Silvercloud Farm Peruvian Adventure

Our Peruvian Adventure 2003

In November of 2003, we were lucky enough to have the opportunity of a lifetime...to visit Peru to attend the International Alpaca Fiesta. But attending the Fiesta became secondary to what would become one of the most incredible experiences of our lives. The people, the land and of course, the animals showed us a new world that we can only hope to convey to you with these photos. If you ever have the chance, you must go. If you even come close to the experience we had, consider yourself very lucky! So this is our Peruvian adventure, chronologically how it unfolded...

After arriving in Lima, we flew to Puno, our first destination. Thus, began our journey in the little bus. "Shock absorbers must be one of the things in short supply here", I thought. There were eight fellow breeders from the states in our group. That's most of our luggage on top of the bus. Everyone in the group packed alot of "give-aways" for the friendly Peruvians. Spending ten days in this bus with the same eight people could have been a challenge, but we thoroughly enjoyed the company. Everyone got along very well and were glad that our group was relatively small. When you go through something like this together...it leaves a mark.

This was our hotel in Chucuito, just outside of Puno. It was a very nice little place, but it was very close to the Bolivian border which had some of us concerned. Many in our group had heard of the "Sendero Luminoso" (or Shining Path), a very brutal guerrilla organization. We certainly wanted to avoid running into these gentlemen. Fortunately, we were in the good hands of our new friend Renzo Morante. Many of you may know Renzo. Renzo is a vet and lives in Arequippa. He has worked for several alpaca breeders in the states in the past. He was also instrumental in many of the importations of alpacas into the US. You will see Renzo milling around at some of the big shows. Give him a kiss for us. He would be our guide throughout this trip and I can't tell you how much we appreciated his help in planning and helping us avoid potential pit falls along the way! Dining in Peru is an adventure in itself. Renzo was sure to point out which restaurants boiled their ice cubes! Above right is the "Garden of Fertility" behind the hotel. Use your imagination...

Above is a magnificent shot of Lake Titicaca from the city of Puno. Lake Titicaca is the highest navigable lake in the world and the largest in South America. Below is Anthony Stachowski and his mother Ann, "Mrs. S" as we affectionately call her, in front of a restaurant in Puno. And yes, that is Alpaca Steak on the menu! I had the Potato Soup.

Onto the "Floating Islands of Uros...Land of the Reed Boats". An amazing, self-sufficient community floating on a mattress of reeds! That is literally what it felt like to walk on these little "reed islands", like a mattress, and meet these people selling some amazing hand-crafted wares. This "floating village" is a result of small tribes who fled Puno in fear of the Incas and Collas. This community was our first real connection with the people of Peru. A precursor to what was to come.

Guide #2 of significant importance: "Nelly" of Condor Travel. Nelly was such a sweetheart and was bested, as a guide, only by Renzo. Although employed by a travel agency, Nelly truly became a member of our group. She led us from Puno to Uros to Tequile Island. From the "little bus" to the "reed boats". We said our goodbyes several times, but Nelly kept showing up to implore more of her knowledge of this wondrous land.

Helen & Jim along with Mrs. S, Renzo and Scotty Swift of Mi Madre Alpacas boating to Tequile Island.

Once we arrived on Tequile Island, it was a long, uphill trek to the top in "thin air"! This woman is spinning fleece by hand. This little girl gave us an herbal sprig to sniff for oxygen. 2nd from top, the group makes room for the sheep to pass on the narrow path.

Once at the top of Tequile Island, the sights were breathtaking.

At the town square on top of the island, we were greeted by colorfully dressed men who would usher us to a place for lunch. These little community restaurants take turns hosting the tourists. The soup was hot and the Cusqueña (Andean beer) was warm. Better get used to it!

In our travels we stopped at this little hacienda. The family that lived there was very hospitable and shared their food with us. Pictured above are Guinea Pigs (in their little condo) which are raised for food. I had the potatoes.

This farmer shows us the dung used for fuel in the oven. I had had enough potatoes. Nelly points out how this farmer uses the most primitive of tools to till his land. I will never take my Kubota for granted again.

Top to bottom: The farmer shows us their loom (we bought several gorgeous handmade rugs like the one being made here), a dead snake in a bottle used for medicine, the farmer's wife and little girl (sporting a Batman T-Shirt we had given them!), the traditional bulls which adorn most homes roofs and ward off evil spirits.

Inside the adobe farmhouse. Center is a recreation of their farm which sits on an adobe table in the middle of the room. At bottom, a child naps on the thatched bed under handmade blankets.

At left, the first Vicuña of the trip. Only the tip of the iceberg, as you will see further down the page. A Sillusami Grave, between Puno and Juliaca. A couple of us who were not the claustrophobic type had to check out the inside (doorway from inside and looking up in the center). Nelly had already assured us that there were no remains inside and that it was OK to go in.

One of my favorite stops along the way to Malkini was this old church. We were told that it is four to five hundred years old and has been closed and locked up for some time. It is now home to many little Viscacha, a little South American rodent with ears like a rabbit and a long tail. Very shy little critters, but I was able to get a photo of one before it scampered into a hole in the adobe wall.

While roaming around the outside of the church, some of the locals came by and unlocked it for us! Inside was a crumbling beauty and I got some amazing shots. Notice the beautiful owl and ancient fresco in the belfry shot! These may be some my favorite photos I have ever taken.

