Participatory tourism

The star product is the potato, since ancient times after harvesting the potato the land was made to rest for 7 years, luckily here this Inka wisdom is still preserved, one year before sowing the land is ploughed with pure human strength, during this time the guano (cattle manure) is gathered, when it is time to sow the guano and the seed is taken to the field on donkeys, During its growth, care and attention is given to it to guarantee production. Between the months of May and June is when it is harvested and it is celebrated by cooking the produce in earthen ovens made at that time to eat the most awaited dish of the year: watia. The labour required is not remunerated monetarily but rather is established in terms of reciprocity of work. There are many other activities that take place during the year around potato production.

If life revolves around agriculture, livestock makes life revolve around it. It is a daily job when you have sheep because the llamas go off by themselves and come back alone, it is a full day activity and requires a lot of attention so that the fox does not take any sheep, although the dogs are the number one guardians, the fox is a fox and has its tricks.

This activity goes hand in hand with the livestock, from shearing the wool from the animals to the most elaborate textiles it takes a lot of time and patience which you will have the opportunity to participate in: shearing, washing the wool, spinning, dyeing the wool, weaving jumpers or similar, weaving textiles which is the most laborious part of this activity and weaving ropes. Many of these activities are done throughout the day while doing some activities that leave the hands free.

From rebuilding a wall to building a new house, we don’t know which one you will attend but in the camp there is always something to be done in the same person’s house, in a neighbour’s house or for the good of the community, and when the work is done for others it is done on the basis of reciprocity. All construction activities generally start from the basics, such as collecting the materials for construction.

It is not only about washing dishes or clothes, because here the kitchen leaves ash every day and it has to be removed to another place for storage for agricultural purposes, check the deposits, on the other hand the stable (canchón) is at the side of the house and the guano every so often has to be cornered for storage and drying for the next planting. In short, there is always something to do in the countryside.

Is an activity for all ages, from children to the elderly, it is done as a daytime activity or as a daytime activity, culturally it is done while the animals are grazing, gathering the dry branches and carrying them on your shoulder or back while you return with the animals. Nowadays there are many eucalyptus trees and you can cut down a tree like a lumberjack.

This is to participate in the preparation of the food and learn about the products of the area, storage, the basic and simple diet that predominates in the Andes. The highlight of this activity is the simplicity of the kitchens in which the food is prepared, without the variety of flavours that has kept alive a culture that was repressed to the brink of extinction.