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PUCHKA, pronounced pooshka, is
the Quechua word for drop spindle. For millennia, travelers
across the Andes have been fascinated by the sight of women,
girls and - depending on the region - men and boys as they
fed unspun cotton and the washed and carded fleeces of sheep,
alpaca and llama onto their whirling puchkas to spin them into
yarn and thread. The ancestors of contemporary spinners also
used the fleeces of vicuña (a cameloid mammal related to the
llama and alpaca and now a protected species), as well as the
fur of mice, rats and viscacha (altiplano rodents), human hair,
sisal, spider webs, various grasses and kapok. The yarns they
produced were then, and often still are, dyed with leaves, flowers,
roots, minerals, indigo and cochineal to be used in creating
the exquisite, hand-loomed shawls, blankets, rugs and tapestries
as well as the knitting and embroidery for which Perú is famous.
PUCHKA 22-day journeys are not mere sightseeing tours, though they certainly include a remarkable number of extraordinary and heart-stopping sights and experiences along the way. Rather, our focus is on small-group, hands-on workshops with master spinners, weavers, knitters, embroiderers and gourd engravers from across Perú who come to work with us in our guesthouses. We visit the capital Lima; beautiful Arequipa, a UNESCO designated Heritage Site; the magestic Colca Valley/Canyon; enchanting Cusco and the Urubamba Valley/Sacred Valley of the Inca. We also explore Machu Picchu and other archaeological sites, stunning textile collections and private studios of textile artists, amazing museums, colourful markets and a whole lot more.
PUCHKA invites you to bring along your children, spouse, significant other or friend and we will organize delightful adventures for them as well - ask us about these.
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