Last Rotary Trip part 3

Last Rotary Trip part 3


These are all Inca constructions and terraces.The Inca construction started in 1480s (palace and terraces). While the last Inca King was fleeing from the Spaniards to the sacred valley with hundreds of people he stopped here. He burnt the palace to prevent the Spanish from using it as shelter. That is why you won't find me with pictures by a palace. Spaniards later built over the palace a Catholic church. You will find pictures of that church. The people of this town make garments/clothes and poetry which they sell in Cusco and in the markets. On Sunday here in their town they also sell them. The people speak Quechua while bartering. Terraces (the stair step agriculture) are made of limestone, but were destroyed to build the Spanish church. The terraces and are now being rebuilt.

Chinchero (meaning is lost, probably means rainbow because of their frequency in the area).


Katy Teske and I

• This church was built in 1600 and is still used. The mass is done in Quechua.

This church's base is made of Inca rock and on top is colonial construction. Painting depicts St. Pedro holding the keys.

• The windows of the houses face the main yard where the important gatherings and events took place. It is a huge open field. When the Spanish came, they completely covered the houses with dirt which is why the rock they are made out of are now brown.
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  The big open field

  
  

  
  

  • Market place where they barter their products on Sundays.

  
  

  
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• Interesting facts:
• Every year in June they dried potatoes. They would spread them out. The sun and the cold would preserve them. They are still made and sold in the markets.  
• Crops were potatoes, beans, and quiñua. 
• Water was moved through aqueducts so they could cultivate all year round.
• There is a path from here to the sacred valley. It takes a day of walking to get there. 
• You can tell who any single girl in this village is by the 25 braids in her hair. Old traditions are kept by the families here in Chinchero.
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  The butterfly-it is believed by the people that when a butterfly is found in the house someone is going to die. They kill it right away.
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  • The textiles are made by hand and their colors and completely natural. Usually the cheaper products found in the markets are from Bolivia where they are produced in factories.
  • Process: Boil root sajtana and then grade it. Then filter the root from the water and use the soapy water to soak the wool. They wash 3 or 4 times until clean. Then they spin the wool into string. They get color from plants as well as squished bugs. Then add lime juice. Using the died and hot water, they also add salt to keep the color and soak it depending on how deep they want the color.They use bones from llamas alpacas or rabbits.
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  Hadley Pritchard and I.
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This dinner show was great!  I was able to watch more traditional Cuzco dances.  They were just like the ones I was able to participate in in the Circus. They had similar traditional music as well.