My name is Edgar Chucya Sallo, and I’ve been working with OAT since 2002. I was born in Cusco—in fact, I’ve lived in Cusco all my life. My mother language is Quechua, which I’m very proud of.
As an experienced OAT Trip Leader, I’ve had many unique discoveries with my travelers—and this was one of my favorites. I was leading a Real Affordable Peru adventure with a group of 16 travelers—15 of them women. After exploring Machu Picchu, we were on our way back to Cusco from the Sacred Valley. Along the road, I saw a group of people drinking chicha (fermented corn beer), and when we got closer I got a surprise: All of them were ladies, which is not a common sight.
By coincidence, we were in the area where my mother was born, and I’d been talking to the group about the local costumes and traditions … so I stopped the bus and we got out. I greeted the group of local ladies in Quechua—and I always teach my travelers some Quechua words, which in this occasion came like the ring to a finger. The local women could not believe these gringos were speaking Quechua. They invited us to drink chicha with them, and when Andean people have been drinking they are stubborn and you cannot tell them, “No.” I had already advised my group against drinking the chicha (which is made from unfiltered water so it’s not a good idea for Americans), but out of 16 people, ten decided not to listen to me and they had some chicha.
The locals immediately went to get a radio to play music, so everybody started dancing here at 11,500 feet above sea level. Since all the local ladies lived nearby, they took their new friends to their houses. My whole group got presents (potatoes) and they came back to the bus dancing. When everybody was back onboard, they told me that this experience was the highlight of the trip—and we had just come from Machu Picchu!
Make your own unexpected memories on OAT’s Real Affordable Peru adventure.