Chaypa
Chaypa is a remote village that has an elevation of 14,200 feet. It snows there sometimes so much that the whole community is covered to the roofs with snow. Many times, the snow stays too long and the animals die. There are 120 people who live in Chaypa. There is no electricity, only a few houses with solar pads for lights. Cooking and heating the house is done with alpaca manure. Their houses are small one room about 12 by 12 feet in size. Large extended families live in each house sleeping together on
one round bed. The houses are made of stone set in mud. Their diet is mostly potatoes and some fish that grow in pools from the snow melt. Bathing is very infrequent. The people suffer from sickness and dental infections. Their greatest needs are for the gospel, an improved diet and medicines. Chaypa is located in the Andes mountains of Peru about 5 hours from Cusco. The villagers of Chaypa are Quechuan Indians, remnant from the ancient Inca civilization. |
Cuncani
Cuncani is a village at about 13,000 feet elevation in the Andes mountains of Peru, some 4 ½ hours from Cusco. The village is inhabited by about 150 people who primarily work in farming potatoes and raising herds of alpacas, sheep and some cows. Cuncani is a remote village, but has recently received electricity.
The villagers still use wood from trees in their village for cooking and heating. Houses in Cuncani are made of adobe brick with tin roofs. Cuncani has a great need for the gospel, medicines and a better diet. The villagers of Cuncani are Quechuan Indians, a remnant of the ancient Inca civilization. |
Husiguailla
Husiguailla is a village at about 12,300 feet elevation. This community is 2 ½ hours from a town and has some bus transportation to get there. Husiguailla is not as remote as some other mountain villages, so it has electricity and some stores where people can buy a variety of food. There are 210 habitants in Husiguailla who work in the tourist hiking industry, farming and raising alpacas. They also have other herds they raise of llama, sheep and some cows. Cooking is done over the fire with wood cut from trees in the village. Homes are also heated with wood. The villagers wear a mixture of handmade and modern clothing. The older women especially wear clothing they made from alpaca hair. Husiguailla is 3 ½ hours from Cusco in the Andes mountains of Peru. The people of Husiguailla are Quechuan Indians, part of the remnant of the ancient Inca civilization.
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Phusa
The village of Phusa is found in rugged mountains. The houses are made of stone with grass roofs. Some roofs have been replaced with tin. Their homes are one room about 10 feet square. The hills are steep and solid rock. The people live in narrow valleys cut by rivers through the rock. The villagers grow only potato crops, some 20 varieties of potatoes. Because the elevation of Phusa is almost 15,000 feet, the ground is frozen most of the year, so only crops that grow below ground can survive, like potatoes. The villagers also have herds of alpacas that they use for their hair to make clothing. The villagers make trips to the city only once every two or three months to trade their clothing for food and other needed items. Phusa has no electricity. The school and a few homes have a solar pad to charge a battery for lights. The population of Phusa is 90 people. The ladies especially, wear layers of colorful handmade clothing to keep them warm. Bathing in the cold weather is an infrequent activity. Houses are warmed and food is prepared primarily by burning alpaca manure. There are no trees to be found for fire wood due to the high elevation. The greatest needs they have is for the gospel, an improved diet, healthier living practices, medicines and dental work. The village of Phusa is high in the Andes mountains of Peru, a 3-hour drive from the nearest town, about 6 hours from Cusco Peru. The people are Quechuan Indians, the remnant of the ancient Incas.
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Quishuarany
Quishuarany is a village at about 14,700 feet elevation, about 2 hours from the nearest town. Just recently the village received electricity from the government. Some hiking trips can be made from Quishuarany to famous Inca ruins, so many of the men in the village work as porters for excursion companies. Porters carry loads of up to 60 pounds in a bag on their backs. The porters transport gear and food up and down the hiking trails for the tourist who hike to go see the Inca ruins. Quishuarany is located below a popular glacier that tourist like to explore. The villagers grow potatoes and beans. They also eat trout from the river that flows through their village that comes from run-off of the melting glacier. The villagers raise and eat quwi, which is guinea-pig. The houses in Quishuarany are made of stone and adobe brick with grass or tin roofs. The trees growing around the village are used for cooking and to warm their homes. The villagers also have herds of alpacas, llamas and sheep. The hair of the alpacas and sheep are used to make clothing that they trade for food in the nearest town once every one-two months. Quishuarany is a passageway to other villages that can only be reached on foot, mule or horseback. The greatest need in Quishuarany is for the gospel, rain gear and medicines. The population of Quishuarany is 360 people. Their houses are a single room about 12 feet by 12 feet. Usually 6 to 12 people will live in each house. The villagers of Quishuarany are the remnant of the ancient Inka civilization. Quishuarany is in the high Andes mountains of Peru, above the Sacred Valley, about 5 hours from Cusco Peru.
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Sapaccto
Sapaccto is a village about 12,000 feet in elevation. This community is 2 hours from a town and has some bus transportation to get there. Sapaccto is not as remote as some other mountain villages, so it has electricity and some stores where people can buy a variety of food. There are 190 habitants in Sapaccto who work in the tourist hiking industry, farming and raising alpacas. Cooking is done over a fire with wood cut from trees in the village. Homes are also heated with wood. The villagers wear a mixture of handmade and modern clothing. The older women especially, wear clothing they made from alpaca hair. Sapaccto is 3 hours from Cusco in the Andes mountains of Peru. The people of Sapaccto are Quechuan Indians, part of the remnant of the ancient Inca civilization.
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