made two shorter trips here in Fall 2011 and Spring 2012. We are happy to all be back here together!
We are now living in our house at Ccata Chacra (pronounced Hot -a - chakra, which means sloped field in Quechua). Everything is going well. Here is a summary of the past month:
March was a super busy month for our family in Olympia, WA and this time I felt overwhelmed and apprehensive about our trip. It was interesting that I felt so apprehensive because every time I have been here I have loved it. I have come to understand that I have a more difficult time with these transitions back and forth than Steve. It is worth it for sure, but it is a lot of work to get everything in order. Many thanks to our friends in Oly who are helping take care of our house! I also realized how attached I was to my busy life in Olympia, even though I knew it was too busy and I needed a break. Even when we arrived, it took me a few days to finally feel like I was ready to be here, but I can honestly say I am very happy to be here!
The pace of life here is so much more sane. We walk everywhere and sleep well at night because of all the great exercise. I spend far less time on the computer or on any electronic device. I have ditched the daily planner, because my weekly schedule is simply not that busy. We are eating healthful and delicious fresh foods that we buy at the markets and cook at home. It is such a refreshing change of pace and a more harmonious family rhythm. I am hopeful that I can take some of this slowing-down energy back to Olympia.
If you are new to this Peru blog, I will catch you up on our property and house here. In 2010, we bought about an acre of land that is 1 km from Pisac. It was a passionate and somewhat crazy decision. One of Steve's and my mottos in life is: "Ask not what the world needs, ask what makes you come alive." So, we feel very alive here and wished to continue a connection to this amazing area.
To get to our house from Pisac, we walk along beautiful Incan corn terraces on a dirt road that is only wide enough for walkers, bikers and moto-taxis (three wheeled motor cycle vehicles that are used for hauling heavy stuff). At the end of the road, we walk up a steep path for 100 meters (only accessible by walking due to some step).. Our property consists of a 200 or so peach trees and other vegetation, flowers, other native trees, etc. There was an original adobe one-room structure which we "remodeled" (to use that term loosely) in 2011. Now we have an adobe house: two bedrooms, one living room/kitchen and one bathroom. The house is beautiful with an entire wall of windows that look out to the amazing mountains around us, including the Pisac Incan ruins, as well as the cornfields below. It is very stunning view and beautiful house, and all Steve's design!
In 2012, Steve left the house in the care of a Peruvian family. Now, that we are back, we are making the house our own. We have been busy furnishing the house and painting. As well, we have substantial projects outside the house: rock walls and patio and building a care-taker/guest house. Steve is mastermind of all these projects and takes it all in stride. We have a wonderful team of workers who have also become our friends who are helping us with these projects.
So, the first two weeks of our time down here were spent getting situated and getting the property projects going. Then, we had the lovely occasion to have my parents, Steve's parents and family friends, Fred and Linda Oswald down for two weeks. The projects continued on with our team of workers, but we switched gears and played hosts and tour guides and took the crew to many of the major Incan ruin sites here in the Cuzco are, Sacred Valley as well as to Machu Picchu. Even though I have visited these sites before, each and every time I see them anew it takes my breath away. They are so majestic and magical!
It was a real treat to go to Machu Picchu. Machu Picchu is simply amazing! Definitely one of the 7 wonders of the world! The last time Steve and I were in Machu Picchu was 17 years ago when we hiked the Inca Trail into Machu Picchu. This time, we took the train. This was River and Sage's first time in Machu Picchu, and I'm glad we waited until this year because they were better able to appreciate the site then if they had been younger.
We also took the family crew on cultural excursions that you don't get with a tour. For example, we went up to Viacha, the community above Pisac, to spend the day harvesting potatoes with the family members of our work crew. I should say a few words about these folks. Rodrigo has been working for us since the building project began in 2011. He is married to Angelica who also often works here too. They have two children, Ana and Ronald, and we are the padrinos (godparents) of Ana. (There is whole story about Ana's Andean hair cutting ceremony - corte de pelo- and how we became her godparents in a previous blogpost). Rodrigo and Angelica's extended family members also have been working on our building project. They are all from Viacha, and because we are the godparents of Ana, we are all considered compadres,or family.
The day in Viacha was a wonderful cultural opportunity and lots of fun! We all headed up in shared taxis. Bob and Judy got to ride in the car with the two hens (which would become lunch!). Because this was the first day of the potato harvest, there was a special ceremony to ask for blessings and express gratitude to the apus, the mountain deities, and the potato crop. Each family member and guest was given a cup of chicha, corn beer, and offered the glass up to the mountains and then poured a bit of chicha on the newly harvested potatoes. In the Andes, there is the overarching understanding and appreciation of Pacha, the creative energy that expresses itself in everything: in every mountain, in every plant, in every person. In yoga, we call this Maha Shakti. Everything exists within a relationship to everything else, so it is natural and proper that at the time of harvest, the earth is honored and the potatoes are thanked.
After the ceremony, we got busy in the field and harvested potatoes. An earthen oven was built and we ate freshly harvested, earth baked potatoes with aji (chile) and cheese and caldo de gallina, hen soup. Most of our family and guests hiked back down to Pisac, a beautiful 2 hour drop along an Incan path arriving just in time for sunset.
It was so special to share our home and surroundings with our wonderful parents and friends. If you have an inclination to take a trip down here and visit us, please do! We'd love to see you here!
Now that that our family guests have departed, we are back to our house and property projects and re-establishing a rhythm for ourselves here and reconnecting with our friendships here. As well, since it is Steve's sabbatical, he has several contacts and connections that he is forging and strengthening in the areas of traditional agriculture. Local potato harvests and daily conversations with locals about their farming and ongoing harvest activities definitely count as sabbatical material!
River and Sage are playing their instruments and this month's goal is to get them playing music with locals and learning the Andean music. We have a Mothers' Day date with a local family that are musicians, Peruvian BBQ and music on the new patio. The kids are also into photography, especially River, and the photos you are seeing in this blog post are mostly his work! Sage has returned to Kusi Kawsay School for this month, and River is homeschooling. We just had a Saturday full of Kusi Kawsay anniversary celebrations at the school. Sage danced with his class in full Peruvian cowboy dress. Very cute!
