Day 7

          I woke up under four blankets in a district a couple of hours away from Cusco, called Ocongate. Ocongate is located 3,500 meters above sea level. As we experienced firsthand, the temperature can get below 7 C. The sky gets pitch black at around six, and the cold breeze cuts through our layers of clothing. The morning is almost as cold, but the temperature rises with the sun. After eating breakfast, Santos gave us a couple of statistics about Ocongate. It helped us visualize the impact CCAIJO has made on the families we were going to visit.
           We headed up to the highlands to visit Felipe and his family. We learned that four years ago he only owned a few cows that only provided him with 1.5 L of milk per day. He didn't have enough money so he would have to go down to work in a mining factory. He would leave his wife and two daughters at home alone for periods longer than 30 days. Little by little he started earning and saving to buy more cows. CCAIJO helped him not only get more cows, but also a different type that provides him with up to 10 L of milk per day. CCAIJO also teaches him how to feed his cows, what to fed them and even how to check their health
          Felipe was very proud to shows us his home and his cattle. He is already planning on building a stable for his cows so that they have their own place to drink and eat. I believe Felipe is working very hard to make that happen. His income to provide for his family depends on his cattle, therefore he is being smart in accepting help. However I noticed he does not completely depend on CCAIJO. CCAIJO has provided their assistance, but it is Felipe's determination to prosper that moves his business forward .
         Felipe and his wife made us wathia, a traditional form of cooking for the highlanders. They dig a hole in the ground, fill it with a variety of potatoes, cover it with grass and manure and let it collapse to cook the potatoes. The potatoes were warm and tender. They are typically eaten with cheese however by the time we were ready to eat, the cheese had already been taken down to the market. We also brought up some bread that we fed to the cats and roosters. The scenery from high in the mountains was majestic. There were enourmous brown hills, with patches of yellow grass and green trees. There were also mountains peaks covered with snow, they were so high that they pierced through the clouds. 
        We then visited 1 of the 12 cheese production plants in Ocongate. The family who owns this plant, talked about the process of making cheese and yogurt. At the end, the family stamps their last name on the cheese in order for it to be recognized at the market. Later during dinner, Dr. Garcia mentioned seeing their brand, Killalac, while shopping for cheese.