Greenhouses

 Several governmental projects have been installed on Taquile over the last three years when we haven’t been here.  

Greenhouses 

Typically not very many vegetables, besides potatoes and oca and fava beans, are grown on the island. Everything else comes from the mainland. We usually buy carrots, beets, onions, celery, broccoli, or whatever other vegetables are favored to make the soups more rich, or to make side dishes and to increase nutrition. 

Most of the greenhouses are arches, although some are more peaked roofs. The cover for the greenhouses is a yellow Agro film that lets in the right kind of light for plants. A large water tank was included with the insulation. When people have water, the tanks are filled and then they can water the greenhouses as necessary. Some households have not had enough water to keep their greenhouses going well. Others seem to have an amazing abundance.

Seeds were also included in the project. We’ve received gifts of beets and tomatoes as we visit lots of friends these first two weeks of our time here. Everyone seems to have lots of chard, which is not necessarily common in the diet here, especially in this quantity. 

The following are pictures of various greenhouses, including those with and without much water. 

Not much water for this greenhouse 

Not much water, but the aguaymanto (tomatillo family) is doing fine

Juan has enough water for a nice garden just outside his greenhouse as well

Moving Eucalyptus log

Making lumber Skilled chainsaw master cuts down the tree and mills it into boards for building, all with the chainsaw.

Tree Rings

A 5-year-old and an experienced chainsaw master learn how to tell the age of a tree by studying the rings.

Working together The chainsaw needed some repairs, so the milling into manageable sized boards was delayed. But it's time to plant! Get some good help from the neighbors and free this agricultural field for planting. These logs are HEAVY!

Coca leaves show relationship and physically give strength.

One, two, three--PUSH!

A HUGE log that was already out of the field needed rearranged. Note how it rolls on a small log

All Saints’ Day

Already business starts The main items we brought to trade are LED rechargeable headlamps. So our All Saints’ Day started with trading for textiles. We will have some nice new items for our Etsy shop when we get back in January.

Some people worked. Delfin and Maria started a grass roof shade structure to make weaving outside more comfortable.

Asunta had come from Llachón with her son to help plant. This was extremely hard work with the two teenage boys pulling the plow.

Day of the Dead, All Saints, November 2 We remember our beloved dead, and acknowledge that their souls are with us. Here on Taquile, one custom is to bring soup to special people we had five different soups brought to us! And about 20 people in the house at one point. We told stories about some of our ancestors.

Other traditional foods on this day are quilquiño, a snack made from toasted and ground quinoa, with a touch of pickling lime, pressed into little shapes and steamed. Sometimes so shapes get creative, such as this llama or into bird shapes.

Special breads, sweet bread is made with a little ceramic doll face baked in. It’s called baby bread, or Tantawawa (Wawa is baby in Quechua).

Changes: a cargo tram

Everything is Carried Taquile is an island; everything comes by boat. And everywhere is uphill from the port. When we arrived this time we were met by good friends to help us bring all our cargo: luggage and food. We always say "everything is carried from the boat." It's hard work up steep rock paths.

But this year, one of the first things we found was a gondola for cargo. It comes from the Salacancha Port up to just before the plaza. Normally passengers would never ride on it, but it does take heavy cargo.

The gondola was introduced when the big electrification project needed to haul up lots of heavy cement and other construction materials. (More about that in another post.) It was moved a couple of times, and when the project was finished, sold to Alex, who was building his own structure up near the plaza. He charges a fee to bring cargo up the steep hill. We didn’t use the gondola because we live in the other direction but we did hire a small motor boat to bring some of our heaviest cargo around to the little Kolino dock closer to our house.

Arrival in Peru, 2023

 A long time coming

It’s been over 3 1/2 years since we’ve been back to our Peruvian family. Between the pandemic and political upheaval, we postponed travel. We were able to stay in touch through the Internet and we were able to help out financially. The tourist economy on Taquile Island was shattered, so it was good that we were able to help.

A long journey

The trip took four flights. Our Dallas to Miami flight was delayed, so in order not to miss our Miami to Lima flight, we had to change airlines to get a later flight. That meant rerouting her luggage as well. It was a Complete Miracle that our luggage arrived with us in Lima. 

The Lima-Juliaca flight afforded views of snow-capped Andean peaks (and was a little rough).

Manco Capac airport in Juliaca

We met our granddaughter for the first time. She is almost 3 1/2 years old. With her sweet cousin, we got some great kids energy.

