Archive for September, 2009

Newer Entries »

Tourism On Amantani, Peru

11/09/2009

Small Island on Lake Titicaca Peru faces Tourism Issues.

Jose Mamani & Family circa 1997

Jose Mamani & Family circa 1997

Amantani is a small remote island on Lake Titicaca, Peru. It can be reached by a four-hour passenger boat ride from Puno. It’s an island facing growth and tourism issues.

During my first trip to Amantani in 1997, I fell in love with the place. There were no cars nor roads, virtually no electricity, and only a few dogs, cats, and few horses, and three thousand people which made for a serene place. What struck me then, was the way the islanders worked together to make the community function. Most of that is still true, but unplanned tourism is threatening how the islanders work and live together as a community.

Tourism has had an impact, both good and bad.  My last visit to Amantani was two weeks ago, which was part, fact finding mission to discover what’s going on, and part reconnaissance for Mountain Spirit Institute’s intercultural experiential education semester programs. Although I had just been there three weeks prior, with a small group of Mountain Spirit students, I returned because I needed to update my perspective about the island. (more…)

Tags:, ,
Posted in Conservation, Environment, MSI News, Peru, Sustainable Living/Communities, Sustainable Travel, Traveling, Uncategorized | 6 Comments »

Learning Zampoña at Altitude

04/09/2009

Blowing into a Zampoña at 11,000 feet can have dizzying affects
By Randy Richards

Making Zampoñas - Cusco

Making Zampoñas - Cusco

On our recent Peru’09 Program participants had the opportunity to learn how to make Zampoñas and how to play them. Facilitator Guillermo Seminaro first helped participants adjust and shave down bamboo tubes, then put them together to make the Zampoña. That day, (and for the rest of the trip) he taught them some traditional Peruvian folklore songs.

Tuckered out!

Tuckered out!

All loved the experienced. S Smith really got into, not only the zampoña, but the charango as well.  Here he is, at left, shown after the results of high altitude zampoña playing.  Beginners have a hard enough time not getting dizzy at sea level. Here you can see the thin Cusco air, and the zampoña got the better of him. He recovered just fine, without incident. As you can see there’s a smile on his face.

Tags:, , ,
Posted in Experiential Education, Music, Peru, South America, Traveling | 2 Comments »

Videos on the Road

04/09/2009

More Than We Bargained For –
Cruz del Sur’s “In flight” Video Selection – Either Haphazard or Hypocritical:
By Randy Richards

Mt. Huascaran from Huaraz

Mt. Huascaran from Huaraz

You can’t make this stuff up. On a recent bus ride on first class Cruz del Sur, a South American bus line, from Lima to Huaraz ,Peru, we experienced quite good service until it got to the video selections. South American buses are known for their selection of  violent action movies. Nobody seems to know why. Maybe they think we like them, or, there’s something embedded in the Latin American psyche that shies away from thoughtful movies on buses.

So when Denzel Washington starring in  Man on Fire turned violent midway through the film, we weren’t surprised, and just covered up the speaker with Styrofoam and looked at the scenery. What was surprising was the the bus company’s next selection, Fire Proof, an evangelical Christian selection preaching salvation. While it had some good points on how to maintain a good marriage, the preaching to us, as a captive audience kind of sucked, especially being a Pacha Mama sort of guy.

It cracked me up: First came Man on Fire, then, Fire Proof.  As I said, you can’t make this sort of thing up. If you’re considering Cruz del Sur, (which I have used for over 12 years), just remember to bring ear plugs and a bandana for covering your eyes, to control your own environment.
Cheers from Huaraz, Peru.
R. Richards

Tags:, , ,
Posted in Holistic Living, Peru, Room For Improvement, Traveling | Leave a Comment »

Newer Entries »