December 2004
Soon after the Fall Quarter ended, Mari and I set off for a 12 day tour in Peru. Suitably prepared with inoculations, anti-malarial pills, clothing for all seasons and a guide book, we landed in Lima on 14 December. We did not find the part of the city where we were staying very interesting, so we were happy to head out with another couple and our tour guide the following morning. Our first base was to be in the Amazon jungle.
Description
Peru was once the seat of the Inca empire as they ruled much of South America. The Spanish explorer Francisco Pizarro arrived in 1527, and for next three hundred years its culture was influenced by Spain, finally gaining independence in 1824. The rugged Andes Mountains cover much of the country, with many peaks exceeding 20,000 ft. in height. And high in those mountains (near Cuzco) are the much visited ruins of Machu Picchu. The lowest part of the country is in the northeast, here the fertile land and jungle are irrigated by the far western tributaries of the Amazon River. Peru shares control of Lake Titicaca, the world's highest navigable lake, with Bolivia.
For map, click here
We flew direct to Puerto Maldonado, a jungle trading town on the River Madre de Dios near the border with Bolivia. From here, together with sacks of vegetables and bunches of bananas, we were transported some miles down river in a large motorized canoe. Back on land, we trekked through the mosquito-infested jungle for about two miles until we reached a creek on an oxbow lake, from where we paddled to our destination.
Jungle Path Emerging from the Creek
We were hot and steaming from a heavy shower when we finally reached Sandoval Lodge. Having climbed the many steps from the jetty to the entrance, we were happy to go inside and and have our first taste of the local “jungle juice” – passion fruit and lemon.
Sandoval Lodge
The lodge was set in a small clearing in the surrounding jungle and its most striking feature was its palm-thatched roof. Inside, it was comfortable, though rather spartan. A row of hammocks was slung along one length of the dining room so that one could relax between excursions or when it was raining – which was frequently, as we had arrived at the beginning of the summer rains. Bedrooms were similarly Spartan and without electricity between breakfast and dusk; however, we were delighted to discover there was hot water for showers. The meals, which were table d’hôte and prepared making full use of local ingredients, introduced us to many new dishes and flavors.
Outside, there was a lookout with a good view down the lake towards the river we had traveled on. The lake itself had no navigable outlet, but we could hear boat traffic on the river in the distance. Sunset came soon, at about 5.00 p.m. and shortly afterwards we set off on our first excursion. This was a boat trip around the lake in hope of spotting a cayman, a near relative of the alligators and crocodiles found further down the Amazon in Brazil, several days journey away from these headwaters.
View from the Lookout Sunset over the Lake
On returning to the lodge, we spotted a tarantula clinging to the thatched roof. Fortunately, it seemed to be too sleepy to do anyone any harm. The next morning, on a walk, we came across a sleeping boa constrictor on a tree by the path.
Tarantula Boa Constrictor
Cormorants Hoatzin (Stink Bird)
White Heron Blue Heron
The next day we made the return trek to the river and to Purto Maldonado and from there we flew to Cuzco, the ancient capital of the Inca.Surrounded on all sides by mountains rising to nearly 4,000 meters, it is not surprising that this sheltered highland declivity was chosen by Manco Paca, believed to have been the first Inka in the late 12th century A.D., as the focal center for his people. (As we learned, Inka means “leader” and was the title taken by the emperors of the lands that stretched, at the height of their powers, along the west coast and inland from parts of what are now Argentina and Chile to Ecuador and Columbia.)
Not much is now left of the Inca city in its position as “navel of the earth.” As the result of internal struggles, the empire succumbed relatively easily to the Spanish invaders, led by Francisco Pizarro. The many magnificently decorated temples and palaces were largely destroyed to be replaced by Christian churches and monasteries, and the gold plating on their walls melted down and sent back to His Catholic Majesty in Spain. However, the Spaniards were wise enough to use the original stone bases for their new buildings and these can still be seen in many streets.
Cuzco: Plaza de Armas
At the center of the city is Plaza de Armas, an attractive open square with a fine fountain. On one side is the cathedral and on an adjacent side a Jesuit church. Other churches are dotted around the city, some of them now converted to new uses.
Cathedral Monastery Remodeled as a Hotel
Summer had started, but it was cold in the evening and Mari and I both had to buy more warm clothes,
Mari Relaxing in Our Hotel
Although the Inca empire was defeated, much of their culture has lived on among the Quechua peoples of the High Plains in the Andes. Everywhere, we saw Quechua women in their traditional dress, carrying babies or market goods in colorful shawls on their backs. Some were watching their flocks in the fields; others were only too pleased to have their photo taken – for a small fee.
On the Way to Market
We had dinner on the first evening in one of the neighboring restaurants, the Inka Wall. As in most, there was musical entertainment – in this case accompanied by traditional dancing. Each group had cut its own CDs and was anxious to sell them. We bought several, but none will play on our sound system!
Entertainment at the Inka Wall
During our first stay in Cuzco, we visited some of the monuments. Partularly striking was the site of Coricancha, the Inca Temple of the Sun. Its south walls were originally covered with gold to reflect light into the temple. walls were originally covered with gold to reflect light into the temple.Although the original building was destroyed and replaced by a monastery, there are still some original internal structures, revealed by an earthquake, that give an idea of the scale of the shrines that used to occupy this site.