Stay tuned for more updates! Even though I am trying to not be on the computer too much, I am committed to this blog! There are a few pictures included here, and you can see more by linking to my FB page.https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10201018750648134.1073741825.1148358209&type=1
Abrazos!
Sunday, August 28, 2011
techado, corte de pelos y fiestas
August 28, 2011
Peru Blog
Wow! The time is flying! In 9 days, we leave Peru and head back to the States. I have been so busy that I it is taking me until now to sit down and update this blog.
What has been goin
g on? Well, we had our roofing party, the techado two weeks ago. It was a big affair! Probably 75 people came including the workers, their families, and our friends. Both Steve and I had bad colds and I twisted my ankle the day before the party, so I actually borrowed a pair of crutches for the party! All in all, it was fun, and I was glad when it was over because it was stressful to meet all of the varying needs of our guests who came and the workers in terms of providing and preparing food and drink, etc. The workers ceremoniously placed a pair of ceramic llamas and the Andean chakana on the roof to inaugurate the space and to honor the tradition of the area. We invited our friends and neighbors, Cesar and Rosa to be the padrinos, or guardians of the house, and they ceremoniously broke a ceramic jug full of chichi to bless the house. Afterwards, everyone ate lots of food, and then danced in the house to bring harmony and joy into the space.
It seems that since that time, there have been non-stop parties, social gatherings and on-going construction progress. We have attended two corte de pelo, hair-cutting rituals, an Andean ritual that is often combined with the Christian tradition of baptism for families who practice Catholicism. In the corte de pelo ritual, the young child (usually about 4 years old) who hasn’t ever had his/hair cut has the hair ceremoniously cut (often just the ends) by family members and friends. With each snippet of hair, the family member or friend offers a gift to support the child’s future. In the past, the gift would have been an animal, a sheep or cow, or some sort of material gift. Nowadays, the gift is money. We were invited to be the padrinos at the corte de pelo of Ana Cecilia, the daughter of Rodrigo, one of our workers of the house project. This was the same family who invited us to be the padrinos for Ana Cecilia’s baptism. Since we are not Catholic, they instead asked us to be the padrinos for the corte de pelo, which we were happy to do.
River turned 10 on August 17th! He celebrated at his school with his classmates and then we had a party at our chakra on the weekend in which friends came out to roast hot dogs and eat strawberry shortcake. The kids ran wild and build forts with the left over building materials and brush. It was a success! Sage is here reminding me that they also played chapa chapa and encantados, Andean versions of freeze tag. River and Sage have had a lot of fun with their karate classes and look forward to taking more karate classes in Olympia this Fall. Recently, they had a fun sleep-over with their friend Chanin. There have been more birthday parties besides River’s. I realize that I have been to more parties in our 3 months here in Peru than I ever go to in Olympia in a year! Lots of fun, and lots of community down here.
Steve has been super busy with finishing up the house. The roof is up, and it looks great. The house has been wired, and the rough plumbing is going in. The ceilings have been plastered and now the house inside and out is being stuccoed (barro). We hope to get the cement floors in downstairs and the upstairs wood floor in this week… (keep your fingers crossed!). Steve’s plan is to come back down for a few weeks in late October, and get the floors tiled, and the bathroom and kitchens done. Whew! It has been a lot of work! The goal is the have the house habitable so that we can return and live in it next Spring.
These past three weeks, in addition to caring for the kids’ and family’s needs and teaching my two yoga classes, I have been getting the paperwork done for the Ministerio de Cultura and helping Kusi Kawsay School get out some grant proposals for more funding. Finally, it seems we have our “ducks in a row”, so to speak with the requirements for the Ministerio de Cultura, with regards to our property. The previous property owners have signed a declaration about the property verifying that our construction project is a “remodel” and not a “new construction.” This means we will not be required to have an archaeologist survey the site, which would have been a huge hassle and cost a lot of money. We have an architect signing off on Steve’s building plans, and later this week, I will take a folder full of documents to Cusco and present them to the Ministerio, and hopefully then be done with all of this red tape!
The world of grant writing for non-profits has piqued my interest. As I am new to this, it has been fascinating to go through the process of finding foundations and assisting with the grant proposal writing for securing funds for Kusi Kawsay. Realizing that the school project and any other projects that we end up supporting and being involved with down here depend out outside funding, I am keen on becoming more familiar and adept with the grant writing process as well as fund-raising, and I intend to do more research and study into these areas when we return to Olympia. Again, here is my invitation to al lof you to support this wonderful school. There are about 12 days left for the on-line raffle and you can buy a ticket online for $50 to support the school with the prize being a 10 day trip for two to Peru. More info on their website: http://www.kusikawsay.org/raffle.html
My yoga classes with the Wiñay Taki women have been so lovely! I feel honored to have the opportunity to share sacred space with these women, and I look forward to continuing these classes when we return next year!
In my first blog of this second trip down here, I was asking myself, “what is it exactly we are doing down here?” as I was filled with some hesitation and doubt with regards to what we hoped to accomplish down here and how we could maintain lives in two worlds. However, in this short time, my commitment to this area has grown and grown as well as my belief in the possibility and the necessity for our family to be a bridge between Peru and the U.S. with interesting and healthy involvements in both places. Now, three months later, I can say that we have truly grown strong and healthy roots in this community. The task of building a home down here was completely overwhelming to me when we arrived in June. And yet, the project is nearly complete, and we couldn’t be happier! We love the property, and while it is and will continue to involve lots of work and toil, we are happy to be digging our roots into this area. As for our community here, they have become so dear to us: River and Sage’s many friends from school, our friendships with our neighbors and workers, and our lovely friendships with the extended Wiñay Taki family and Kusi Kawsay school community, we are very grateful for their support and friendship and look forward to on-going relationships with them. So, “what are we doing?” We are living and growing and evolving, and we feel very blessed to be alive and to be able to be living these magnificent lives!
Hopefully, some of you will be intrigued and come on down to visit! Our new home in Peru awaits you!
