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Goshen College

Peruvian Mennonites in Lucre; Incan terracing at Tipon

October 25, 2016

Sunday, Oct. 9

The view from the palace at the top was gorgeous.
The view from the palace at the top was gorgeous.

At the end of yesterday we headed for the outskirts of Cusco and two small towns – Lucre and Huarcapay – that have Mennonite congregations.  Half of the students stayed in one of 3 homes in Huarcapay, and the other half stayed with one of 3 families in Lucre.  In the morning each group of students attended the Mennonite congregation in that town for the Sunday service.

After a lunch in Lucre of locally-raised trout, we headed out for more sight-seeing to a set of expansive, wonderfully engineered and irrigated Incan terraces at the site called Tipon.  At the end of the day we returned to our host homes in Lucre and Huarcapay.

Tim and Brad have breakfast with their host family in Lucre.
The guinea pig pen at Tim and Brad’s house. In the rural Andes they are often raised for eating.
Many of the homes, like where Tim and Brad stayed, are made of adobe.
Many of the Mennonites in Lucre have fish farms that raise trout served in restaurants in the homes.
Some of the good-sized trout in the ‘adult’ tank ready for the frying pan.
Tim and Maria walking through Lucre on the way to the Mennonite church.
We were joined by some Lucre Mennonites also walking to the church.
Most of the church service was in the Quechua language.
For lunch: fresh trout!
Hiking along the Incan terraces at Tipon.
An overview of the terraces.
Some are amused, and some are not.
The SST leaders try to sneak away. In the background, part of the irrigation designed by the Incas for the terraces.
Every level of terrace had steps built in.
At a palace above the terraces, 2 Incan kings on their thrones.
The view from the palace at the top was gorgeous.