The “Amaru” community is located in Pisaq district, above 10550 feet. There are around 190 families that live in the community, with an average of 4 children per family. Even though the community is very close to the cities of Pisaq and Cusco, they still preserve their ancestral traditions, such as agriculture, cooking, weaving and music, keeping alive the old dances and songs and winning contests all around Peru. People in Amaru are very conscious of the strength of their bio-diversity and cultural heritage.
The “Amaru” community has been working hard to recover its bio-diversity, participating in reforestation of native and medicinal plants in the hillsides, as well as reviving the traditional handcraft techniques (weaving, ceramics, bone artwork), keeping with their cultural legacy to be one of the most important protectors of the Andean Traditions.
Your visit will directly benefit the people that participate in the services and daily activities, and indirectly you will encourage the conservation of their environment, such as wild and native flora and fauna, and the revival of traditional arts and techniques, which will reinforce the community's identity and provide new sustainable development alternatives.
Day 1: Amaru artisans
We will leave Cusco in the morning by the road to Pisaq and will arrive at the “Parque de la Papa” area (native potato park) where the “Amaru” community is located. 1 hr 30 bus travel.
Local people will gratefully welcome us into the beautiful landscape of the community. Our hosts, the natives from “Laraypas Indigenas de Amaru Association” will explain us their daily life, traditions, and the work the association does on behalf of the traditional culture and the environment protection.
Discovering the plants: We will begin the “Weaving workshop”, including a hike through a native forest and visiting the associationʼs nursery, where we will choose the plants that we will use to dye our fibers. We will also discover the medicinal and culinary properties of some of these plants.
The weaving process: We will get into the entire handmade weaving process, sheering and hand spinning the wool, dyeing the fibers and doing the design in the warp and wefts, and finally weave in the “telar de cintura” or waist loom, traditionally used by the local women to weave. We will learn the ancient techniques, take pictures, and be part of the whole process, where we will be able to make our own textile, which will be a lifetime experience.
During our stay in the community, we will enjoy natural appetizers, drinks and a nutritious lunch - healthy and lovely - made by the women of “Amaru”. Local community artists or children from the school will share with us some local music.
In the afternoon, we will head back to Cusco or to your hotel in the valley, stopping to visit the Pisaq local market where we will see a huge variety of Sacred Valley handcraft. Arrival at Cusco around 6 pm.
Prices in American Dollars per person
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