Andes Overnachting

This was a life changing experience. My mother (73) and I (44) spent a beautiful day and a half with the family of Fransica, Claudio and Milucia in Huilloc. Gabriella was our guide and interpreter and she is the most delightful and patient human. I can’t speak highly enough about her! We learned about their textile process, had an opportunity to purchase textiles and even got to make our own bracelets and hat bands (with a LOT of help!) the food was delicious and they were able to accommodate my dietary restrictions. We even had a Pachamama lunch! The most impactful part was that we felt so connected to the women in the co-op and enjoyed getting to know them, their customs, and had them share their wisdom with us. We had a beautiful hike thru the town/valley learning about medicinal herbs, took alpacas to graze in the mountains, shared cultures, and even were invited to try on some of their clothing. The accommodations were comfortable and we had everything we needed and more. This was my 2nd experience with Awamaki and I suggest everyone does the Andean overnight for a meaningful and fascinating experience.

I totally recommend this tour. It was really inspiring to meet the amazing talented local women, and learn about how they create their beautiful textiles. Because Awamaki are non profit and support each textile cooperative to become independent tour providers it did not feel in any way awkward and the women and local families made us feel very welcome. They were so generous with their lovely cooking and friendly hospitality. We stayed over night which made it a particularly special as we got to experience their simple, traditional and at times tough way of life. All this in the most beautiful setting with the opportunity for short hikes to great view points. Gabriella was a great guide and it was reassuring to have her there all the time to help with translation (Spanish to English) and coordination, whilst remaining respectful of the locals. A few tips that I might help others to know what to expect. Awamaki run tours in a couple of villages. Our village was Huilloc Alto, which is 3800m so it is best to acclimitise at a lower altitude if you have time ( we didn’t and had some unpleasant altitude symptoms- mainly headache). There is electricity in the homes and bedrooms had plenty of blankets, flushing toilet and running water was outside the main house. We had no mobile service as expected. We drank the boiled water provided , but might have been better to bring mineral water as 2 of 3 of us did get tummy upsets although this may have been from restaurant food before or after our tour. We came in the rainy season but had plenty of warm (high UV) sunshine ( with some heavy downpours and a chilly evening) The textiles on offer were really varied ( much more than on the Awamaki web site) with a range from small very cheap purses and bracelets to beautiful larger table cloths. The prices were very good but there was no pressure at all to buy. Overall one of the best bits if our trip - thank you to Awamaki and our fabulous hosts.

Wow! This experience was a highlight during our 3 weeks in Peru. The artisans and host families are genuinely excited to share their culture and heritage with you. We learned so much about weaving and the various plants of the region used for dying yarn but how many are also for medicinal use. The food prepared for us was simple and delicious but the pachamanca was incredible. Mario our interpreter was always available to ensure our questions and conversations understood. Our accommodations were comfortable and communications with Awamaki before during and after fantastic. I would highly recommend this tour supporting a local community while having an authentic Peruvian experience.

Normally Awamaki's Andean Overnight excursion is just one night with a family in an Inca Pueblo located in the mountains outside of Ollaytaytambo. But for me, that was not enough, so the people at Awamaki arranged for an extra night with my host family though I wish I had asked for even more time. The family and other members of the community made me feel most welcome and involved me in different aspects of their lives including weaving, tending to animals and harvesting potatoes. It was a rewarding and special experience all professionally handled by the staff of Awamaki.

I was so happy to have found this program and was able to participate. The women of Huilloc are so sweet and welcoming. They truly want to make you comfortable and happy. They are proud to share how they make their textiles. Actually trying to weave a simple bracelet makes you appreciate how difficult it is to complete the beautiful textiles these women make. My teacher, Josephine, was very helpful and patient with me. The men, Alberto and Geraldo, cooked delicious meals for us and took pride in using the potatoes and beans that were grown right there in the valley. Our accommodations were simple but adequate. It was actually the best sleep we had gotten on our entire trip. Hiking the surrounding hillsides and fields was breathtaking. Bring some hiking boots or sturdy shoes Juan was our guide and interpreter. He has created a special bond with the women and men in this village and it shows. With his help, we were able to get a feel for what life is like for the people in the villages of the Andes. I will never forget this experience.