For now, be content to view our photos. I just put up some new ones on FB today, and will be adding more albums. Here is the link: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2379564885712.2140219.1148358209
Saludos!
Annie
Monday, August 1, 2011
Ayni, Pago a la Tierra, A trip to the Lowlands, Construction Updates, pigs heads and other fun stuff!
August 1, 2011
Pago a la Tierra: Today, August 1, and throughout this month, in the Andean tradition is the traditional day to honor and make a “payment” to the earth. The winter/dry season will soon give way to the rains of September, and according to the Andean Cosmovision, the earth must be nourished and fed so that she can, in turn, give back to the inhabitants of the earth in the form of the new crops which will be planted this month. Throughout this area, people today have sprinkled yellow confetti on the ground around their homes, business and chakras (fields), to bless the earth as well as purifying the spaces with incense, offering coca leaves and more. This is related to the Andean value called ayni which means reciprocity or mutual help, the principle value of keeping the balance in the univers
Trip to Quillabamba:
It’s been two weeks since I have updated this blog, and it’s been a busy two weeks. The last time I posted we were preparing to go to the lower lands, down river to Quillabamba, gateway to the Amazon. We ended up spending about 5 days in this zone. Our Chilean friend Veronica came with us. The drive from here to Quillabamba was a breathtaking 5 hour journey that took us down river through the Sacred Valley to Ollantaytambo and then the round wound up and up and up to the stunning Abra Malaga Pass at 4350 meters where it is freezing cold with snow and treeless. From the pass, we plunged down on the wetter side of the mountains through cloud forest toward the Amazon Basin to Quillabamba at 1000 meters. Below Quillabamba is the “real” jungle, which we plan to explore on a later trip, maybe next year. Nonetheless, the Quillabamba region is lovely and a great get-away. It is known for its year round warm and tropical climate. Bananas, coffee, citrus, cacao, tea and coca are all grown in great quantities in this area.
We spent three nights in Quillabamba enjoying the lovely tropical weather, fresh juices, and ice cream. The city has several lovely plazas and a great parque infantil with 3 swimming pools, and an awesome playground. River and Sage were happy campers. Whenever we are with Veronica, we seem to be attracted to local fairs. Sure enough, we ended up at the Quillabamba regional fair where we enjoyed sampling tropical fruits and juices, chocolate and lowland cuisine. The Shapibo (one of the many indigenous groups from the Amazon) were selling their stunning textiles and jewelry, and we all bought some beautiful embroidered textiles. There are several impressive waterfalls in the area, and one of the days, we hiked to the Yanay-Mandor waterfalls, which took us uphill past many chakras where bananas, citrus, coffee and coca leaves were being cultivated. The actual waterfall was incredibly stunning (I’m posting the link to the photos below).
After Quillabamba, we decided to backtrack up river a bit and take head up the steep river canyon to Santa Teresa where we could soak in hot springs. Santa Teresa is the destination known to be the back route to Machu Picchu. The road to get there is pretty hair-raising, but the hot springs are worth it. The floods of 2010 washed away the hot spring complex, but the community has rebuilt the pools, and they were great.
Construction Updates:
Since returning to Pisac, we have been non-stop busy. We successfully arranged to get the electrical posts and cables installed on our property on Saturday. It was a bit of a drama to get to this point, however. As I have said before, the learning curve for building around here has been steep. We arranged to have the technician bring the pole and Steve took responsibility for buying the cable. This ended up being a huge hassle, as Steve didn’t find the cable he needed in Cuzco, and was directed by our friend Javier to a guy who could get the cable. Steve paid our friend Javier the money for the cable as Javier was the middle man. The actual guy who was supposed to buy the cable went drinking with his friends and spent a bunch of the money. So, Saturday morning, Javier ended up our front door with the guy who had taken our money and his wife. His wife and Javier chewed him out mercilessly and the man had to go begging his relatives for the rest of the money he owed us. In the end, we got the money back and the technician arranged for the cable. We hope to actually have electricity in a week or so!
In the meantime, the house is going up fast! The lower story roof beams are in place and the second story is being built. We have just over five weeks left. The roof and mudding (stucco) as well as the second story wood floor should get finished. We are less sure that the kitchen and bathroom will be installed. But, we’ll see how far we get. It’s looking pretty great, and it’s exciting to think that next year when we come down, we can actually live there!
The only thing to get in our way is the Ministerio de Cultura and their confusing and elusive requests. An employee from this agency told us this week that we are “at fault” for not having had an archaeologist chart the property before building as our property lies above the Incan terraces which are currently being cleaned up and restored. This isn’t what we were told last year when we bought the property and it seems most of our neighbors haven’t done this either. So we are all in the same boat, so to speak, and we’ll have power in numbers we hope. Advice from others has been to relax, to go and ahead and build, but to also expect hassle and red tape, that this red tape could take years to resolve, so in the meantime, build your house and live in it, and that this is simply the way it is with Peruvian government agencies. So, we’ll see what happens next.
Ayni:
Ayni, reciprocity in Quechua is the balance of give and take that is expected and understood to be the means in which energy, resources and wealth are circulated in a community. Attending and hosting parties is one way in which this plays out.
In about two weeks, the roof will be finished and as according to Andean custom, we will host a big roofing party where the last room tiles will be ceremoniously placed. We will provide food and drink (and hopefully music!) for all of the workers and our friends to honor the work and the workers, as well as the land, and to ask for blessings on the house. This will be a big and fun affair and I expect to have to do some major planning for it in the next week.