The family met us when we arrived at the hotel, and after a rest, we all went out for chicken dinner. Nine adults and four children ate a magnificent dinner for what it would’ve cost for maybe three people in the United States. We can bring so much abundance 

The Llachón branch of the family turned up the next day!

A cargo-laden boat to Taquile 

Taquile Island across the bow

Coca Chuspa Fabric Bags

Chuspa, Quechua word for Coca Purse, 

the fabric bag traditionally carried by Taquile men for the sacred and medicinal coca leaf. 

Coca is very special in the Andean culture. The leaves are used as a medium for prayer, as a divination tool, as a means for blessing. In its most simple usage, coca leaves are given and exchanged as a gift and a greeting, almost like a handshake. With the exception of certain festival dress, Chuspas are only worn by married men. They tie the bags around their waists for convenient quick-release use. 

How to tie your fabric bag around your waist 

So much of women's clothing is without a pocket, these soft bags become an instant pocket. You can carry it as a crossbody bag, or if the strap is long enough, you can tie it around your waist as a real pocket. I personally have a wardrobe of various colored chuspas and love that  I can DANCE IN MY PURSE! You can see some of these fabric bags for sale on our Etsy site: Taquile Friends The following video shows how you can tie it on for quick-release.

How Coca and Chuspas are traditionally used on Taquile

Exchanging coca

If two men meet on the trail and stop for a brief chat, they will open their chuspas, take a few leaves and place it in the other man's bag, usually simultaneously with their companion. In this everyday ceremony, leaves are not received directly in the hands, but always on cloth (or plastic bags): the top point of a hat, a pocket, a shirt tail, a woman's headcovering. Often they will observe if a well-shaped leaf lands right side up, an indication bringing good luck. They then may take leaves into their mouths, often combining them with a small amount of leupta, an alkaline ash substance that activates the medicinal qualities and makes the mucous membranes of the mouth slightly numb. 

In English, we commonly say we "chew" the leaves, but really, chewing is minimized. The leaves are tucked between cheek and gum, worked gently, and moved around in the mouth. The Quechua word we use on Taquile is something like pictchar, not masticar. Medicinally, coca lends energy, suppresses appetite and thirst, helps somehow with high altitude blood/oxygen and also with digestion and glycemic response. 

A simple coca leaf ceremony is for an individual to select three leaves from their own stash, be it their chuspa or plastic bag, choose three well-shaped leaves and imbue them with their prayers and intentions, then bury or burn them as an offering. These three leaves are called a k'intu. We always do this offer them to the water, "pay the lake," when commencing the sometimes perilous trip across Lake Titicaca.

Estalia Ceremony

A deeper coca leaf ceremony uses a specially woven cloth called an estalia. On Taquile it is traditionally white and red. Coca leaves are unwrapped from the cloth and each person selects his or her own k'intu. These are at least three leaves, and often multiples of three, especially nine leaves. These prayer-filled leaves are then taken by the designated shaman to be offered. Sometimes they will be placed on a paper with various elements, such as sugar for sweetness, flower petals for beauty, wine and alcohol for medicine, and even money or small drawings of desires and intentions. This wrapped paper is called a despachio; you might think of it as a dispatch or message to the spirit world. The markets in the cities often have sections with offerings of all sorts of items intended for inclusion in sacred despachios. 

On very special occasions, such as Easter, many more k'intus are made and offered, and complex despachios are given. On Easter, on Taquile Island, the Patchamama is "paid for the entire year." 

I tell about these ceremonies from my own experience over our many visits since 1986. Other parts of Peru certainly have their own versions of these sacred ceremonies. You can see more of my stories if you delve back into past posts. Please follow if you enjoy what you see. I don't post frequently unless we are actually in Peru, though our 2020 visit might deserve non-consecutive stories, since I was unable to post for the latter part of that visit.

Textiles sales online

NEW ETSY site for Taquile Textiles

With art fairs restricted this year, we have opened an Etsy site to sell the textiles. 

Check it out at: Taquile Friends

I am telling the story of our project of Solar on Taquile, and our 35+ year relationship as well as offering the high quality textiles. So far most buyers have been positive and given us good reviews.

We have some stunningly beautiful hand woven scarves:

Also quite a few of different styles of winter hats: round topped beanies, pointy topped earflap hats and many more.

We have a beautiful selection of cell phone cases and chuspa medicine bags.

We have already sold out of full fingered gloves and just have a few open-fingered gloves yet.

Do check out our shop! If you scroll down past the listings, you will see more of our story.