Saludos a todos!
We had a real adventure this past weekend! The group embarked on a two day hiking trip from our base in Valle Grande and saw some spectacular sights along the way.
We packed up our backpacks and made a big pasta lunch together on Friday afternoon to prepare for two days of hiking over the weekend. We grabbed a few last minute items, and then followed Pablo and Javier out of the city and up into the foothills.
On Friday evening, we headed to Valle Colorado, a neighboring village where many of the Escuela de Alternancia’s students travel from to board during the week. It’s only been in recent years that a road has opened between Valle Grande and Valle Colorado, so during our hike we used the footpaths that people local to this area have used and maintained since the time of the Incas. We walked for a little more than two hours, stopping once at beautiful stream coming out of the rock face bordering the trail, to soak up some sights. We arrived in Valle Colorado just before sunset and took up residence for the night at the primary school located there.
Upon arrival, students participated in a bit of a scavenger hunt—talking to people about their lives and work in Valle Colorado, taking pictures of the unique clothing typical of the area, and looking at the traditional forms of construction people use to build houses and small businesses. Most importantly, teams of students used their free time to put together lunches for the following day’s hike. Teams returned with the staples—bread, cheese, lunch meats, crackers, tuna, and a few treats—dulce de leche, a delicious carmel spread used commonly in Argentina, was seen in more than one group’s provisions!
Dinner that night was prepared by a family in town, and we ate together in the school house before crawling into our sleeping bags to get a good night’s sleep.
We woke up early the next morning, had a quick breakfast (fried bread, te, and café con leche) before donning our backpacks and beginning our hike to Santa Ana, some 8 hours from our start point.
The group hiked remarkably well, working together, and never forgetting to point out the grassy mountain landscapes that surrounded us all the way. Our group continued on parts of the Incan roadway, and students commented that walking over the big blocks of the rocky stairways helped them imagine what it might have been like to walk these paths hundreds of years ago.
“We all helped each other reach the finish point, the final goal if you will,” said Max Sternberg of New York, New York. We trekked through the beautiful landscapes created by the mountains that trap both Valle Grande and Valle Colorado. The hike was both breathtaking because of the views as well as the high altitude!”
At the height of our hike, we found a traveler’s monument that Pablo explained was a site meant to honor the Pachamama, or mother earth. He demonstrated how traveler’s carry and stack rocks on the monument, and also share the food and water they have carried with them on the road—first taking a bite themselves, and then leaving some for the Pachamama—with the idea that their gifts will be returned along their journey. Our students participated in their form of the ritual, sharing their crackers, chocolate bars, or water bottles with the Pachamama.
From this site, we took a slow descent into the village of Santa Ana and were happy to spend the evening with Dona Gabriella, a local woman who put us up in her home and cooked us a delicious soup and dinner. We spent the evening playing cards, singing, and checking out the stars, which so far away from the city, were big, and bright, and rife with falling stars.
The next morning, we rose early and jumped on a bus for a day of traveling. We visited Humauca where we explored and grabbed a quick lunch. From there, we rode to the smaller mountain village of Tilcara. We got a great dinner there—a bit of a reward for all our hiking—and settled in for two nights at Los Mollles, a historic home that now hosts a cute hostel. All the rooms have wood burning stoves, a welcome feature on cold mountain evenings, and big, comfy common areas.
On Monday, we really had an opportunity to explore Tilcara. We visited the Pucará, a reconstructed pre-Columbia fortification. “The ruins were very fascinating because you could picture an ancient civilization living there,” said Justin Haas from Santa Fe, New Mexico.” The scene of brick walls and wooden roofs brought me back to New Mexico with the full adobe house that are built throughout my town. Hiding in the dark houses was, overall, a great experience. I would love to bring my family to these amazing ruins so they can see an ancient treasure.”
In the afternoon, students chose between two activities: a short hike to a canyon on the outskirts of town and a trip to the town’s revered archeological museum which compliments the ruins and is maintained by the University of Buenos Aires. Both groups had a great time and learned more about the region!
We returned to Valle Grande on Tuesday afternoon and are looking forward to our last week of work here!
More soon,
Brenna and Zach