This is definitely the birthday party season of the folks we know, especially those of the Kusi Kawsay school community and Wiñay Taku Ayllu. (I have posted some of the party pictures in the FB photo album link below.) Yesterday’s party was for Miska, a school mate of River and Sage’s and daughter of one of the teachers at the school. It was a lovely gathering. I adore the parties here as they are always multigenerational affairs: from little kids up to the teenagers up to grandparents. Everyone dances in a big circle. The music varies from the traditional Andean music to cumbia to Bollywood. River and Sage’s dance moves are getting pretty good! Next month is River’s birthday
Saturday was the last of the three parties which was an annual lunch/family reunion hosted by the family members of property adjacent to ours, called Juqui Huerta. We were invited to this event last year as well. The four sisters and their familes who own Juqui Huerta have been truly kind, generous and helpful to us in many ways both last year and this year. We feel honored to have them as friends and neighbors. It is a generous and lovely gathering where the traditional meal consists of chairo, a traditional Andean soup, lechon, roasted pig, and tamales. Each year a different family member assumes the cargo, or responsibility, for hosting the party, and at the end of the party, he who takes the pig’s head assumes the cargo for the following year. This party ended with Sage gleefully taking the pig’s head (he does love bacon!) so our family is in charge of the party next year. Steve and I kind of exchanged looks of bewilderment, but in the end, we are happy to take on the responsibility as it is another means of sealing our friendship and network of mutual support with these lovely people. So, if you are up for a Peruvian adventure next year, the party is on us (and I’ll surely include more vegetarian items as well)!
Kids and other Fun Stuff:
River and Sage started school again today. The mid year break is over. There is some grumbling about homework, but all in all the school experience and the community we have formed around the school are a key feature of why Pisac has become so special to us.
The kids are better in Spanish everyday, and I had to laugh on Saturday when Steve was talking on the phone to our electrical technician and River over-hearing the conversation, commented, “Papa really needs to work on his Spanish verb tenses,” and proceeded to give Steve a lesson the subjunctive tense!
River and Sage requested that we buy the 10 day tourist pass to visit the amazing ruin sites of the Sacred Valley which we visited last year, so we are doing some more ruin hopping this week. On Friday, we visited the Pisac ruins and on Sunday, we visited the Chincheros ruins and did a 8 km hike from the town of Chincheros to the valley town of Urquillos.
Here is the link to our latest pictures:
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2305537555075.2136702.1148358209&l=3cd40731c3&type=1
In the spirit of ayni, I am continuing to promote Kusi Kawsay, the wonderful indigenous school that River and Sage attend and for which I am doing some volunteer work. Education is a not a “given” in Peru. Many children live in rural areas without access to education. And, an independent school like Kusi Kawsay, which offers an alternative curriculum rooted in the indigenous traditions of this area is rare indeed. Kusi Kawsay needs financial support. If you have the means to donate, please consider doing so. We have a new Facebook Page that we are wishing to promote. Please visit the page and click “like” so that our page will be more widely circulated. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kusi-Kawsay/208957755818431
As well, there is a fabulous RAFFLE in support of Kusi Kawsay. The prize is a 10 day trip for two to Perú! Raffle tickets cost $50 and can be split by two people. The link to the FB event is here: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=195751070480799
To learn more about the organization and the raffle, visit the website here:
And, finally in the spirit of ayni once again, I would also like to showcase our Canadian friends, Sandy and Sandra’s grassroots project: DESEA, supporting water treatment with biosand filters, healthcare education, sanitation and women’s empowerment in the highland communities of this area. A really fabulous and much needed project! I hope to do some volunteer work with them as well while we are here. Sandy and Sandra have kids at Kusi Kawsay and they have become great friends. The website for their amazing project is here:
That’s all for now, folks! More updates soon!
Hasta luego!
Annie
Friday, July 15, 2011
July 2011 Full Moon in Pisac
July 15, 2011
July Full Moon in Pisac
It has been just over a month since our arrival here in Pisac. Today is the full moon of July. Pisac is a great place for viewing the moon and starts, and this is a beautiful metaphor in that we all feel we are entering the fullness of our experience here in every way. It is due time that we update this blog.
What’s going on Steve and the construction project? Steve breaks his silence here with construction tales. Think broken rock, clay soil, water, tough cut grass, tree poles, much sweat and you have half of a house on a hill. I’ve learned tons about managing local labor, ordering materials, arranging deliveries, construction techniques, bureaucratic BS, etc. It is helpful to recall that the land we bought is called ‘Ccatachacra’ or ‘sloped field’ in Quechua. It is situated just above the sweeping Incan terraces called Pata Pata that flow to the East under the main hilltop ruins from the town of Pisac. At the edge of town some genius built a church over part of the road where it travels along the top of an ancient terrace so cars can’t pass. This area has been ignored for a couple hundred years, but this year the Feds/Ministerio de Cultura turned their eye on the Incan infrastructure and started a 3 year project to clean up and fix the multi-layered terraces that join the flat valley and the base of the mountains. The narrow road that comes 50 meters below our land accepts walkers, livestock, dogs and 3-wheeled moto-cargas vehicles that can carry 1000 pounds of whatever. The last 100 meters to the house site is uphill and anything coming in is carried in. We are rushing materials to the land before they close the road to excavate and bridge an Incan canal. There is talk of planting 1000 fruit trees along the road with pedestrian parks and calling it the ruta de frutas, terminating at the farm 50 meters below us. Whatever the future brings, the present has brought the eye of the Feds to our project and a request for detailed documentation of what we are up to ‘in their archeological park domain’. We’ve been getting good at writing formal solicitudes (new members of the fruit growers’ organization; electricity petition) and expect a long wait for ‘permission’ to proceed with our project. They called our project “new construction”, when it is actually a remodel of the existing house, and the locals are telling us that this allows us to proceed as usual. Given the number of existing houses in the area that are larger than ours things should proceed in our favor. Think positive building thoughts.
Proceeding as usual actually means hauling heavy stuff uphill. This requires managing local labor, which means chicha (fermented corn drink), coca leaves, and potatoes for earth oven lunch on the land. Heavy labor equals 1 gallon of chicha and 1 kilogram of potatoes per worker per day. This week I’ve had a crew of 8 hauling 50 heavy poles up from the flat pampa where the truck dumped them. The crew boss supposedly had a source of dry poles, but… we are carrying 500 pound fresh (wet) poles. I’ve learned how to source trees UPHILL from the forest above us. Lots easier to rope a pole and drag it downhill…. Of note - these are eucalyptus trees and poles we use- a serious weed here-that re-sprout and grow more poles in 10 years. Last week we hauled up 3000 clay roof tiles. The week before, we hauled sand for concrete bracing and floors. The crew brings in paja, the local perennial grass that is mixed with soil and water to make adobe and the mortar for foundations and walls. Fortunately we have lots of rock on the land; other neighbors have hauled in tons to work with. The foundation work involved digging down by hand, excavating all sorts of rock and soil, and smashing apart rocks larger than 2 feet in diameter. This rock and others from the site were pieced together, lifting seriously heavy rocks by hand and putting it all together with a few tools. Doing all this without electricity, power tools, and standardized materials has been quite a change from USA standard construction.
