Andean Lady carrying an extra large rug for living room on her back holding her shop.

The Andes is a magical place, oozing with folklore and history which is portrayed through every sense. In the towns the graffiti and street art add an edgy foreground to the spires and mountains that paint the landscape. Every hard-earned breath filled with grilled “something”, dried spices or misty rainwater evaporating from the last downpour. In the town plazas, the street vendors chime what veggies they are selling to the bass line of bus horns and police whistles. It can at times feel like a sensory overload but with the lack of oxygen, it helps to take things easy and explore at a slower pace, allowing you to take everything in.

We found the people of the Andes a special bunch. With their history steeped with war and exploitation, they are extremely strong and resilient people with a surprisingly soft nature. They often refer to ‘Pacha Mamma’ which translates to mother earth; I believe their softness comes from their proximity to nature and a strong community spirit. Their subcultures are some of the most diverse in the world and appear so far away from some of their cosmopolitan compatriots.

The women in the Andes can sometimes appear cold, a scowl seemingly tattooed on their face. However, this can be explained by the extreme conditions in which they live in. The altitude saps all of the air out of your lungs and the cold damp climate makes for some chilling days working outside. Once you actually engage with people the scowls turn into gold-toothed smiles, their warm nature shines through and before you know it you’re halfway through the first of 10 prickly pears that you couldn’t resist buying because the woman selling them was so endearing.

The standard attire for a mother of the Andes (or Mammi as locals or adventurous/brave expats call them) consist of at least 3 pairs of knee-length leg warmers, black strappy sandals, a usually colourful below the knee skirt, several cardigans and under-layers, their traditional headwear which changes every few kilometres and a manta or alfombra as a rucksack.

It wasn’t until I saw a woman transform her fruit stall into a bag in less than 2 seconds, slinging it onto her back after a hint of rain that I realised what it was. The women have been using this technique their whole lives never seeming to drop anything. Which is probably down to the fact they also use it to carry their babies in. The disembarkation shuffle around the side of the body is an art to watch, each time my heart in my mouth waiting to hear the sound of a 6-week old toddler hitting the floor but the women don’t bat an eyelid, keeping the conversation or bartering flowing and the baby still sound asleep.

Babies and fruit were not the only uses we saw for these magical and versatile threads throughout the Andes. One of the more traditional uses we found out and later witnessed was a Donkeys saddle or Ass Saddle as it was put by one of our artisan’s daughters. Normally strapped with their weekly big shop and a few gallons of water it provides a little more comfort for the mule and maybe a couple of extra layers to fight the bitter hills.

When we realised how important and how versatile the alfombras are for the locals we started seeing them everywhere. They were In taxis to cover up the worn seats, as wall hangings decorating the walls of candlelit bars to 5-star hotels, we saw them worn by folklore dancers and even stacked 4 deep and used as a bed all just to name a few.

We were lucky enough to visit a town called Oruro in the Central Highlands of Bolivia while they celebrated their annual carnival which is the second biggest carnival outside of Brazil in South America. Normal life was put on hold with the streets heaving for 48 hours non-stop as the celebrations carried on through the night. During the carnival hundreds of dancers and singers take to the streets, dressed in gorgeous outfits, each group outdoing the next and dancing to the rhythm of the brass band. Following up behind the bands there would usually be a car draped in alfombras with flowers and religious statues resting on top. One of the most bizarre uses for a rug that we came across, but if it saves your car from getting scratched then why not?

Without stating the obvious use for a rug there are a couple of other everyday ideas that we either use ourselves or are waiting for the situation to arise so we can reuse them in that way. One of which is using your rug as a picnic blanket. Our rugs are woven using a weaving loom and are lightweight (in comparison to a heavier synthetic rug) making them easier to fold rather than having to roll them. This makes them extremely easy to take with you on a picnic and then dust off and replace on your living room floor upon your return.

Although I am a long way off a yogi, I am partial to a spot of yoga. If I’m lucky enough to get a spare hour at the weekend to myself I often like to set myself up in my living room with a rug as my yoga mat. The size and material are perfect to practice yoga on although you may have to look into rug grippers underneath your rug to stop it slipping especially if you like to lunge about the place like me.

We love learning new things and hearing of how others live so if you have any other ways that you use or have re-used your rug we would love to know.