Now, for the bravest of the group....we ventured down into the catacombs below the altar! Dark and scary, who knows what we'll find???

Back outside, we thanked the friendly locals for letting us in and passed out some more children's clothes, school supplies, candy, etc. Now, it was off to the Malkini Ranch where we would rendezvous with Dr. Julio Sumar!

The Malkini Ranch, owned by The Mitchell Group, the largest mill in Peru. We were very fortunate to have the opportunity to stay here. Not a bad view, huh? It was here that we had our fireside chats with Dr. Sumar sipping our Mate De Coca tea. During one of these chats, Dr. Sumar imparted much wisdom, not the least of which was this: What three things has America invented to make the world a "more comfortable" place?

The Answers: Coca-Cola, Levi's and the Double-Edged Razor! A wise man.

Now for the serious business of hands-on alpaca judging, led by Dr. Sumar. Dr. Sumar conducted a mock-judging of alpacas where each individual in the group would place the alpacas in order according to how we would judge them in the ring. What a great learning experience with one of the foremost alpaca experts in the world. A little intimidating, but most of us fared very well!

Some of us took the opportunity to ride Malkini's horses before sunset (that's me on the middle horse, top). These horses masterfully climbed up some pretty jagged rocks to get us up to this amazing view!

Renzo and Hugo, of Makini Ranch, had arranged for us to attend a Chaccu in Picotani. It was a rocky ride that was difficult, even in great weather conditions. Several times our drivers had to jump out and guide the "little bus" through some difficult footing. They did a great job! By the looks of our snacks, we were climbing to some formidable heights, in the neighborhood of 15,000 feet!

The reception we were given when we arrived in Picotani was astounding. We had no idea what to expect when we arrived there, but we certainly didn't expect to be lavished with such accommodation. We felt more like were imposing on their Gran Chaccu and simply wanted to watch. Upon arriving we decided that this would be a great place to donate the rest of the gifts we had brought from home. Some of us had brought clothing and school supplies, others sacks full of soccer and footballs, etc. The children of the village were lined up by their parents and we passed out all the goods, with the balls and such going to the village school. There was not a dry eye in the house! If we could have only brought more!

We were simply coming to this small, remote village to attend a small Chaccu. A Chaccu is a round-up of Vicuña into a catch area where they are sheared for their fleece. Particular care is taken that none of these endangered animals are hurt during the process. We'd have been thrilled to see a group of 10 or so. What we saw was both historic and an event of a lifetime. The highlight of our Peruvian Adventure! We watched as maybe 200 of the villagers walked out across the horizon in order to form a "walking wall" to herd the animals down into the catch area. They must have walked 2 to 3 miles and were out of our sight for some time. Then, the Vicuña began to appear on the horizon. Not 10 or 20, but hundreds of them!

This is a sight that none of us will ever forget. Somewhere in the neighborhood of 700 Vicuña rushing past us. Incredible!

That is Hugo (2nd from bottom), who manages the Malkini Ranch in a sea of Vicuña!

At bottom, Helen and I with Dr. Sumar, Mrs. S and the Vicuñas.

Then the ceremonial dance at 15,000 feet. I was winded before I even got to dip my partner!

The vicuña were then brought in for shearing. This is done exactly in the same manner that we shear our alpacas. The animal is stretched out onto the floor, tethered at front and back hocks and only the blanket is sheared off. The vicuña are sheared only once every two years and have a very short staple length. The fleece is so fine and soft that it defies description. These factors, along with the small, yet growing, population of these animals is why vicuña garments are so valuable.

After this amazing event, anything would be hard pressed to top it, but it was on to Cusco. Beautiful city, but I would not see much that was not visible from our hotel window. The dreaded "Incan Revenge" had gotten to me. Despite Renzo's best efforts, something had gotten into me the first night in Cusco and I was enjoying BBC World (one of the few things available on TV in English) for the entire next day. Above are some shots Helen and some of the others in the group took in and around Cusco while I recovered. Above bottom, we head from Cusco to Machu Picchu by train passing the entrance to the Incan Trail....

Fortunately, I was able to pull myself together for the trip to beautiful Machu Picchu the next day. Don't I look much more comfortable?

These photos of Machu Picchu speak for themselves. Machu Picchu was discovered in 1911 by Hiram Bingham.

I won't go into great detail about Machu Picchu here. There is plenty of information on the net about Machu Picchu. The Machu Picchu Library will provide plenty of links for you to learn more. At top, yes, there are Alpacas and Llamas that live on Machu Picchu!

Finally, we were off to Arequippa where we would attend the International Alpaca Show. First though, a tour of the processing mill of The Mitchell Group, as I said before, the largest mill in Peru.

If you think you've sorted fleece, take a look at what goes on here! Generation after generation of Peruvian families work in this mill!

The International Alpaca Fiesta was spectacular! It was interesting to see how it differed from the shows here in the States. I also loved that they would house the winning animals in pens after their wins so you could go in and get your hands on them. I think that would be a great idea for our shows as well.

I hope you enjoyed our Peruvian Adventure through the eyes of my camera lens. I would also like to thank Scotty & Janet Swift of Mariah Alpacas, and anyone else that I may unknowingly be omitting, for contributing some photos that were used here as well. Feel free to contact us if you have any questions or would like some advice if you, too, are planning a Peruvian Adventure!!!

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