The foundation and first floor walls are in, with the large beams framing opening for a wall of windows overlooking the valley and Incan sites. Cutting the beams (read tree trunks) and hoisting them into place was memorable. I had a couple guys with a huge chainsaw (44 inch bar) come and slice up some eucalyptus trees that had been down for months. Whatever the work here, it seems illegal to use eye and ear protection. They snapped chalk lines down the edge of the trunks and squinted through hours of sawdust, turning trunks into huge beams and square braces for above windows and doors. With brute human will we lifted four 20-foot trunks into place. A block and tackle appeared for the heaviest trunk, thankfully. We’re now preparing poles for the second story floor and roof beams, slicing one side flat with hand tools and allowing them to dry some. These guys have great skill and more endurance than one could believe. They work 6 days a week for less than may be fair, and I pay 20% more than the going rate. This comes at the cost of me having to take care of all the details, run to the hardware store, find matches to light the lunch fire, etc. The next project here will be a lot easier and I’ll find a more proactive, responsible crew boss that could run a petty cash fund to take care of the petty crap.
What are River and Sage up to? The kids are on school break for a few weeks, which is giving them extra time for playdates and fun. Today they are out at the chakra with Steve and two of their friends. They are making huatia, potatoes roasted in an earthen oven and roasting hotdogs and making forts. They are both very comfortable and conversant in Spanish. They crack jokes and have a blast with their amigos. Last week, they began taking karate classes twice a week at the cultural center in the town of Taray just across the bridge and down the river from Pisaq. Two of the founders of the school have created the cultural center which includes a dojo where they hold karate classes for the youth in the area. It takes about 20 minutes to walk there, but we usually take a mototaxi on the dirt road separating the two towns. A mototaxi is a three wheeled motorcycle with an enclosed passenger area which can fit one adult (me) and four kids smashed together. Very bumpy, but fun! A bunch of the kids from Kusi Kawsay School take karate, so it’s a great social opportunity as well as great exercise plus disciplina y respeto. The Sensei comes from Cuzco (45 minutes away) to give the class. River and Sage are totally into it and are in awe of the bigger kids with black belts.
What about Annie? I have been getting the formal paperwork together for our building project, working on getting us electricity and supporting Steve and the building project which means ordering and arranging lunch for the workers on certain days, etc, and taking care of the kids’ needs. The cultural center has a second round building in which I have begun to offer yoga classes at the same time as the karate classes for some of the women whose kids are taking karate. I have also been offering classes out of our house on school mornings. I teach the classes in Spanish which has been a super fun challenge! The classes are being well received and I am enjoying the opportunity to serve the community in this way. In addition to offering yoga, I have begun to do some volunteer work for the school including translations, promotional work and funding searches. We are actively searching for funding/granting sources to help fund the on-going school needs including salaries as well as upcoming construction costs. Any leads on granting sources would be welcome. You can check out the new Kusi Kawsay Facebook page here.
Life in Pisac: Life in Pisac is great and full. We’ve been to three birthday parties and there are more to come, including River’s next month. So, we’re getting our share of dancing and eating. Speaking of eating, we had an interesting encounter last Sunday. One of the workers out at the chakra (property) had approached Steve with an interest in working as a caretaker for us once the house project is done. Rodrigo is a nice guy and a good worker and so Steve said he could come to the house with his family and we’d discuss the matter. So, last Sunday he showed up with his wife and two young children. They politely sat on our couch and we began small talk when Rodrigo slipped into the conversation that his two children have not been baptized. I said, “oh,” and didn’t think much of this, considering the fact that my kids aren’t baptized either, and we’re not Catholic. A few minutes later, his wife said she had to go do something and would be right back. She left the house and came back ten minutes later with a bucket of freshly roasted cuy (guinea pigs) and potatoes. They proceeded to serve us the cuy, an Andean delicacy, and potatoes and politely inquired whether we would consider being the godparents, padrinos, of their children. We were quite taken aback and didn’t really know what to say, since we didn’t really know what their request requires. We have since learned more about this responsibility and we have learned that this sort of scenario is not uncommon, a display of generosity - someone shows up on your doorstep with roasted cuy - and you can expect they will be asking something of you. We have yet to settle this matter. We are prepared to offer Rodrigo work, but since we are not Catholic, nor do we know Rodrigo and his family well, we are reluctant to take on the godparent responsibility for an acquaintance. Nonetheless, we are learning what it means to be gringos in this society. From the Peruvian perspective, we look to be well endowed, and it is very probable that this won’t be the first time we are asked to assume this kind of role.
Tonight is the beginning of the three day Pisac Festivities. The best part is the day of concursos, or dances in which folkloric dance groups compete in an all day event. There is music and parties all over town until late at night.
Next week, we plan to take a break from our Pisac construction scene and travel to the lower lands, to Quillabamba, the coffee growing area on the way to the Amazon Basin. We plan to visit waterfalls, go swimming, enjoy tropical fruit and relax for a few days. After that, it’s back to the grind. Hopefully, we’ll have the green light from the Ministerio de Cultura to continue our building, though, I think we’ll likely continue regardless… Steve has made several research contacts and will begin to pursue them in hopes to set up some future research.
So, we are moving into the fullness of our season here. We are optimistic about finishing up our construction project so that we have a house to return to next year. Keep your fingers crossed and send us your positive vibes for happy construction! More importantly, we are getting more established in the community here and enjoying our social relations with others, and exploring more and more ways to utilize our skills and talents and serve in this area.
Friday, July 1, 2011
Getting settled
July 1, 2011
Saludos from Pisac!
