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Climate Change & Disappearing Glaciers, Festivals, Sacred Rituals, Religion, Peru's Andes Mountains, Traditions + Rituals, Water
Three-faced Ukuku, Guardian of the Glacier
In Andean culture, ukukus represent mythical bear-men who guard the glaciers at Qoyllur Rit'i pilgrimage and assist in other village rituals. Each year, young men volunteer to serve as their village's ukukus and bring health and prosperity to the community. Jorge photographed this ukuku at the June 2006 Qoyllur Rit'i pilgrimage. They wear masks to protect themselves from the cold, but this ukuku was sporting one with three faces. In his hand, he holds a whip, used to fight the condemned souls who haunt the glacier and to punish pilgrims who drink alcohol at the festival, which is forbidden.
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Expat Bloggers Agree: Don’t Drink Tap Water in Peru
Tony of HowToPeru has posted a useful survey piece on whether it’s safe to drink the tap water in Peru (Drinking Water in Peru: Safe or Unsound?). The opinions culled are those of expats (including me) currently living in the country, so while the piece does not cite scientific evidence, it is based on hard-earned personal experience from bloggers in Lima, Cusco, Iquitos, Pucallpa and Chiclayo. The concensus? With one exception, bloggers agree that the tap water in Peru is unsafe for drinking. Some of us boil the tap water and drink that; others of us only use bottled water. I’m in the latter group. I’m glad that Tony put together this piece, because there’s…
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Three-faced Ukuku, Guardian of the Glacier
