Thursday, May 7, 2009

February 8, 2009

Chinchero

We left Cusco early in the morning to spend several days traveling around the Sacred Valley. Our first stop was in Chinchero where a Sunday market is held with people from all of the neighboring villages coming to buy and sell vegetables and textiles. This was my favorite day photographing all of the interesting people at the market. We had a noodle soup for breakfast at an outdoor stand and spent the rest of the time people watching. All of the Quechua people spent the day eating, drinking chicha, and socializing. Women and girls were spinning Alpaca wool and an 83 year old man was knitting hats with beautiful, complex patterns using 4 needles. After leaving the market we drove through a valley where people were planting potatoes and arrived at Ollantaytambo where we spent the night at a fantastic bed and breakfast right at the train station. We walked around town at night, watched the full moon rise over the mountains, and finished a wonderful day with a Pisco, Peruvian brandy, at the bar in the bed and breakfast.