We are nearing the end of our third week back down here for the summer, and we are settling in. The initial culture shock/transition that inevitably is part of the adjustment of coming and going from the U.S. and Peru has subsided and we are feeling pretty content with our agenda and situation here.
Our second story apartment is just fine. We are on the main drag, and we have a view from one end of the house of the Vilcabamba River, and on the other end, we can see the Pisac ruins. We can also see lots of rooftop laundry drying, folks next door peeling potatoes, the garbage truck, falling down adobe homes, etc. Occasionally the pena, a few doors down has pretty loud music until late, but mostly it is fine. We actually have a TV here, which we don't have at home. There are only two channels, but one of them has futbol nearly all the time, so given that River, Sage and Steve are into this, it is rather exciting.
The kids just finished their second week of school at Kusi Kawsay. Sage is in the 2nd-3rd grade classroom with Profesora Rosaura who was River's teacher last year. River is the 4th-5th grade class with a new teacher, Profesora Jesica. For those of you who helped out with the Kusi Kawsay fundraiser last fall, thank you! You'll be pleased to know that the school was able to build two more classrooms and secured its official status with the Ministry of Education as well as with the Unicef school registry. The student population has increased this year, and things are going well. As with any new independent school, growth brings change and stability takes time. A couple of the original teachers have left and new teachers have come in. The school still lacks the necessary funds for the construction of three more classrooms to eventually have one classroom per grade. And, the school is still raising money to secure funding for teacher salaries. If you feel inspired to donate, now is a great time because the school association has organized a raffle. Each raffle ticket is $50, and the grand prize is a trip for two to this area in the Sacred Valley, including airfare, accommodations, meals and entrance fees to the famous ruin sites. If you are interested, here is the link. Your contributions will be very much appreciated, and if you win, it will be a fabulous trip!
The charm we experienced with the school community last year continues. Last week, in honor of the Andean Winter Solistice, Inti Raymi, the students at the school had the privilege of watching performances of traditional dance and music by various native groups of this region and beyond: the Shipibo of the Amazon, community members of Taquile of Lake Titicaca and a local musicians and dancers from the Pisac area. It was fabulous!
Today at school, the students presented songs, dances, and gifts to the parents in honor of mother's and father's days. Each grade had a presentation which included musical pieces in Spanish and Quechua. The entire event lasted nearly two hours and culminated in the entire school dancing together to the wonderful music of Winay Taki, the musical group comprised of the founding parents of the school. You can see them on Youtube here. Winay Taki will very soon be touring in Canada!
Socially, we are having a great time. The kids are enjoying reconnecting with friends at school and making new friends. They have had playdates at the house a few times already. We have already been to one birthday party and we're invited to another party this weekend. Birthday parties are fun events here with lots of music and dance. We went with friends to the Feria de Huancaro in Cuzco last Sunday. It is the equivalent of a state fair a la peruana. Alpacas, llamas, guinea pigs, pigs, sheep and horses; beautiful and colorful varieties of corn, potatoes, beans, quinoa, and other root crops from the valleys and highlands; tropical fruits such as cacao, sugar cane, coffee, papaya; steaming hot local dishes such as caldo de gallina, trucha, bistek de alpaca; ice cream of all flavors, kids' games; beautiful artesanias such as woven ponchos, knitted wear and embroidery and more!
Pisac is in many ways the same as it was last year. This valley town is a mix of local Peruvian small town and highland culture and customs and a burgeoning tourist market. Pisac has become a main tourist destination for both its spectacular ruins as well as its artesanias market. The artesanias market runs 7 days a week in the main plaza and caters to tourists. However, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays are bigger market days that cater to the local population and showcase fruit, vegetable and household item items from elsewhere in the valley as well as from the highland communities. The Sunday market in Pisac is a centuries old tradition and is particularly spectacular in that it is the day the Quechua speaking people from the highland communities come down to Pisac to do their shopping in the market. They come dressed in their local finery, both men and women. The sellers of the artesanias were at one time all artisans, but now many of them are simply sellers of crafts they have purchased elsewhere. Nonetheless, there are wonderful finds at the market, particularly on Sundays when the highland women come down to sell their intricate and beautiful textiles.
Recently there are new businesses popping up that cater to tourists, hippies and folks out of the area. For instance, I was surprised to see that Pisac now has a tattoo and piercing parlor called Popeye's. There are also some new vegetarian cafes, and a wine bar. A beautiful botanical garden just opened. This was a historical property of someone prominent and it has been restored to showcase native potatoes, local medicinal plants, Andean trees, flowers and cactus. So, things are changing, and I guess we are also part of this change.
I taught a private yoga class in Spanish yesterday to my friend Veronica, a chilena. I have several women interested in yoga classes and I am on the lookout for a suitable location to offer a free or donation based class. At this point, I am focusing on offering yoga to the community here in Pisac rather than at the tourist retreat centers on the other side of town, as I feel more drawn to spending my time and energy with locals. We'll see how this goes with time. I am still exploring how to best use my time, energy and skills in this area. As much as I love teaching yoga, there are many very basic humanitarian needs to be considered in this area such as access to clean water, access to education, to health care, etc. There are fascinating cultural projects. I wish to also be of service in these areas as well. So, I am exploring all of this.
And, we are building a house! Steve really needs to start blogging about our construction project which is a story in itself. He is more closely involved with the project and workers on a day to day basis. I have been calling it: Design Build Pisac. (Those of you who know Design Build Bluff will know what I mean!) At any rate, things are advancing. The foundation is in and the adobe walls are going up. You will want to see photos, and I will have to defer to Steve to get them uploaded. This project is in every way different from building in the states, beginning with the location which is not accessible by truck or car and the building materials which cannot be purchased at Home Depot or any sort of box store, as they are mainly adobe blocks, mud, and eucalyptus beams produced on the property. It is Green Building for sure. At the moment, I am working on getting us electricity which involves making a formal solicitation to the private association of property owners who have managed to bring electricity to this rural area. The sooner we can accomplish this, the faster we can move along, but of course, it is not at all straightforward. That is to say, this entire process is completely nonlinear, and Steve will have more to say about this.
