Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Peruvian Cowboys

Last night before dinner, we had the chance to sit down with our horse wranglers for a chance to learn more about their lives and practice our fledgling Spanish. After muddled introductions, we learned more about the lives of these hardworking Peruvian men. They are caked with grime from a long day on the trail moving gear and supplies from lodge to lodge & the years of hard work were etched in their deeply tanned faces. Most are primarily potato farmers and supplement their meager income by wrangling horses along the tourist trails. They operate on a simple principle that we can all live by- that of “ayni- today is for you; tomorrow is for me.” When the leader of a wrangling crew picks his crew members, it is with the understanding that when they serve as the next wrangler, there is a place for them on that crew. It is just one of the ways Peruvians take care of their neighbors & friends.

Today was described as much easier & thankfully, it lived up to its billing. We slept in until 7:00am (hurray!) for our 4-hour hike along the lovely Salkantay River. Butterflies were everywhere (apparently they are big fans of horse dung!) and as we passed through this cloud forest, greenery replaced bare rock and flowers showed their colorful blooms. Our lodge for tonight sits at 10,300 ft.- our first evening to sleep at under 11,000 ft.

When we arrived, we began preparing a Pashamanca feast for lunch, using the traditional Incan method of underground stone cooking. First, piles of various potatoes, corn, bananas & beans were placed in the pit then covered with chicken, pork & lamb. After more stones and layers of cloth covered the feast, it was left to roast for 45 minutes. Yummy! We’ll need the nourishment for tomorrow’s long day of hiking.