Village Scenes

People are industrious - their hands are always working. Here an old woman is holding a spindle ( a wooden spinning device used for spinning wool - making it into thread)) and she is spinning alpaca wool as she sits in the village centre. She was very happy to have her photo taken. I told her I was going to show the photo to the chidren at school.´(I don´t think she understood me as she doesn´t ujnderstand english - my spanish is very poor).

Here a family is sitting resting on the side of the road - they have their llama with them.

Another family at the maket with their llama. The children are eating some fruit (pepinos) that I´d just bought at the market.

The markets are such colourful places - the woman all look so pretty in their traditional cñothing. The woman all wear hats - all traditional. Some are very colourful and elaborate, other simple felt bowler shaped hats. Their hats identify their people (tribe) and / marital status.

I came across this woman out in the countryside - she was sitting on the side of the road, spinning while minding her llama.
This woman made a delicious warm drink for me. She has this drink stand at the market - selling this traditional beverage. The pot on the right is full of various plants and herbs she has collected from the fields. They are standing in heated water. The pot on the left has a syrup in it - sugar, water , spices, seeds. The woman mixed a concoction of syrup and plant juice in the cup for me to drink. She assured me it was very good for my health. I eagerly drank it - it was very flavoursome.

Typical market - seen in every village. An abundance of fruits and vegetables - all growen locally as they have bee done for hundreds of years.

Bags and bags of beans, grains, corn and legumes from which the people make delicious meals.

I would love to take more photographs of people however I´m sensitive to the fact that the people are shy and my camera is intrusive (I think). Unfortunately I don´t have a long distance lens.