For now, I am going to sign off wishing you buenas noches from Pisac!
Saludos from Pisac!
We are nearing the end of our third week back down here for the summer, and we are settling in. The initial culture shock/transition that inevitably is part of the adjustment of coming and going from the U.S. and Peru has subsided and we are feeling pretty content with our agenda and situation here.
Our second story apartment is just fine. We are on the main drag, and we have a view from one end of the house of the Vilcabamba River, and on the other end, we can see the Pisac ruins. We can also see lots of rooftop laundry drying, folks next door peeling potatoes, the garbage truck, falling down adobe homes, etc. Occasionally the pena, a few doors down has pretty loud music until late, but mostly it is fine. We actually have a TV here, which we don't have at home. There are only two channels, but one of them has futbol nearly all the time, so given that River, Sage and Steve are into this, it is rather exciting.
The kids just finished their second week of school at Kusi Kawsay. Sage is in the 2nd-3rd grade classroom with Profesora Rosaura who was River's teacher last year. River is the 4th-5th grade class with a new teacher, Profesora Jesica. For those of you who helped out with the Kusi Kawsay fundraiser last fall, thank you! You'll be pleased to know that the school was able to build two more classrooms and secured its official status with the Ministry of Education as well as with the Unicef school registry. The student population has increased this year, and things are going well. As with any new independent school, growth brings change and stability takes time. A couple of the original teachers have left and new teachers have come in. The school still lacks the necessary funds for the construction of three more classrooms to eventually have one classroom per grade. And, the school is still raising money to secure funding for teacher salaries. If you feel inspired to donate, now is a great time because the school association has organized a raffle. Each raffle ticket is $50, and the grand prize is a trip for two to this area in the Sacred Valley, including airfare, accommodations, meals and entrance fees to the famous ruin sites. If you are interested, here is the link. Your contributions will be very much appreciated, and if you win, it will be a fabulous trip!
The charm we experienced with the school community last year continues. Last week, in honor of the Andean Winter Solistice, Inti Raymi, the students at the school had the privilege of watching performances of traditional dance and music by various native groups of this region and beyond: the Shipibo of the Amazon, community members of Taquile of Lake Titicaca and a local musicians and dancers from the Pisac area. It was fabulous!
Today at school, the students presented songs, dances, and gifts to the parents in honor of mother's and father's days. Each grade had a presentation which included musical pieces in Spanish and Quechua. The entire event lasted nearly two hours and culminated in the entire school dancing together to the wonderful music of Winay Taki, the musical group comprised of the founding parents of the school. You can see them on Youtube here. Winay Taki will very soon be touring in Canada!
Socially, we are having a great time. The kids are enjoying reconnecting with friends at school and making new friends. They have had playdates at the house a few times already. We have already been to one birthday party and we're invited to another party this weekend. Birthday parties are fun events here with lots of music and dance. We went with friends to the Feria de Huancaro in Cuzco last Sunday. It is the equivalent of a state fair a la peruana. Alpacas, llamas, guinea pigs, pigs, sheep and horses; beautiful and colorful varieties of corn, potatoes, beans, quinoa, and other root crops from the valleys and highlands; tropical fruits such as cacao, sugar cane, coffee, papaya; steaming hot local dishes such as caldo de gallina, trucha, bistek de alpaca; ice cream of all flavors, kids' games; beautiful artesanias such as woven ponchos, knitted wear and embroidery and more!
Pisac is in many ways the same as it was last year. This valley town is a mix of local Peruvian small town and highland culture and customs and a burgeoning tourist market. Pisac has become a main tourist destination for both its spectacular ruins as well as its artesanias market. The artesanias market runs 7 days a week in the main plaza and caters to tourists. However, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays are bigger market days that cater to the local population and showcase fruit, vegetable and household item items from elsewhere in the valley as well as from the highland communities. The Sunday market in Pisac is a centuries old tradition and is particularly spectacular in that it is the day the Quechua speaking people from the highland communities come down to Pisac to do their shopping in the market. They come dressed in their local finery, both men and women. The sellers of the artesanias were at one time all artisans, but now many of them are simply sellers of crafts they have purchased elsewhere. Nonetheless, there are wonderful finds at the market, particularly on Sundays when the highland women come down to sell their intricate and beautiful textiles.
Recently there are new businesses popping up that cater to tourists, hippies and folks out of the area. For instance, I was surprised to see that Pisac now has a tattoo and piercing parlor called Popeye's. There are also some new vegetarian cafes, and a wine bar. A beautiful botanical garden just opened. This was a historical property of someone prominent and it has been restored to showcase native potatoes, local medicinal plants, Andean trees, flowers and cactus. So, things are changing, and I guess we are also part of this change.
I taught a private yoga class in Spanish yesterday to my friend Veronica, a chilena. I have several women interested in yoga classes and I am on the lookout for a suitable location to offer a free or donation based class. At this point, I am focusing on offering yoga to the community here in Pisac rather than at the tourist retreat centers on the other side of town, as I feel more drawn to spending my time and energy with locals. We'll see how this goes with time. I am still exploring how to best use my time, energy and skills in this area. As much as I love teaching yoga, there are many very basic humanitarian needs to be considered in this area such as access to clean water, access to education, to health care, etc. There are fascinating cultural projects. I wish to also be of service in these areas as well. So, I am exploring all of this.
And, we are building a house! Steve really needs to start blogging about our construction project which is a story in itself. He is more closely involved with the project and workers on a day to day basis. I have been calling it: Design Build Pisac. (Those of you who know Design Build Bluff will know what I mean!) At any rate, things are advancing. The foundation is in and the adobe walls are going up. You will want to see photos, and I will have to defer to Steve to get them uploaded. This project is in every way different from building in the states, beginning with the location which is not accessible by truck or car and the building materials which cannot be purchased at Home Depot or any sort of box store, as they are mainly adobe blocks, mud, and eucalyptus beams produced on the property. It is Green Building for sure. At the moment, I am working on getting us electricity which involves making a formal solicitation to the private association of property owners who have managed to bring electricity to this rural area. The sooner we can accomplish this, the faster we can move along, but of course, it is not at all straightforward. That is to say, this entire process is completely nonlinear, and Steve will have more to say about this.
