Urubamba - Andean Community Llama Trek

Trekking with Llamas to a high Andean community for lunch was a once-in-a-lifetime experience (and it kicked my butt!). We hiked from 3,291m to over 3,900m (10,800' to 13,000') to the small Andean community of Cancha Cancha. It took us 3 hours up (which our guide said was fairly quick YAY) and maybe half that down.

We went with the Llama Pack Project (me and the boys, our guide and two llama herders). "Llama Pack Project works to recover traditional uses and breeding of carrier llamas as a tool for sustainable rural development and conservation of Andean mountain ecosystems in the Sacred Valley of the Incas highlands."

Two llama herders from the community, Julian and Hilda, hiked up with us and then prepared us lunch in their home. Their home had no windows, a kitchen at one end and two VERY primitive beds at the other (I didn't even realize they were beds).They just got electricity 3 years ago. About 30 guinea pigs squealing and running underfoot as we ate our snack, which was a bit unnerving. They served us very good slightly sweet hot cocoa leaf tea, a sweet bread (similar to a quick bread we'd make), Chips Ahoy knock-off!, and a typical snack of toasted corn with salt. Very good.

After that we sat out in the yard in the sun while they prepared the meal. They made a fire under a little hut of stones and let it burn out so that hot coals were left. Into that they threw potatoes, then collapsed the hut a little and put corn into it. They wrapped chicken in paper, set it on top, piled some hot stones on top and covered the whole thing with dirt. Let it cook for about 20 minutes. SO GOOD. It was such a cool experience.Read more