My guide book says that “Urumbamba” — the name of the river that runs through the valley we traveled through — means “place of the bugs or spiders,” but it’s usually referred to as the “Sacred Valley.”
Ccaccaccollo Village
We first drove to Ccaccaccollo, where GAP had partnered with the village on a woman’s weaving project. They showed us how the yarn is spun, dyed, and woven.
Step 1: Send in the Alpaca! (They were late for the show, and came racing in when we arrived.)
Step 2: The wool. (We were able to feel the difference between Alpaca and Llama. Jeremy had a very small piece of Vicuna wool with him that we could feel — much softer.)
Step 3: Spin the wool into yarn.
Step 4: Dying. They showed us the different leaves and bugs that they used for the color.
Step 5: Weaving.
Step 6: Selling. We then had an opportunity to buy some of their weaving. (I got a small wallet and table runner.)
Awanakancha
Then, we drove to a place where we could meet & greet the four kinds of “camelids” native to Peru. The weavings at this place were incredible! And the prices matched. Patricia bought a wall hanging there.
