The Ramirez family, as stated in yesterday’s blog, works with a service team that aids impoverished Quechuans in the mountainous, rural areas of Peru. As part of my cultural experience, I took a trip into a Quechuan community in the Andes mountains. This community was fascinating to me in many ways including because it almost denoted its own microculture. The architectre of the Quechuans wasn’t all too spectacular looking, but it was incredible to see how these people had to adapt to the mountainous conditions of the Andes. This Quechuan community was also quite unique because their way of life in a minor sense revolved around a single animal, the alpaca. The Quechuans used the alpaca to transport agricultural goods from their terrace farms and cleared out fields, and they also used the alpaca wool as a source of income for the greater community. For the most part, the Quechuans have actually been neglected by the Peruvian government so their trust with me was fairly limited. The Ramirez family described to me that their goal was to help build relationships with these people, and they enjoyed having me on board to help out. Lastly, the historical cultural aspect revolving around the Quechua Indians is quite remarkable. The Ancient Incan civilization, the supposeble ancestors of the Quechua Indians, had created a vast empire in this region of the world, regardless of the difficult terrain. I was blown away after visiting Machu Pichu, a famous Incan historical landmark, because it was incredible evidence of such an advanced society in our past that was simply wiped-out by reckless invaders. Overall, I was really quite fascinated by the historical aspect of Peru’s culture, but more specifically the Quechuan Indians.
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| A Native Quechua Indian |
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| An Alpaca |
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