I was born in a small village called Huayllaccocha near Cusco.  My parents, who are farmers, are from a mixed Spanish and Quechua heritage.  I lived with my parents until I turned 16. My mother tongue is Quechua, the language of the Incas. While I in primary school, I learned Spanish, and later at university, where I studied Tourism, I learned English. Here I gained valuable knowledge about the tourism service industry and all the technical aspects of tours and treks. My family and generations before us have always had a deep and profound connection to the earth. My parents taught me how to collect roots, flowers, and the leaves of plants from the mountains to use as medicine from a very young age. I have great respect for all our such as offering chicha (the corn drink of the Incas) to the mountains, eating roasted guinea pig as a delicacy, the annual visit to the cemeteries in November to make an offering of food and drinks to our ancestors, or making sacrifices to Mother Earth (Pachamama). From my family, I learned to love and respect Nature and to appreciate the inherent connection between everything on Earth.   My life and passion are the mountains and my culture.  I would never have imagined that one day I would be able to spread knowledge and awareness about my culture throughout the world. I am so humbled and proud to have such wonderful friends from all around the world! I would love to welcome you to Peru and become your friend. I promise that you will have the most exhilarating adventure of a lifetime with me!