Meeting of the Tribes, Qoyllur-Ritt’i

Peru, South America, 2006

The future depends on what we do in the present.
— Mahatma Gandhi

Twenty years after my first visit to Peru I am back. This time to take Spanish classes and to explore more of this amazing country. There is something special about the first faraway country you get to visit in your life. So, probably it is not a coincidence that out of all the Spanish-speaking countries in the world, I have chosen to go back to Peru for my Spanish classes.
Danielle - a lovely Dutch girl attending the same Cusco language school - and I have managed to arrange some days off from our classes to fulfil a dream I have had since my first visit to the famous Inca ruins: hike to Machu Picchu. While the Inca trail is the most popular and well-known one, we have our heart set on the Salkantay trek.
As we step into the office of the travel agent to book our tour, an elderly Peruvian man is talking with the travel agent. When the man notices us, he gently rises and moves to the waiting area, gesturing us to take the seats at the desk.
Sharing our wish to walk the Salkantay trek and the dates we have in mind, the travel agent provides us with all information. There being a few others interested in the trek, we will discuss it with them first and come back later that day. On our way to the door, the beautiful old man looks at us lovingly without speaking a word.
Just before we step outside, the travel agent calls us back: “There will be a meeting of the tribes up in the mountains. The dates have just been announced; it is taking place the weekend you intend to do the Salkantay trek. I will be taking part in the event. If it would be of interest, I’d be happy to tell you more.”
Danielle and I are instantly triggered and before he has even spoken another word, we know that we want to join him on this trip. We feel privileged and are beyond happy that we have followed up on the prompting that we needed to enter this travel agency, out of all the agencies in town. We will not regret it.

Every year in early June Qoyllur-Ritt’i, a fabulous magical-religious rite takes place on the slopes of the Ausengate, about four thousand and seven hundred meters above sea-level. The pilgrimage festival, where miracles of the Lord of Snow are sought through a series of rituals, dates back to 1780.