We broke up our time in Lima with a week-long trip to the Cusco area, including a journey through Peru’s Sacred Valley to visit historical sites from the time of the Incas and finishing with a day at the incomparable Machu Picchu. First we spent two days in the beautiful city of Cusco, ancient capital of the Inca Empire. We mixed visits to important sites in Cusco with a lecture on the Incas and a workshop on Andean music. This post shares our arrival and speakers.
As we waited to board our plane to Cusco, we met Ethel Smoker Oatman, a 1968 Goshen College graduate.Cusco from the airOn the bus, on the way to our Cusco hotelA light lunch with chicha morada, a favorite Peruvian beverage made from purple corn and pineapple.Peru SST Director Richard Aguirre with Wilfredo Villavicencio, our coordinator for the Andes.You can’t keep Sierra out of a a great swimming pool – even on a chilly day.Our first speaker was Amadeo Valer Farfan, an expert on the Incas.Amadeo gave us a great overview.Learning about llamas, alpacas and vicuñasIn the afternoon, everyone wanted a nap.A play break before starting class again.Drums and wind instruments were the traditional instruments of the AndesPeru SST Director Judy Weaver introduces musicians Amaru (Americo Mejia Suñiga), Pablo Flores and Mauro Claros Chatas.Amaru is amazing on the pan flute and drumMauro explains key points of the development of Andean music.Mauro told us that pan flutes are played in choir-like groups with many voices. This in the bass voice.This little pan flute is a high voice.Mauro and Pablo converse with a pan flute melody that jumped rapidly between them – an example of Andean duality.Pablo showed us the quena, one of the most difficult instruments to play.String instruments arrived in Peru with the Europeans.Mauro invites Leah to dance.Soon everyone is dancing.Emma with Goshen grad Brook Hostetter (left), who is teaching in Cusco this year. Brook joined us for the music workshop.We got to try out the instruments. Alejandro goes for two flutes at once.Mauro gives Emma and Brian a quick lesson.Michael gets a lesson from Amaru.The musicians are impressed!Brody coaxes a tone from the quena.We really enjoyed this workshop!
