The city who’s name in Quechua, means ‘navel of the world’. It was the capital of the Inca Empire and so I’m excited to be going there. As we fly in from Arequipa the colour of the ground has been changing from grey to rusty red. And the buildings are this colour too with their clay tile roof tops. Gone are the sillar building exteriors and all that white. My Footprint guide says of Cusco “Today, the city’s beauty cannot be overstated. It is a fascinating mix of Inca and colonial Spanish architecture: colonial churches, monasteries and convents and pre-Columbian runis are interspersed with hotels, bars and restaurants that have sprung up to cater for the hundreds of thousands of tourists. Almost every central street has remains of Inca walls, arches and doorways. Many streets are lined with Inca stonework, now serving as the foundations for more modern dwellings.”

I can’t say anything different, just add that it is indeed a great place to explore. We spend a day with our most amazing guide exploring the Sacred Valley, this includes a trip to Pisac, Ollantaytambo, Chinchero and back to Cusco.

Another day we spend in Cusco exploring the early 17th century Cathedral, the Qorichancha at Santo Domingo and Museo de Sitio Qoricancha. In the cathedral we are lucky enough to hear a small Quechua gathering singing with two flutes accompanying them. We aren’t sure what they are celebrating but the music is wonderful in a haunting sort of way.

We have now been in Peru for a couple weeks. The total strangeness has worn off and any fear of not being able to cope in a different environment is gone, but there is now an understanding of how much I don’t know and that is huge. I think that is okay but it is certainly humbling too. I now think I will absorb whatever I can, but not expect too much more learning to happen. It is enough to just enjoy what I can see and hear … and taste too (the food is quite enjoyable!)

To see all the Peru pictures click here.

More knitting … but that is what I so thoroughly enjoy doing so why not? Actually when we arrived back in Arequipa from the Colca Canyon, it was just like returning home after a holiday. Very weird really when we were only gone for three days from a place we had made home in a short week stay. But home it is and even more so because we had the same rooms for this second stay.

Our project this time can be a coin purse or a chullo (ear flap hat). Those of us that did the coin purse last class choose the chullo to do this time. Thinking we had the technique mostly figured out we cheerfully started only to find out that if you have different teachers, you likely have different techniques. So be it, we are here to learn after all! This time we don’t have the work inside out and we don’t use thumbs either. And I kept casting on too tightly so by the fifth try I resorted to casting on over two needles - that worked! Most of us tried very hard to work our two colours as shown, but sometimes old dogs don’t learn new tricks but simply revert to what they do know. I think understanding there are many ways to accomplish the same thing was a lesson we all learned well. I didn’t finish my chullo in the three days we had, but I did finish it by the time we left Lima … except for the tassle on top. That detail will just have to come later!

The other tour participants worked at tapestry weaving with Maximo Laura or machine embroidery with Simona Cutipa. I cannot understand why I don’t see any pictures of these people at work. What was I thinking? I can clearly see the old Singer sewing machines and the intricate hand guided stitching taking place. Perhaps I can show you the name tag Sasha had made for each of us by Simona. They are not to be confused with a computer generated sample either, this was very much hand guided. Such talent!
To see all the Peru pictures click here.