The Leaf Considered sacred: qoqa (Coca)

The qoqa leaf has over three thousand years of history we can trace back thanks to archaelogy. In burials of those days, bundles of them have been found, to accompany the dead on their trip to the order world. The importance of these leaves reaches our time, as they are used in multiple functions, in the Andean people´s social life, up to this day. For example, farmers always carry some in a chuspa (Woollen woven purse of several colours) hanging from their shoulder, and when they meet, they interchange chuspas, each one helping himself from the other person´s chuspa. Both will search for three of the most complete and nicest entire leaves. Holding them in both hands, the blow over the K´intu wich is the name given to this trio, and salute the mountains where the guardian spirits live (called Apu in Cusco, and Wamani in Ayacucho), and then, they enter in communion, saying Hallpasunshis, wich is equivalent to "Cheers", in a courteous way.