Blankets and Rocks

Our weekend trip to Chincero ended up being a fantastic exploration of culture and nature. We got to visit an ornate church that featured intricate paintings on the walls and ceilings, we met many artisans selling their crafts, and our class bought A LOT of blankets. All of the blankets were hand-woven and absolutely stunning, featuring homemade thread and naturally dyed fibers. At one point in the day, our class decided to take a picture of us laying in the grass and spelling out “Peru”. Despite many failed attempts and several uncomfortable minutes, we eventually managed to get a nice photo and move on to explore the rocks and fields around us. Several of our group wandered off to look in the giant boulders, and eventually our whole class was squeezing through small crevices to look out at new views. We happened upon some terraces and spent some time enjoying the beautiful weather. Some of us continued to explore, and we found a staircase carved into one of the larger stones. We climbed up and got to see a breathtaking view of farmlands, terraces, mountains and a creek. We sat up there on the carved stone for a while, soaking in the moment and watching sheep and cows meander in a field some distance away. I am still amazed at how the staircase was made, as it couldn’t have been an easy feat to carve it out of the giant rock formation. Regardless, I am glad the effort was taken because the view was breathtaking.