Meet Braulia, a fierce character of Lake Piuray, near Chincheros Cusco. This beautiful lake is quite close to Cusco yet its banks are dotted with authentic Quechua communities who still practice the old ways of living. Braulia grew up watching the men in her community go far away in seek of work while the women typically stayed home.
From an early age, Braulia would not accept that women couldn’t be out in the world, innovating and supporting the household. She worked for years in some of the many touristic weaving workshops in nearby Chincheros, though she soon grew tired of the poor treatment and low wages. Most of these workshops pay the weavers poorly and keep the lion’s share of the profit.
Book here or read more about the learning experience below.
So she decided to create her own cooperative called Pumaqwasi. It is located on the banks of Lake Piuray in her village named Pucamarca. There are 12 women in the cooperative and all profits are shared equally. Braulia is determined to be a positive force and a good leader for her sisters of the community. A visit here with Braulia is an unforgettable cultural experience.
From Cusco the tour starts at 8 am. We arrive at Braulia’s community, near Chincheros Cusco, at roughly 8.30 – 8.45 am. You have the option to participate in a half-day workshop or a more comprehensive full-day or multi-day workshop. The half-day workshop begins with a general explanation of natural dying techniques and the weaving process. Then Braulia will take you down to the lake’s edge to soak in the beautiful views and teach you how to spin the yarn.
Braulia will also give an explanation of the local agriculture. If you happen to arrive when planting or harvesting is taking place you may even get to participate and learn how Andean species like quinoa are farmed! A beautiful lunch of fresh local produce is served at 1 pm. All diets can be catered for, please inform us in advance if you have dietary restrictions.
The half-day tour ends after lunch and participants take transport onwards to their next destination. The half-day experience can be combined with many other activities such as moray/maras or even a cooking class in the Sacred Valley en route to Machu Picchu. If you prefer you can also do the half-day experience in the afternoon.
Those who have the time and who wish to learn more about the weaving craft can do so in a full day course or over the course of several days. Please specify in your registration form if you wish to visit Braulia’s cooperative for a longer stay.
Prices
2 People
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3 People
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4 People
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5 People
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6 People
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7 People
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8+ People
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WHAT ESSENTIALS SHOULD I BRING?
It is recommended to bring sunglasses, sunscreen with high SPF, moisturizer, and hat, comfortable clothes for the day, cotton shirts, hand sanitizer and camera!
When you go over 3500 meters you always need to bring a fleece jacket and a thick winter jacket just in case. The wind is very cool at that altitude!