Meeting the Locals

After the archaeological site visits, we were invited to lunch at the home and farm of a Quechua family. Quechua are a pre-Incan culture. All of the food served to us was grown by them. We started with a cream of corn soup. Nearly every meal has corn, since it’s their one of their primary crops. Peru has 55 varieties of corn (and over 3800 varieties of potatoes!). The main course was a quinoa “stir fry” and dessert was a pudding of purple corn. All delicious!

After lunch, the family shared a traditional ceremony they perform during the planting season. They give offerings to Mother Earth (Pachamama) as a way to give back for what they expect to harvest. There is even a ‘toast’ with corn beer, which is sipped by the participants and is also sprinkled on their farm tools and finally into the earth. It was a really nice experience.

Another excursion for the day was a stop at the home and studio of ceramic artist Pablo Seminario. Both he and his wife, Marilu Behar, create pieces based on the techniques and styles of the ancient cultures of Peru. All of their colors are made from natural minerals, and for Pablo’s latest pieces, he’s using an airbrush to apply the color. His sculptures are exhibited all over the world, including the Field Museum in Chicago and the World Bank.

The last of the locals we met today are at our lodgings— alpacas!Read more