A group of children and a man taking a selfie outdoors, with the children surrounding him and smiling, in front of a building with red and yellow doors.
Large group of people, including children and adults, gathered outdoors in a mountainous area with a colorful building in the background, some taking photos and waving.
A large group of people, including children and adults, gathered outdoors in a rural mountain village, some wearing hats and jackets, with mountains and cloudy sky in the background.

2022 Pacchanta, Peru
Christmas for the kids

December of 2022, we loaded up our car with 200 toys; balls, dolls, tractors, trucks, and all sorts of goodies. My friend Edgar, Wilco, and our families made the 3.5 hour journey from Cusco to the remote village of Pacchanta, at the base of Ausungate, one of Peru’s most important mountains. And it’s super tall at 6,384 meters (20,945 feet)
We held a celebration for all the local children from all the surrounding villages. Each child got a toy, and some hot chocolate, and some panetone. It was truly a special experience to be able to provide a celebration for the little ones.
This far out in the Peruvian Andes, the communities are vey poor, and resources are scarce. For many of them, this was the only Christmas gift they received.

I try to do these trips often. If you’d like to join or donate, email me.
megalithicmystery@gmail.com