Photos: Chinchero Village Annual Fair

Chinchero has an elevation over 12,000 ft. It is located in the Alto Plano of Peru.

To get here we travelled by a small collectivo bus from Oyatatembo, and then to reach the fair grounds rode in this motorcycle taxi.

In the mountains above Chinchero it has snowed the night before.

We found ourselves among a group of local indigenenous folks who were showing their animals and wares, selling food and homemade chicha beer, and home made articles.  People were sharing stories with friends... Many of the people were rural mountain people and the fair was a major social event of their year. There were only a small handful of "extranjeros" (foreigners) there... it was so cool!

A bull that did not take a liking to me

There were classes offered on issues of health, animal practices, farming...

The majority of women came dressed in traditional clothing.  This woman is spinning yarn using a spindle, and working with raw wool.  it is common to see women in the village streets spinning yarn in this manner.

After the wool is spun into yarn it is dyed... The dyes are made of natural plant products that produce soft rich colors...  Here the dyes are being "cooked".

 I have the same response when I get smoke in my eyes from blowing on a fire!

These women have set up hand looms, anchored at one end, and each new thread added one at a time to make elaborate patterns.  

 The fabric the women are wearing was made on a hand loom.

 The "warp" thread of a woven fabric run lengthwise.  The "woof" threads run crosswise. These women are preparing the warp threads before starting a new hand loom piece.

Livestock must be fed.  This woman is using her "rebozo" to carry grass. A rebozo can be used for warmth, to carry babies, groceries, to sit on as a cushion... 

Great banda music to liven up the day!

A highlight event - was the judging of dressed up guinea pigs... They also had guinea pig races... and rosted guinea pig to eat!

This stately woman was watching men race while carrying raw eggs in a spoon.

The food court section - almost anything your heart desired... I walked past and a cup of hot atole drink was thrust into my hand - it was hot and sweet and very tasty... I thanked the woman and enjoyed it.

For people looking for something a little more "fuerte" this is alcoholic chicha... it is fermented and drunk fresh while it is still undergoing fermentation... Not bad...

The "barbacoa"... probably beef and goat... but I wasn't sure...

This young mother demonstrates how the rebozo doubles as a child carrier...

My hero! This is the man who found my lost camera and sent his wife to tap me on the shoulder and tell me "Yo tengo algo de usted!"( I have something of yours!! )  I gave them both a reward but I only regret that I didn't buy his hat too.