Travelling around the Mantaro Valley

I have officially been living on my own in Huancayo for a week, and I've been able to get out and around the Mantaro Valley (the area surrounding Huancayo) for a few visits that have been memorable for a number of reasons (some great, some "interesting").

The view from the main square of Pucara

Just a short drive from Huancayo there are a number of small towns with fascinating histories and local economies. In one day I visited a town that specializes in weaving, another that has made its name in filigreed silver jewellery (the silver is thanks to the town of La Oroya - see previous post), and another that is a major fresh-water trout producer and exporter.

Part of my job is to travel around to the various small towns that have organic/ecological farmers associations starting up, as we are trying to promote healthy and sustainable production and consumption in the area. This meant that on Tuesday I got to go to an annual fair in the town of Pucara, where people had prepared a number of typical/historic dishes (such as guinea pig, dehydrated potatoes, quinoa porridge) and were displaying their organic vegetables. I really had a hard time believing that I was "at work."

Pachamanca is a traditional slow-cooked dish of potatoes, lima beans, sweet tamales (humitas) and...guinea pig (yes, that's a leg you see)

Today, a group of us from work decided to go back to Pucara where they were holding an annual Huaylarsh dance competition. The Huaylarsh is an old dance that depicts the harvest of a particular crop and the life in the particular community. Each community dances the huaylarsh differently, but the main themes are those of harvest, drinking and eating, finding a partner (and fighting over him/her), and the actions of a landlord/hacendado. Just as each dance is different, so too are the traditional outfits, but mostly the women wear big, short skirts with shawls and sombreros, while the men wear pants and a shirt that may or may not be highly decorated, with a belt and hat. Today it rained and hailed during the outdoor dance competition, so we left early, but here are some pictures!










The gringa is invited to dance... A "modern Huaylarsh" group