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9/6/1955 - Saving and Spending in the Andes by Charles R. Temple

INSTITUTE OF CUlt KENT W OKLD AFFAIKS CRT Hotel Ferrocarril Saving Spending Cuzco Andes Peru Sentember Mr Walter S Rogers Institute Curreht World Affairs Fifth Avenue New York New York Dear Mr Rogers The traveller Andes Peru Bolivia becomes aware essential sparseness bleakness through which Journeying To accustomed richness New England countryside Andes their higher reaches sketohes landscape abandoned tired creator The Altiplano shared Peru Bolivia extreme example It trees exceDt eucalyp introduced eighty years snarse flowers heavy scrub brush After exhausted faded yellow browns grays hills None these colors strength compete fierce glare clear atmosphere horizon without trouble The sensation washed tensified strong which sweeps incessantly across seems substance The valleys Andean cordilleras which I favored wlateau They tected degree offer vegetation psychOlogical advantage being enclosed spaces rather Dlains It these plains valleys though latter rivers which tilling arduous In general wnter lacking supply which means farmer corefully subsistence Yet Altiplano intermont valleys Andes CRT among densely popula areas Peru Bolivia centuries Not surprise newly rrived observer hospitability these areas first impression effect intensifying struggle adequate subsis tence increasing number persons ustbe produce lethargic For indian farmer lives Andes under these ditione conservation become natural habit He abundance encoursge energy Every scrap which family Andean Farmer Peru selves Indian wives adept however cooking enough Lacking refrigera other storsge facilities preserved which render somewhat unpalatable foreign tastes which edible periods For example dried becomes known charqui while potatoes Posed night ending still whole colored black purple veined being pulped black chunks called Water utilized cooking drinking bthiug indian understandably dirty Urine often place oecially women their sometimes babies bathed This bsthing advantage probably incidence already respiratory diseases among Andean indian Clothing woven Or purchased repaired patched repatched until falls apart Again ample water helps preserve cloting sared rough beating rocks given women After becomes impregnated affording greater degree Drotection I indian talen drive conservation since I Andes incidents particularly sharp memory On August I atten Mass Chapel Virgin Copacabana stand halfway between Cliza Cochabamba Bol The chapel overlooks artificial Angostura created valley droelectric plant installed Andean Farmer Peru The Shrine built under auspices Franciscan monks ossible tributions large small population Of valley It departs usual construction valley being built stone concrete rather adobe It still unfinished altar shrine metal Virgin completed The Virgin Copacabanais close tothe indian Bol skinned Virgin Guadaloupe Mexico having appeared indian Island Copa cabana Lake Titicaca He fashioned first image after people doing Der object worship indian skinne saints brought Spaniards Her feast highly regarded indians congregation Mass I attended reflected Made mostly women contained small number genre cente these mostly Cliza advantage Mass chapel almost pletely campesina Kneeling dirty floor campesina woman brown crinkled She enveloped black shawl which Dur consecration rolled under shawl floor breaking halves The placed shells aainst delicately picked white could fingers swiftly ushed mouth With quick glance Watching scraped Up residue wiped shawl turned attention Mass again Three weeks later I visited community Chlncheros Altiplano northeast Cuzco southern Peru The Cr Agr Suesado CREAS Supervised Agricultural Cre agency Peruvian goVernment maintains station there administer farmin loans cultural techniques The staff includes young woman Mary Garoa eaohs sewing kinds weaving indian women feeds children powdered washes their faces While I sewing indian couple brought their months Mary treatment The child vomiting coughing heavily fever running erate panting respiration A doctor isits Chincheros Thurs clinic being Friday Mry asked arents which there answer She complained father Mother child Chincheros waited child should would medicine could The nodded while mother rocked child forth never taking agonized The engineer charge station Joined father cared enimals The shook agreement asked Mary would The engineer threw hands inquired difference child nearly Then suggested CREAS truck coming afternoon might hospital Cuzco The father again asked about costs engineer again threw hands After brief discussion between parents agreed Of course probably fault people response Mary spoke mother asking delayed coming advice The answer hoped would improve little money To seemed variation conservation theme sickness subject saving money until became serious Imo ressed I ndisus Dassion sving I first puzzled osiCe excessive ending eually Andenn indian Andes instsnces oonsDie1 consumer dreamed Veblen Coca alarSiente chicha account family expend_ tures In dditlon expenses fiestas which indigen partlciDates births marriages saints heavy Cash income aside limited agrlcul oroducts woven goods comes raising domestic animsls alpaca being lucrative The money otten often quite large indians otherwise appear substantial savings which often hoard after fashion French farmer incidentally uresenting ernment roblem money culstion Occs sionally accumulation money dr8matically demonstrated In hacienda lying sierra beyond Paucartambo Valley north esost Cuzco The indians worked tenant ormers numbering about hacienda forward offered purchase themselves The asking which indians prepared They refused nearby haendados How saves spends resources often however outside called logical considerations The Angostura risked infection broken worth cents twenty cents collec CT taken chaoel The frmer Chincheres waited until child nearly medical attention agreed hosoitalization which might dollrs whereas visit Thursday clinic would nothing eceot cents charged pills Beth moreover would wrebably soend their incomes energies fiestas during Still chewing drinking articipating fiestas oleasauter Andes written about holds indian fight fatigue dulls sensi bility rigor environment contain vrious vitamins which supplement those limited After however slightly narcotic effect nortant consideration Fiestas multiole functions sierra They rituals which formalize aorove Individual actions community express community solidarity continuity A years trading sales accomplished during fiestas excellent ooportunity fraternizing gossi general social intercourse The contrast between indian saving soendlng explained while traveling across Altiplano La Paz Guaqul Bolivla Lake Titlcaca middle indian woman sneaking first class coach train She handsomely dressed violet shawl skirt shade Her throat wrists fingers burdened silver jewelry rincioal forms investment indian woman fndes After several bottles chatting fairly easily something daughter mother Altilano farmers It nresent finery adobe houses standing vastness Altilano through which Ing details unmistakeably accurate vivid She attend wedding younger brother honed celebrations would elaborate I remarked expensive concerned CET4 agreed glass gringo agricultural technician vsited The woman asked spent money clothes jewelry fmily houGe needed provements I answer I young there spend money 9erson doesn Sincerely Charles R Temple Received New