Peru Travel Agency
Peru Tour Operator

Reading Coca

The Word coca comes from the Aymara dialect: q’oka means nourishment for the workers. For thousands of years it has been a fundamental part of everyday life and religious rituals of many of the South American indigenous cultures. When chewed with quicklime, which acts as a catalyst, the leaves produce a light dose of an alkaloid, suppressing hunger, pain, thirst and even providing certain vitamins that would otherwise be unavailable to the indigenous people of the highlands. Peruvian legend tells of Mama Killa, the Moon Goddess, who planted the sacred bush in warm places on orders of the Sun, Inti in order to alleviate the fatigue and hunger of villagers and to provide them with strength. During the Inca Empire coca was considered sacred like a gift from the Gods and its production and distribution were strictly controlled by the state. Since ancient times coca has been used in religious practices and in divination or reading. The process of using the leaves to predict the future still continues today. The visionaries inherit the skills from their parents and continue the practice for future generations. The fortune teller asks the name of the visitor and the reason for their visit, then a prayer is said to the protector spirits of the mountains (Apus); three leaves are raised and blown on in the direction of the mountains. Then a handful of leaves are dropped over a colored cloth (unkuña) and their subsequent position is then ‘read’.

	Program
	To the south east of Cusco we find Huasao an old Andean village known as “the village of magicians”. Here we will share in one of the Andes most intense Inca traditions; the reading of coca leaves during which they will predict the future. - 8.30 a.m. Collection from your hotel Travel to Tipon, one of the most important archaeological sites in the area; the agricultural terraces are very impressive. There are 12 very fertile terraces which are still cultivated today; the supporting walls are built of finely worked stone. Also of note is the irrigation system which continues to provide water for the crops, it takes advantage of a natural spring in the area. The stone built network of canals that channel the water are the work of a master of hydraulic engineering. There are several springs that must have had a ceremonial function. We continue to Pikillajta, the only place that has surviving ruins of a pre-Inca city close to Cusco. The site is thought to date to the Wari Culture, it probably marks the southern most point of their territory before the arrival of the Incas. It is a very peaceful place where you can observe rustic building techniques very different to that of the Incas. Huasao, known as the “village of the magicians” Here we will share in one of the Andes most intense Inca traditions; the reading of coca leaves during which they will predict the future. We then visit Andahuaylillas: a traditional Andean village where we visit the church known as the “Sistine Chapel of the Americas” as it has frescos on the walls and ceiling. It also houses an impressive collection of silver, paintings and gold plated wooded sculptures. - Return at approximately 2:00 P.M.

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