Today is international Earth Day, established forty three years ago to recognize the importance of our common planet and our environment. In Cuzco it is more. It is the day of the Pachamama, the Mother Earth.
Simply adding that other tittle changes the day and gives it added meaning. The Pachamama has a long history in Peru, going back well before the Spanish, even if the current idea is blended with ideas from Europe. It is a day to celebrate a person who is greater than us, loves us, and who we also must be good to.
In the north, life is bursting once again from a recently dormant earth, while in Cuzco the earth is drying up and opening, as she gives forth a bounteous harvest of potatoes, lisas, and other foods.
Today is a good day to remember how much we depend on her and what she gives us every day, as well as to make a commitment, along with people the world over, to care for her. In her honor we share with you these photographs of nature in Cuzco.
