My Hosts
Volunteer Katie Engquist with gracious hosts Tatiana and Yuri.
Main Plaza
The lush plant life of Cusco's main plaza. There is abundant vegetation throughout the city, and there was even an apple tree in my front yard. Hard to believe the city is located at 11,200 feet!
Cusco Overlook
Overlooking the city of Cusco, surrounded by green hillsides.
Cusco at night
Night falls on the main plaza in Cusco.
Parade
Parade in Cusco with family and friends.
Market
A very impressive market in Cusco.
Sacsayhuaman
Sacsayhuaman (a Quechua name, although it sounds like the Peruvians are all trying to say "sexy woman" ...!) archaeological site in Cusco.
Election Day
April 2011: Election day in Ollantaytambo. People lined the courtyards of the elementary school and the high school, all waiting for their turns to enter their assigned "voting rooms." People living in the surrounding villages all had to report to Ollantaytambo to vote. Voting is mandatory in Peru, and you are fined substantially if you don't vote.
Tierra de Niños
"La Tierra de Niños," an environmental education program and volunteer project at the elementary school in Ollantaytambo.
Tierra de Niños II
"La Tierra de Niños," an environmental education program and volunteer project at the elementary school in Ollantaytambo.
Potatoes!
An impressive display of potatoes at the market in Urubamba, half an hour outside of Ollantaytambo. Over 2,000 varieties of potatoes grow in Peru!! They really do come in all shapes, sizes and colors, and many have very distinctive tastes. The potato is a staple of the diet in Ollantaytambo, and I enjoyed trying many of the different kinds during my stay.
The Stadium
The football/soccer stadium in Ollantaytambo. Definitely a favorite hangout for locals, whether they are playing a scheduled game, kicking the ball around with friends or cheering wildly from the sidelines.
Daycare Center
Teacher, Eliana, and children at the day care in Ollantaytambo.
Mother's Day
A Mother's Day performance at the elementary school. Many children sang, played music and recited poetry.
Host Family
Me with my host family.
Irrigation
Irrigation water runs alongside a cobbled street of Ollantaytambo.
Ollantaytambo
View overlooking Ollantaytambo and its main plaza.
The Plaza
The main plaza of Ollantaytambo.
Daybreak
Daybreak, overlooking Ollantaytambo on a steep climb into the surrounding countryside.
Agriculture
Overlooking river, cultivated farmland and the town of Ollantaytambo.
Moray
Moray, an archaeological site of Incan agricultural experimentation. Fascinating! About 40 minutes outside of Ollantaytambo.
Fortress
A view overlooking town from the Ollantaytambo Fortress.
The Fortress II
The Ollantaytambo Fortress.
A Perfect Day
A perfect day in Ollantaytambo! Overlooking town and the fortress after climbing into the surrounding hillsides.
The River
The Urubamba (Vilcanota) River flows alongside the town of Ollantaytambo.
Incan Ruins
"The Palace of Manco Inca," ruins just below the town of Ollantaytambo.
Students
English students at Telecentro.
With the teachers
Volunteer Katie Engquist with professors Omar, Emperatriz and Federica in Telecentro.
With students
Volunteer Katie Engquist with a group of girls at Telecentro.
Dance Class
Dance class at Telecentro. These girls are preparing a dance for a Mother's Day celebration in the main plaza of Ollantaytambo.
Inca Trail
"Inti Pata," or the "Sun Place," an Incan agricultural site along the Inca Trail (Camino Inka) to Machu Picchu.
Machu Picchu
MACHU PICCHU: the "Lost City of the Incas."
