Elementary school #501439 Qorimarca of Matinga Visited Sacred Valley

On Sunday, November 17th, students from the elementary school #501439 Qorimarca of Matinga participated in the Cultural Sunday organized by Alpaca Expedition. This school is located in the community of Matinga in the district of Lares and is a single-teacher school, meaning there is only one teacher for all elementary grades.

The company’s mobility went to pick the students up from Qorimarca at 9:30 a.m. and headed to Urubamba. For some of the boys and girls, it was the first time going out of their community and were amazed along the way by the llamas and plants that do not grow in their community. Fortunately, the weather on this day was sunny and warm. We arrived at Urubamba at 1:00 pm and headed for lunch upon arrival. On this occasion, the children of Qorimarca were able to enjoy a plate of “Pollo a la Brasa” (grilled chicken) for their first time. This is a common Peruvian dish most often prepared only in cities.

In acknowledging that for some of the children it was their first time in Urubamba, we took a short tour of the town’s main square, where we enjoyed the views of the Chicón snow-capped mountain and some of the main streets of that beautiful town. We then continued our journey to the living Inca town of Ollantaytambo. On the way, we stopped for a moment to view the salt mines of Maras, as well as the toad-shaped hill and the train station located in Pachar.

For Alpaca Expedition it is very important that the children who participate in this social project can fully understand our history. For this reason, the guide shared all stories related to what they were viewing in their original language, Quechua. In this way, the guide interacted with the children in Quechua, generating a very enriching cultural exchange.

Once at the town of Ollantaytambo, we went to the Pinkuylluna hill, where the Qollpas are located. Since the trail was going to belong, we gave the children a small snack that they enjoyed while listening to the guide. As we are an environmentally responsible company, we gathered all the solid waste in a recycled bag and then deposited it in a garbage can. Afterward, we went to the Archaeological Center of Ollantaytambo, where the children learned more about this fortress.

Near the end of the tour, it started to rain, but that was not an impediment for the children to continue enjoying Ollantaytambo and its history. After the tour, we went to the town’s (Ollantaytambo) small plaza to wait for transportation. While waiting, the children bought ice cream and enjoyed it on their way back to Lares.

THANK YOU ALPACA EXPEDITIONS

“The teaching that leaves its mark is not that which is done from head to head, but from heart to heart. Howard g. Hendricks