For now, I am going to sign off wishing you buenas noches from Pisac!
Friday, June 24, 2011
Back in Pisac
Saludos, Amigos!
Greetings from the Sacred Valley of the Incas, Pisac, Peru. We have been back down here for nearly two weeks and we have been busy! A couple days after arriving here, we moved into a 2 bedroom apartment in town, just a few doors down from the Museo Comunitario, the community museum showcasing the cultural traditions of this area. The apartment was furnished except for the kitchen. So, we very quickly invested in kitchen appliances and dishes including the purchase of a fridge, gas stove, dishes, pots, pans, etc. I said to Steve that we must be serious about getting something going here, because now we own a full own Peruvian kitchen! (Well.. we do love to cook!) Not only this, but construction has already begun on our house on the parcel of agricultural property that we purchased last August. More to say about this below. And, the kids have started school once again at Kusi Kawsay. We have reconnected with friends we made last year. In other words, we are already enmeshed down here in the best sense of the word!
So, I keep asking myself the question, "What is it exactly that we are doing here?" Here is my attempt at an answer: Last year, we came to Peru with Steve and Rachel's Evergreen students with their mission of offering Andean Roots students an opportunity to truly experience that which they had spent most of the academic year studying: the links between people, land, language, agriculture and culture in the face of globalization. As a family, our goal was to give ourselves and our kids the opportunity to delve into another culture and language, new ways of experiencing and viewing the world. Personally, my intention was to be open to the experience and to be willing to be changed and transformed by it. We came down last year with a certain innocence. This is not to say that Steve and I hadn't been down in this region before, because we had been here previously. Nonetheless, I use the word "innocence" because we really had no idea how much we were going to end up changing and being changed.
So, we stayed nearly 5 months and we completely fell in love with the Sacred Valley region, the town of Pisac, the Kusi Kawsay school, and the community. It was like a total love affair. This is the best metaphor I have for how we felt about last year. Everyday was wonderful, and in a certain sense, we had rosy glasses on like when you are newly in love. By the end of the 5 months, we ended up pregnant in the sense that we had purchased a beautiful piece of property. Now we are back to tend to the property, to take on the project of building on the property and to build some sort of a future for our family in this region.
So, this time around, it feels like we are "digging in" in a certain way. And, if you came out to the chakra, our land, you would see that there is a lot of digging going on! The foundation on our casa was begun this past week which has included trenches being dug, very large rocks being moved, etc. If last year felt like a lot of play, this year means work. Although we still own the rosy glasses, we now must don new glasses and see things in a somewhat different light. There is a certain seriousness in our current endeavor. And, just like when you have a new baby, and there is a lot to learn, we have a lot to learn. Figuring out where to buy the necessary items to furnish a kitchen was only a baby step compared with building a house. Steve has spent countless hours on the house building plan, and he has a good sense of the local construction style and materials. Nonetheless, it is very different from building a house in the U.S., in almost every way beginning with the very sacred and necessary first step of enacting a pago a la tierra, literally, a payment to the earth. This is a very serious ceremony enacted to the Pacha Mama, the Mother Earth, as well as to the apus, the mountain peak deities. This ceremony had to happen before the workers would even consider beginning work on the foundation of our house. I'll let Steve elaborate on this ceremony and on the other details of the house project in his portion of this blog, but suffice to say that the obligation to living here is very much an obligation to learn about, to adapt to, and to honor a very different cultural paradigm, in every sense: socially, economically, linguistically as well as spiritually. To live here is to honor the ways of knowing and living that are part of this cultural landscape.
I have to admit that I have felt a range of emotions since returning. On the one hand, I am thrilled to be greeted by the mountain peaks, the apus, the incredible natural beauty of this Sacred Valley and also by the familiar faces of the people in the community that became our acquaintances and friends last year. I also have felt awed and overwhelmed by our building project and by the obligation of being stewards of the chakra, the land we purchased, an agricultural parcel comprising about an acre, containing over 300 peach trees! To reconcile these mixed emotions, the metaphor of "the gift of life" strikes me as appropriate. It was a gift to be here last year and the opportunity to continue to spend time in this area is a gift. This gift contains amazing beauty as well as inherent challenges and complexities. The gift is that much more valuable because it contains the challenges and complexities. These serve as the means for our growth and evolution as human beings. Just as raising our children is beautiful, challenging and complex, so too is our relationship with raising/building a house and participating authentically in a life in Pisac.
Of course, it is not a question of doing anything by ourselves. To take on a project like this is to engage in community and in ayni, the Quechua word for reciprocity, a central Andean value that ensures harmony within a community. To build our house necessitates harmonious relationships with our contractor Mauro, and the Quechua speaking workers from the highland communities, as they are those responsible for building the adobe bricks, moving rocks, felling trees, helping us find building materials, and ensuring that we properly and respectfully honor the earth and the land according to custom and tradition. We also must build harmonious relationships with our diverse neighbors, the members of the greater community, and of the school as the success of our project and our satisfaction living here is directly dependent on these relationships.
So, "what is it exactly that we are doing here?" In the largest sense of the word, we are in many ways small and large, engaging it the conscious project of our own growth and evolution as human beings. You might say that this could be done anywhere, and of course, that is what all human beings are doing wherever they are in whatever corner of the world they happen to inhabit or reside. We have chosen to be in Peru, and in this environment, we are learning new skills, and gaining appreciation and admiration for other cultural ways of knowing and acting. We bring to the table our own cultural and personal knowledge, ideas and skill sets which we authentically and openly offer: the skills of sustainable agricultural knowledge and practices, educational skills, yoga, and much more.
I can't say that I have an answer clearer than this, and I really believe that this is the answer. As human beings, we are at times called to be in relationship with people and places, and when we heed this call, we have the opportunity to align more and more with our deepest purposes in a particular lifetime. So, here we are in Pisac. We're here for 3 months, and we are sowing the seeds for future opportunities.
More to come soon!
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