Peru - Swimming in culture

Days three, four and five of our trip were spent emersed in the culture of the people of Peru.  The Peruvians we've met are a proud people with a rich heritage.  There is a significant movement to revivie the Incan culture and heritage. 

Our travels the last three days have taken us to Incan sites: Meyes, the salt mines, Moray, the Incan agricultural development center, Ollantaytambo, an Incan city with many buildings from the 1300's and 1400's still in use, Aguas Caliente, the jumping off point for trips to Machu Pichu, the remote, preserved cultural and spiritual site of the ancient Incans.  We rode a whirlwind of busses and trains, ate all varieties of local food, learned a lot of the facinating history of Peru and the Incans and learned a little bit of Spanish along the way. 

We also saw a barter market in Chirichinga where we saw dried potatos exchanged for citrus (tangerine sized fruit) and visited a small community of 25 families a hour from Cusco where they are interested in improving their water supply.  Seemingly the entire community came out for discussions, men, women, children, chichens, dogs and the goat.  This experience gave me a new understanding of community and how difficult "development" can be. 



Tour group: (l to r , bottom)Mark, Clara, George,Sherry, Phain Foon, Aracely, Nayda,(top), Brent, Bob, Sara, Lon, Susan, Glenn, Dave, Ron & Allesandra.