ArtAndes Blog

Eco - Tourism

I have guided small trips through Peru & Ecuador since the early nineties. I am always mindful on how a visit from North Americans might affect the peoples of South America that we meet along the way. I have seen a lot of changes since I started this unique business. The positive, is more prosperity amongst the Indigenous people I work with. While there is still poverty in the Andes, especially in the more rural areas, there has been some progress. The negative, is a loss of cultural traditions. That's a form of 'progress' while not always intentional, a result of. In my own attempt to counter-balance that, we celebrate the Indigenous traditions as much as possible. Weaving, is the open door for me to do that. My trips are of a cultural focus, my 'regular job' is of a weaving focus. They assist each other nicely in celebrating cultural traditions. Weaving the past in the present.