Cowboys, fairies, mice, and flowers (Photo: Alonzo Riley)

The high tourist season takes shape, after the Feast of the Cross, which is still being celebrated in some neighborhoods and also by some families.  Not only do the streets of Cuzco fill ever more with visitors from all over the world, but a month of constant noise and movement takes over in the build up to the Day of Cuzco and Inti Raymi at the end of June. Read the rest of this entry

Bunch Grass Growing Near Cuzco (Photo: Alonzo Riley)

By Brayan Coraza Moreli, with the help of Walter Coraza Villca (translation by David Knowlton)

Andean bunch grass, also called fierce straw (paja brava) or the indigenous ichu, grows in the mountains around 3600 meters above sea level.  It reaches a meter or more in height.  It was very important in ancient times and even today has lots of uses in the towns and communities close to Cuzco.  Read the rest of this entry

Cantutas in Cuzco (Photo: Alonzo Riley)

By Fidelus Coraza Morveli (translation by David Knowlton)

Dressed as an Inca for Tupac Amaru Today (Photo: Alonzo Riley)

By David Knowlton

In the Main Square of Cuzco, two-hundred twenty years ago, Túpac Amaru II was killed in a bloody show intended to consolidate Spanish and elite control for generations. This morning, University and Municipal authorities participated in a rite to remember his death and claim his heritage on the same square where he died. Read the rest of this entry

A Pablito.

By Brayan Coraza Morveli (translated by David Knowlton)

With the feast of Corpus Christi, another real challenge of faith begins. While most Cusqueños are drawn up into the processions and activities in its many chapels composing this feast, many others travel to Ocongate district by the high, snow clad mountain Ausangate, where the Lord of Qoyllur Riti is found. They go there to make all their pleas, both prayers and desires, known to this Mountain Lord. People say that if they go three times consecutively one of their petitions will be fulfilled.  Read the rest of this entry

Crispy Torrejas

By Brayan Coraza Morveli (translated by David Knowlton)

As June approaches, you will hear many of the people of Cuzco start talking about one of the most famous typical dishes known in our region, chiriuchu. That name belongs to Quechua, the language of the Incas, and it means “cold food”. Read the rest of this entry

Kiwicha Growing

By Walter Coraza Morveli (translated by David Knowlton)

An Andean grain, Kiwicha is experiencing a boom in exportation these days. Because of its great nutritional and medicinal value it has attained a much higher percentage of consumption outside Peru, while in its country of origin its use is declining as more and more people go to the cities. Read the rest of this entry

Laughing in a Feast

By David Knowlton

In Cuzco you often hear the sounds of a fiesta, whether a grand social event that embraces the entire population or the smaller gatherings and celebrations of families and friends. Like public rituals most everywhere, these do many things. Ritual Studies goes into those in depth, but in Cuzco one thing more than any other keeps popping out at me whenever I go to one or when I hear people talk about them Read the rest of this entry

A Boy Carrying a Heavy Bag of Potatoes

By Arnold Fernandez Coraza (Translated by David Knowlton)

From time immemorial, we know our ancestors were very strong because they ate Andean food. Even today features from those times remain. In the city of Cuzco our parents mostly come from rural communities and from an early age they teach their boys to be men. They feed them foods from their own fields. They also teach them to chew coca so that they are filled with energy. Read the rest of this entry

Entrance to the Small Tunnel (Chincana)

By Fidelus Coraza Morveli (Translated by David Knowlton)

Throughout the history of Cuzco first the chroniclers and then ethnohistorians have mentioned the belief that Cuzco is underlain by an extensive network of tunnels. In Quechua we call these tunnels chincanakuna, or simply chincanas. This word means “a place to get lost”. Inca Garcilaso de la Vega is but one of the Chroniclers who mentions this idea. Read the rest of this entry