Yesterday in La Grama it seemed like no more than a few hundred people lived in the town, but when we woke up this morning the entire center was filled with movement and energy. Every Saturday the town hosts a huge farmer’s market, complete with fresh produce, baked goods, artensania, and even a huge section of live cattle. After exploring the market, we caught a bus back to Cajamarca City where we took advantage of the region’s famous dairy products. We had delicious ice cream and sampled different types of cheese, fresh yogurt, and manjar blanco (a sweet milky-caramel spread). We also climbed to the top of the city to where a small chapel and plaza overlooks the entire city and surrounding mountains, which was beautiful. Cajamarca has a rich history involving the Incas, and the famous Inca Atahuallpa was abducted and killed by the Spanish in the city. Apparently the Spanish captured Atahuallpa and demanded a ransom of valuable Inca treasures to fill a room in Cajamarca, but after receiving their payment of silver and gold from the Incas, the Spanish killed Atahuallpa anyway.

Overall, the week in Cajamarca for field based training was an awesome experience. It was so refreshing to get out of the routine of training and finally see some more of Peru. It is such a beautiful country, and it is so exciting to see all of the projects that are currently being facilitated by Peace Corps volunteers. Seeing the volunteers integrated into their communities made me so ready to find out where I’ll be for the next two years!