Redefined Timeline

As I mentioned in the last Peru/GX post, G Adventures jam packed the GX Peru Travel Summit with an incredible amount of activities. We hiked Rainbow Mountain just southeast of Cusco. Much like in 2017, we were able to revisit a women’s weaving cooperative supported by G. And lastly, we got the opportunity to partake in a Peruvian cooking class. Let’s start with the first night of the summit…

This summit showed just how small the world is. The first night G had all the travelers congregate for our first introductions. We were assigned a half dozen guides to lead us through the journey. After us lowly travelers made our introductions, the guides appeared at the front of the conference room. One in particular caught my eye. I leaned over to the husband, whispering, “Why do I know that guy? I swear I know him.” Completely distracted, I ignored the rest of the intros as I kept trying to place this face I knew I recognized. Finally, it hit me… Julio was our guide seven years earlier in the middle of nowhere at an ecolodge in the Amazon!!! That hilarity was detailed HERE. Julio worked for the Tambopata Ecolodge at the time we first met him, but then transitioned over to G Adventures. Julio taught us invaluable lessons such as, “all mushrooms in the jungle are edible… At least once,” and when hacking a new path through the rainforest, “do not touch ANYTHING!” for fear of death. After putting two and two together, I later approached and showed Julio my post that included him, at which point he proclaimed, “Hey, that’s me!”

That wasn’t the only blast from the past we encountered on the trip. Israel, our guide on the Inca Trail trek in 2017, also materialized later that week! He was the one that filmed the husband’s actual proposal. Just to shrink Earth a little more, I spent three weeks traipsing around India in March of 2024. I ran into another fellow traveler from GX Peru, as well as another from a previous tour in Ecuador in 2021.

The Ccaccaccollo Community Center is home to the Women’s Weaving Cooperative. Local women displayed dyeing and weaving techniques still used by the natives. All of their handmade creations were displayed on dozens of tables, hanging from the walls and ceilings, and draped over a covered patio.

The dyes for the wool was made from ground beetles as a base which is added to various herbs and even crystals. Twenty-seven colors can be made from this base, but when other flowers are added to the mix, more color varietals can be pulled out. Once the wool was soaked in the dye, it was then boiled for forty-five minutes, but ONLY forty-five minutes. Anything longer than would cause the wool to become brittle. The cleaned wool is spun three to four times, depending on the type of textile that will be made from it. The dyes were then added, and voila, yarn for clothing was born! G Adventures gave each traveler $100 to go towards the cooperative’s goods. We came home with more winter hats that I think I’ll ever realistically wear, but it was for a good cause.

Rainbow Mountain, or Montaña de Siete Colores, sits at 16,522 feet of elevation. The name translates to “Mountain of Seven Colors”… yup, that jives. It has become insanely popular for not only tourists, but locals as well. Back in 2018, Lonely Planet put the mountain on the map when it released an article declaring it as one of 100 places to visit before you die. The mountain consists of fourteen different minerals that give it the vibrant stripes, as the minerals oxidize underground. Julio advised us it had snowed on the mountain the night before, and therefore, “We are going to sacrifice one of you to clear the mountain.” Julio, we have history… Not it!

Until 2013, the mountain was largely unknown since it was blanketed in snow and glacier. Thank you, global warming for making this hike possible?? No, no… the gradual increase of the planet’s temperature is still bad. And if it is a hoax, conspiracy theorists, where did the glacier go? Anyway…

The best part about traveling with local guides is being regaled with ancient stories and traditions, long held beliefs and superstitions, and getting introduced to the best hole-in-the-wall restaurants. After hiking the vivid mountain, we visited a village familiar to the husband and I. Yet again, we had been there seven years prior. For this tour, it was our lunch spot. One of the guides, Elias, pointed at a gaggle of cute, live guinea pigs waddling about, and stated matter-of-factly, “If you want to see the lunch, the lunch is there.” Our prior experiences consuming guinea pig were less than stellar – too much work for so little reward, the roasted animals were dry and lacking in meat. The chefs outdid themselves this time, and the little pets were juicy and delicious. I feel guilty admitting to that fact.

Following our tasty lunch, it was time to dance, play dress up, and spin in circles. Nothing could go wrong with hundreds of people running about with stomachs full of fresh food and guinea pig! surprisingly, no one vomited, but people did clumsily fall over while beer was being poured down their gullets.

At one point during the festivities, I was wrapped in traditional dress by a couple of the local women, which was topped off with a tiny hat.

I almost forgot – Peruvian cooking classes involved tasty cocktails, the freshest of fresh veggies, and fire! While I failed to take adequate notes about what exactly we did make, I can promise you a cooking class in Cusco is well worth it. I do recall they taught us how to make our new favorite drink, the chilcano, and the main course was made in a sauté pan while flipping the contents around while they sometimes caught fire. Please enjoy the experience in photographs instead of boring words about food:

We also hand picked some of our cooking class materials straight from the local market. Shoppers can find anything from spices and other condiments to freshly baked breads to raw meats and cooked cuy (guinea pig).

This trip was an experience we will never forget, and G definitely knocked it out of the park with their first annual GX travel summit. I have finally concluded Peru, so it’s on to Leavenworth, Washington.

September 2023