Hatun Q'ero
The sun was already going down when we left Hatun Q'ero. This far out in the Andes, a village is considered developed if it has a school. Hatun Q'ero doesn't have any shops, healthcare access, electricity or wells for running water in any of the homes. The school has been closed all year due to the pandemic but children here do not have access to cell service, tv or radio to help them access the national curriculum that is supposed to be available for all children to learn from home during the pandemic.
Ancient Peru was the seat of several prominent Andean civilizations, most notably that of the Incas whose empire was captured by the Spanish conquistadors in 1533. Peruvian independence was declared in 1821, and remaining Spanish forces defeated in 1... ... read more 
