Climate Change & Disappearing Glaciers,  Festivals, Sacred Rituals, Religion

Photo of a Pilgrimage Leader

photo c. Jorge Vera 2009

Alejandro is from Santiago de Cusco, a province near the former Inca capital. He led a comparsa of 22 members on the pilgrimage last week.

He was intelligent and well spoken, and he patiently explained the signficance of each part of his Capac Qolla outfit to me.

I was intrigued as well by his explanation of why pilgrims travel in comparsas (village groups).

The Lord of Qoyllur Rit’i wants us to live together on this earth peacefully, he explained. We travel to Qoyllur Rit’i in comparsas to learn to share, to stop being egotistical and hypocritical.

I am an American writer who lived in Lima for seven years (2007-2014), where I covered Andean traditions, melting glaciers and daily life in the capital for Miami Herald, MSNBC and Huffington Post. I now live and work in northern Florida where I champion climate change advocacy and compassionate, affordable eldercare.