A short travel vlog documenting Nate and Kara Buchanan (with Lewis) visiting Umas Bamba in Peru’s Sacred Valley. The hosts are welcomed as guests of honor, observe traditional weaving and wool-washing techniques, learn about dehydrating potatoes, meet local women (“mamitas”) and children, and note Quota (Cuota) Travel’s role in supporting the village school and local economy. The tone is celebratory and experiential.
Today is day two in the sacred valley with quota travel.
We just arrived at Lake Purai.
We're currently learning some turning techniques.
For recover position.
Good.
We just got to the little town of Umas Bamba. We're gonna walk around for a little bit and then we're going to the main square where they have some kind of special presentation for us.
They are going to receive you.
That's nice that we're walking now.
You know, I love their braids.
Yeah.
Hola.
That is the proper welcome for you.
This is so nice.
That is the greatest welcome party I've ever received. Not even sure what just happened. They dressed us. They gave us flowers. We did a dance.
I feel like a guest of honor.
This is so cool. He said they've been waiting on us all day. And all the kids are running around the school. I'm so happy right now.
You look like you're going to cry all day.
This is so much fun.
So she's Aleja. So she's saying, welcome to this place. We receive you with the open arms and open heart. I hope your stay in this place is something enjoyable and memorable for you, which is gracious. She's saying that she's in charge of 45 ladies in here.
Wow.
We call them mamitas.
Welcome to Uma's Bamba.
We just got to meet each of these ladies one by one and learn a little bit about them. And now they're about to explain the whole weaving process and how they dye the colors. I think this is going to be really cool.
This is how we work and open the land.
We just learned the whole process of dehydrating potatoes. It only takes about nine to 12 days. And then they keep for 11 to 60 years. All you have to do is drop it in some water the night before you want to use it and all the water goes back in there. Or you can grind it up as flour and it will keep, like, forever.
We want to show you now what is available in this terrain to produce all these colors and this weaving process. This is a plant which is related to the. Do you know the yucca? Yucca. Yuca. Exactly. I know that this component is known in Latin as saponina. The saponina is the natural component in nature that you can find in different kind of plants. That is the natural shampoo. She was pointing out that the llamas and alpacas, they won't take showers, you know, through the time that they live on the fields. So as soon as you collect the wool, you need to Wash up the wool. After finishing this smashing process, they will add this root into the water. And then you're gonna see how, by shaking everything, you're gonna have soap.
Exactly.
She's inviting you to embrace the bizarre.
Put it in my hand.
This is the yuca plant that we ate in the Amazon. Apparently, it's like a natural stuff that they use to wash their hair. And none of them have gray hair.
That is sheep wool.
Neutral. It says, for nature we must be covering a great advance, you know, protecting water and environment.
Much cleaner.
Yeah. This is the first activity that ladies develop since they are six years old.
Probably.
They call it pusca. This spinning tool is known as Pushka, using 2.2threads. And the work is.
So let's assume that in the past, these blankets that you're using used to be mounted on the tables, these rocks that we found in some archaeological sites. And that's how, by reading, they knew what kind of celebration they were performing. You can have the concept in your brain, in your brain, in your mind, but if you have something to follow the procedure according to the perception of the society, that was the way to teach the future generations. That's why Machu Picchu is known as the House of the knowledge, because that's where different amautas or teachers from different groups used to impart these lessons.
I'm just blown away with their talent. All the work that goes into creating the wool, and then this. And they're so happy. Life is so simple here.
No pressure.
So we just met Alex. He works for Quota Travel, and he came all the way to this town from Cusco to meet us. Yeah, we're so thankful he put this trip together for us because I've loved every second.
Good.
Thank you very much.
Yes. I come to Umasbamba just to say hello.
I hope you have enjoyed the experience here in Cusco. We would like to for you to come back to Peru and Cusco.
Thank you.
It was a pleasure.
Thank you so much. As much fun as this was, it had to come to an end. But now we get to go look in the school. When Cuota first started bringing clients here, this town was, like, really abandoned. And the money that Quota brings to this town goes to improving this school, which makes me really happy.
It.
Those kids are so cute. We got to choose a souvenir from the kids. The teacher was telling us specific things in the room that they were able to purchase because of Quota. And it's just so cool that, like, we get to enjoy their place and help them at the Same time.
So our time here is coming to an end. All the ladies laid out their beautiful blankets. Would have bought all of them but we found the world's coolest souvenir. It is a half woven belt. We asked the lady if we could just buy everything, everything she was using to weave it, all the little pieces of wood she had in it, the string that was attached to it. I'm scared to unwrap it. It might all fall apart right now or I'd show it to you but like the idea is going to be just to hang it on the wall and it's going to be a half complete, beautifully woven belt. I don't buy stuff. I don't get excited about souvenirs but I'm really excited about this.
He was saying what about me?
What does that mean?
I think have a nice life. Goodbye. See you soon.
When Lewis told us we were coming to a village he didn't tell us what we were doing. I had no clue what kind of afternoon we were in for. This has been the highlight of my trip. Hanging out with those ladies and those kids.
We just hugged every single one of them by. I don't know, we've maybe been here for two hours. My face literally hurts from smiling.
I'm in pain.
I think I've just been smiling the entire time.
It was so great. I can't believe we got to do this.
It's a perfect end to our trip here in the Cusco Machu Picchu region.
We hope to see you again in Peru guys.
Yes.
So we were supposed to be heading straight back to the hotel but we couldn't help to stop one more time cuz the sun's setting, all of the barley surrounding us is golden and the clouds have finally cleared over the mountains so we're seeing these beautiful snow capped mountains that we haven't seen even though we've been here for a whole week.
As if today couldn't get any better.
This day's been incredible.
Sam.
And natural antidiagara. Let's say that we got the guardians protecting the virgins of the sun during the Incantine. The soldiers protecting the ladies must fit on this tuber two weeks before working for them on this way. No sexual desire. Yeah.
