Our Family
The staff at StarDome supports and celebrates each other like family. Please enjoy reading more about them and don’t forget that those on site receive your generous tips!
Carlos
Owner and Spiritual Leader
Carlos is the owner and, what we like to call, a spiritual worker of StarDome. He’s able to connect to parts of the spiritual universe that most people have never explored, and started StarDome to help others discover their own understanding of it. Through this connection, he’s able to provide guests of StarDome with a one of a kind, authentic and individualized experience.
He grew up in Ollantaytambo, spending much time on Mt. Antanuca (where StarDome is built), among 4 brothers, and now has two young children who are creating similar memories.
Outside of StarDome, he runs a tour company and dedicates time to social projects. More specifically, Carlos is the president and co-founder of the Paskay Organization for the Andean Children–a nonprofit to which StarDome donates part of its profits to.
Without Carlos, StarDome would just be another hotel.
ANGELICA
Head of Kitchen Staff and Chef
Angelica is the head of the kitchen and master chef at StarDome. Daughter of Narciso, she was born among 8 siblings on Mt. Veronica, but spent much of her life in another town, north of Lima. There, she began to acquire her skills and love for cooking from a young age. It’s because of this that she has what is almost an instinct for creating food through an understanding of each component. Her recreation of classic Peruvian dishes will be some of the best you will ever taste. But they may also help you feel the best you ever felt. While learning how each ingredient complements each other, Angelica also learned how each one complements your body. Carrots and aloe, for example, can be used as eye drops for cataracts, while cabbage can be applied as a topical solution for menstrual cramps.
In her freetime, Angelica loves spending time with her 4 kids, who often help (or sometimes just entertain) her in the kitchen. Her eldest son, David, has learned from her experience and adds to the art in our busiest times. Her other 3 children go to school at the bottom of Mt. Antanuca in a town called Rumira, and look forward each night to when their mother comes down from work.
Narciso
Shaman and Chief of Landscaping and Agriculture
Narciso is not only the Chief of Landscaping and Agriculture at StarDome but also a Shaman. He was born on Mt. Veronica, the most sacred mountain in the Valley which represents the feminine energy and love of the universe. Having grown up there, he safeguards age-old knowledge that is very important to our times. Often, he guides ceremonies in which we make offerings to Pachamama (our cosmic mother) and the Apus (our spirit protectors).
Narciso has 8 children, including Angelica and Leonarda who work in StarDome’s kitchen. He lives next to them and his grandchildren with his wife in Rumira. He knows how to grow every type of Andean plant, helps us maintain traditions, and always reminds us of the importance of living in harmony with our universe.
Juan
Driver, Security, and General Maintenance Worker
Juan provides StarDome with transportation, security, and general maintenance. He grew up in the mountains of Lares but left his birthplace to work in Cusco as a chauffeur for many years. It’s here that he met Angela and her son David who was 7 years old at the time. He helped Angela raise David, later alongside three more of their own children who live with them now in Rumira. When they arrived in Ollantaytambo looking for work, StarDome offered the energy of the mountain and the feeling of the Apus which reminded Juan of his roots and ultimately led him to stay and become part of the family.
Leonarda
Staff Chef and Animal Caregiver
Leonarda is primarily a chef for the staff. She was born and raised in the sacred mountains of Veronica and is a daughter of Narciso. In addition to preparing food, she takes care of various things on the mountain. She maintains the plants from the vegetable garden and herbs from the mountain which are used to prepare meals at StarDome. She also raises the animals who make the land a home: the cuy, which fertilize the gardens, and the cats, which protect the cuy from predators.
At her own home, Leonarda is a mother to 3 teenage boys. Unfortunately, for many years endured mistreatment from her partner. She stayed home as a housewife and almost never left the house. Now, however, she has separated from her partner and decided to raise her children on her own. They live with her in Rumira and are growing into strong young men, following their mother’s example.
Agapito
Assistant to Chief of Landscaping and Agriculture
Agapito assists Narciso with Landscaping and Agriculture. He belongs to an ancestral community named Willoc, where people closely maintain Andean traditions, wearing clothes they make themselves. Before StarDome, he spent several years traversing the Salkantay trail as a porter and is somehow still able-bodied enough to bring a pep to his step to the dome every day.
Unfortunately, Agapito lost his partner many years ago and his children live far away. In the staff at StarDome, however, Agapito has found another family. He rents a home across from his best friend, Narciso, and spends everyday sharing chicha with his coworkers at StarDome. He is a lovely person with a soft, wise, and ancestral charm. His energy is characteristic of the mountains and StarDome wouldn’t be the same without him.