June 6th

After another lovely breakfast provided by the facility, we took a short walk through Ocangate and saw people setting up for the big  Sunday market. We then took the bus to a small region where we were able to observe the process of cuy (guinea pig) farming. We found out that they are called cuy, because apparently that is the sound that they make! Gregorio Flores, who ran the Cuy farm,  and his two daughters showed us around the farm and explained what they do, focusing on how Ccaijo has helped them improve their cuy production.

The cuys are kept in separate 4X4 pens in an enclosed building. The roof is made out of a translucent plastic so that the heat from the sun is able to warm the building. Additionally, the radio is going at all times because it helps the cuys become used to hearing human voices. Gregorio explained to us that cuys are very nervous and anxious animals, and there was only one that were were allowed to touch because it had been used to be handled by humans. There were about 7-15 cuys in each little pen, and there were a lot of little baby cuys. Some of the females were so huge, they looked like they could give birth at any moment!

He then showed us his other pen, which contained a different breed of cuy. They looked like what I would call "rockstar cuys" because their hair was long and wild and hanging in their eyes. There were also some cuys allowed to run loose in this pen because they eat/clean all the food that escapes the pens. He explained that the meat from the two different breeds is the same, but that they breed this kind in order to enter them in show contests.

We then headed to a market in a very small town called Tinke. This market was very different from what I had expected or was used to seeing. The other markets in Lima and Cusco were very geared towards the tourists, but these markets featured goods at the most basic level. Nearly everything being sold there was strictly for the population living in that region. They had products including rolls of yard, basic sandals, tons of food, house cleaning products, soccer balls...etc. Though the only thing that interested us was the food, it was very interesting to see the goods that they use to make their own clothes or use for their daily living. We tried an ice cream cone (one of us may have tried two), and the Peruvian donut. The ice cream was okay, but I really loved the donut. It was like a mix between a donut and a funnel cake, and they covered it with a delicious mystery liquid.

We then made our way back to the Ocangate market, which was very similar. More basic needs products and food. Me, Kira, and Greg went off on our own and bought some cow heart. They just grill it in a street on a Kabob with a potato, and it was only 1 sol (like 45 cents)!!! It was so delicious and probably the best food I have tried here in Peru. We then went to upstairs in the indoor market, passing by numerous dead and butchered animals, and stopped at a booth that made drinks. We ordered a mango and orange smoothie, and the woman litterally ran downstairs and bought us fresh fruit to make it with. It was the best smoothie I have ever had.

Afterwards, we went and had lunch with the group and then Greg, Kali and I met with Santos for an interview about Ccaijo and the project that we will be doing for this class. The interview was completely in Spanish, so I may not have caught everything we talked about. He talked about Ccaijo and their mission, as well as their needs. Right now they have a very high demand of community members who want their help, but they do not have the adequate funds to support the demands. We then spoke with him about beneficial project options to share with the group.

After the meeting we got on the bus and traveled to another cuy farm ran by a man named Mario. The work that Ccaijo had done here was much more elaborate. They used a bio-digestor, consisting of cuy poop and a legume plant, and chicha, which produces methane gas that they collect. The gas collects in a large, plastic collecting sack, and is then moved (via piping) to a smaller storage sack. The gas from the storage sack is used to heat the cuy unit and provide gas for the kitchen. Heating the cuy farm is very important, because the cuy grow lager and faster when they are in a comfortable environment and do not need to burn calories. The first large gass collector also contains a liquid and solid, which is used to fertilize a small garden just next to it.

He then showed us his kitchen and dining room. He had separate cabinents for fruits, vegetables, and meat that were kept cool with a cold bowl of water. They also had a gas burner that they were able to ignite using the gas from the biodegrader, but he said that the fire does not burn not enough due to the poor quality of the gas. Santos said they are seeking professional advising to explore ways to improve the gas quality. Another amazing thing we got to see what his craft room. He has an intricate weaving machine, which allows him to produce two large blankets a day. He said that the men usually weave the bigger items because it takes more strength, and the females do smaller items like scarves. The maching is very hard to explain, but it is run by two pedals with a memory design at the top. This design takes three days to set up, but it is reusable for multiple products.

Upon returning to the hotel, we played a group game called, "Celebrity," which is a mix of charades and catch phrase. We wrote down phrases or words to describe moments from the trip and split into two teams. We took turns trying to guess these phrases using either only words, movements, or sounds. It was a fun bonding experience and it allowed us to reflect on the memorable moments of the trip. Most of them were funny or embarrassing, but luckily our group is full of great sports. We then had dinner and discussed our group project some more and called it a night.