I didn't think our previous adventures could be topped on this trip but we had an amazing experience with Awamaki that left my family of 6 deeply touched. We were hosted for two days by a women's co-operative of 14 amazing ladies. We were one of the first groups to visit them, and they only recently finished the road to this previously inaccessible (to outsiders) mountainside. As a result, the ladies were very shy and nervous about meeting our expectations, but also so deeply warm and genuine and open-hearted that we connected very deeply with them despite limited language overlap (some speak no spanish, some speak limited spanish, none speak any english). The first day we were shown how the women painstakingly weave the beautiful fabrics that their ancestors have been making for hundreds and hundreds of years. First how they raise and shear the sheep and alpacas, and then spin the wool into thread (often while hiking the treacherous mountain trails). Then we learned about the natural dyes they use to make the amazingly brilliant colors. Then the hundreds of hours sitting on the ground passing weft thread under and over warp threads. Later, we each were assigned a local woman to teach us how to weave a simple bracelet. So much harder than it looks! The ladies graciously fixed our many mistakes while laughing and joking good-naturedly about our clumsy efforts and our kids learning faster than us. After taking us on a hike to find medicinal herbs (and blow us away as they flew like mountain goats up the nearly vertical mountainside in their plastic sandals) we learned about their uses. Around the evening's bonfire we shared about our lives. They told us about their history and their desire to educate their children and their unhappiness about those children often not returning to the community. We told them about our jobs and homeschooling and farm. I tried to show some farm pics on my phone to the adults but pretty soon my 9 hear old daughter had the phone and was showing the pics and videos to a huddle of little girls who were giggling uproariously. One of them was her age and the two had been running all over the place all afternoon. After an extremely generous dinner, we went to bed. None of the houses are heated and even though we were much more warmly dressed than the locals, we were freezing as soon as the sun weakened. Thank goodness for the stack of warm blankets! In the morning we rose early to start a hike to the sacred lake at the top of their mountain. We thought the 2.5 hr one-way estimate was an exaggeration, but it was not. My mother in law wisely stayed behind and did more weaving and visiting with the ladies while a man and an older woman from the village put us to shame on the hike. It was beautiful terrain. Tiny patches of potatoes and fava beans everywhere, wildflowers going crazy, crystal clear streams and waterfalls, alpacas and their herders and their tiny stone houses up in the sky above the tree line. The kids were champs on this marathon while my irritatingly fit husband strolled up like we weren't climbing thousands of feet almost straight up to arrive at well over 14,000 ft above sea level. Even more beautiful was the thanksgiving ceremony to Pachamama (mother earth) up at the lake. We all found it incredibly moving. Our hosts were exceedingly sincere and happy to share this moment with us. I was surprised to find myself crying. In the afternoon, as a big feast was cooking amidst hot rocks that had heated all morning in a fire, the ladies let us see the weavings, hats, scarves and bags they had for sale and we were honored to buy what we could. So beautiful, especially now that we know the love, labor and meaning that go into these masterpieces. The local people who keep the traditional indigenous customs are sometimes treated cruelly by the local people who don't. Therefore our interest in, and positive reactions to, all that the villagers showed us, meant a lot to them as well as to us. Then we all (hosts and visitors) sat on the grass and ate chicken, cuy (guinea pig - tastes like rabbit), potatoes they had grown, and plantains, all fresh from the stone oven. It was lovely. After a sad goodbye all around, we left. I cried again. They were just the sweetest, most lovely people ever. We all agree that while this was the least comfortable time for us (cold! Heaping mounds of boiled sweet potatoes and cold broccoli for breakfast) it was also the best and most meaningful part. Just goes to show that comfort is not all it's cracked up to be.