Orientations to Various Organizations

 

I'm writing this sitting in a hotel hammock, swinging to the wind as I stare at one of the three hotel cats sunbathing next to me. After lunch, we went back to the plaza to tour Awamaki, a weaving cooperative that provides local artisan weavers with an opportunity to sell their goods fairly. Senor Tomas, an old, kindly Peruvian man, takes patterns from local weavers, mostly women, and pieces them together into bags, gloves, and other accessories. The Awamaki store, tucked at the end of an alley filled with bustling restaurants, revealed treasures vastly finer than its simple exterior suggested. From headscarves to clutch bags, the finely woven and richly colored clutch goods enchanted everyone within. I bought a charming cosmetics bag with a simple rectangular motif patterned in creamy white and robin's egg blue.

On Monday through Wednesday, one of our rotations will take us directly to one of the mountain communities Awamaki collaborates with to produce textiles. 

After some team-building activities discussing our fears, goals, and values (some salient points included a traveler mindset and getting hit by a car - don't worry, we look both ways!), Eva and I had an enlightening conversation with Johan, one of our facilitators. 

Upon my question about why some locals wore traditional dress in the city. We talked about how it was a way to reclaim the culture of mountain communities. After years of their clothes representing poverty, locals in Ollantaytambo are finally ready to don their heritage as a symbol of pride instead. As I walked down the streets of Ollantaytambo, I see the past blending with the present: wearing clothing combined with business suits that will bring the Sacred Valley into the future.

By: Rory Hu