Pinchimuro, located at 3,800m, is an extremely cold region in which the people of this area are not only subjected to inclement weather, but are also isolated within the area due to the complexity of access. It is located 3 hours drive from the city of Cusco, the village is without the benefit of electricity, and also with the economic challenges that afflict this small community.
On Sunday, June 9th, 2019 we departed at 3:00AM from the city of Cusco to Pinchimuro village. We arrived at the local school which was to be our meeting point and we could immediately see the joy and excitement on the faces of the children – so happy to see us arriving. With great enthusiasm they boarded our bus and headed for the mountains of seven colors, Vinicunca – nowadays referred to as Rainbow Mountains. We arrived at 8:00AM to Vinicunca and prior to our hike, our cook prepared a yummy breakfast for us all to give us the strength for our climb. When everyone was ready, we all began the day, eager to start our uphill trek. We hiked for about 2½ hours before arriving to the top of the mountain, which is well over 3 miles/5 kilometers above sea level. There our guide gave the children a beautiful tour of this fascinating site. Our 19 children were absolutely astonished at the beauty and that they had the opportunity to see for themselves that they live in a land as beautiful as Cusco – they could see with their own eyes the magnificence before them!.
We cooked a delicious lunch for them which gave them the energy to make the descent back down the mountain. We all boarded our bus to head back to their village. En route, we were so surprised to be blessed by the children singing a beautiful song of gratitude for their amazing day, to our cook, driver and their guide!.
We returned to their school at 6:00PM, bringing them back to their homes and families, feeling full of gratitude and affection, which also left us all feeling so happy to have shared this marvelous experience with these sweet children and also looking forward to the next time we have the opportunity to bring another social project to fruition.