The highlight of the tour was a visit to Sacsayhuamán, the Inca fortress, on a mountain outside the city. It had three zigzag ramparts, constructed of massive stones, some as high as 8 meters and weighing 360 tons. No-one has yet figured out how these massive walls were built, with each stone interlocking with its neighbors and held in place without any mortar. Although many Spanish-constructed buildings have been destroyed by earthquakes, those Inca buildings that can still be found have hardly moved at all.
A Section of the Outer Wall at Sacsayhuamán
Later, we visited the Inca museum, which contains a very interesting collection of artifacts from pre-Columbian times and allows one to gain an idea of the variety of cultural groups that preceded the Incas.In the courtyard of the museum, both men and women were demonstrating traditional weaving, using backstrap looms.
We spent some time admiring the pieces they had created and eventually bought one woven by the old woman seen below.
Our next excursion was a visit to the Sacred Valley, stopping at Pisac, Urubamba and Ollantaytambo along the way. The Sacred Valley runs from below Cuzco to Machu Picchu and follows the Urubamba River. It was, and remains, the major source of food, particularly corn (maize) for Cuzco. The mountains rise steeply on either side and on their sides runs the Inca Trail, along which runners carried messages from and to the Inka.
The Sacred Valley runs from below Cuzco to Machu Picchu and follows the Urubamba River. It was, and remains, the major source of food, particularly corn (maize) for Cuzco. The mountains rise steeply on either side and on their sides runs the Inca Trail, along which runners carried messages from and to the Inka.
On the way to view the Pisac ruins, we stopped to buy bread for a snack.
Our next stop was at Pisac, with which the national drink of Pisco Sour is associated. Pisco is a fortified (or distilled) wine. Pisac is also the venue for one of the largest craft markets in Peru. We enjoyed browsing and buying mementoes of our trip.
Pisac Craft Market
Leaving Pisac, we traveled along the Sacred Valley, stopping for lunch near Urubamba at a Spanish hacienda now converted into a very popular restaurant.
Restaurant and Inca Trail on Hillside Beyond
After staying overnight in Ollantaytambo, we took the train the next morning to Agua Caliente, at the end of the line. Machu Picchu was the destination. The next morning, up at dawn, we took the first bus and arrived shortly after sunrise on the day of the Summer Solstice. Unfortunately, the sky was overcast, and the surrounding mountains were wreathed in clouds. Nevertheless, the first view of this ancient site was breathtaking.
Mari Surveys the Agricultural Terraces and the Ceremonial Quarters
One of the most impressive buildings is the Temple of the Sun, which has two windows, one facing the rising sun on the day of the summer solstice and the other at the winter solstice. In the ground in the center of the semicircular temple is a large rock with a pattern of natural or carved lines on it. At the two solstices the sun’s rays illuminate particular parts of the pattern. At the top of the mountain on which most of the ceremonial buildings stand is another astronomical device, the Intihuatana, or ‘Hitching Post of the Sun.’
Several of the buildings in the Ceremonial section of Machu Picchu have the same sort of massive interlocking stones as seen in Sacsayhuamán. Almost as solidly built was the house at the center of this area. Our guide referred to it as ‘BigEar’s House’, as it was very probably the residence of one of the nobility, who marked their status by enlarging their ear-lobes with heavy rings.
The Inca dynasty took over other engineering skills from previous Andean cultures. The Inca trail is just one of the roads along which messengers carried news to Cuzco and orders from the court. The Watchman's Tower is set above the agricultural terraces and has a good view towards the Sun Gate (immediately above the apex of the roof), which is the last pass on the Inca Trail. The thatched roof is a reconstruction of the standard design of the period. Running from the Watch House is another trail that leads to what was one end of a bridge. Unfortunately, having traversed an almost vertical mountain side, the trail is now unpassable because of the jungle growth. Returning to the Watchman's Tower, I got a vivid indication of Machu Picchu’s almost impregnable position. The mountain on which it is built rises almost sheer from the Urubamba River, which does a horseshoe bend around it. (The river can be seen at the bottom left.)
Management of water was another skill. All the water needed for
domestic use as well as for the irrigation of the terraces was channeled The only contemporary inhabitants of Machu Picchu are from the surrounding mountains. The central fountain above right is the birds above and the llamas that graze on the grassy just the first of a descending sequence of fountains that runs through terraces.
the whole site.
Across the central plaza, in the Workers’ area, is another temple: The Temple of the Condor. For the Inca, the world was arranged on three levels, each having its associated creature. In the center was the Earth, represented by Puma;
Underground was represented by Snake; and the sky by Condor.
The shape of this natural cave with the rock in front of it was perceived as being in the shape of the Condor. It is interesting to see how this natural formation was amplified by judicious building. In the caves behind and below, several mummies were found when the temple was excavated.
It was just to the side of this temple that the major event of our visit took place. The other couple in our tour group announced, the day before we went to Machu Picchu, that they had decided to get married there on the auspicious day of the summer solstice. Incredibly, our tour guide managed to make all the arrangements and, the following morning, we were met by a Shaman, who led us to a sacred cave close by the Temple of the Condor.
While we admired the view – and the happy couple – the Shaman prepared for the ceremony, spreading out conch shells, incense, and many small symbolic objects on a flat rock.
The ceremony started with a ritual cleansing of all present. This was performed by the Shaman, who took a mouthful of wine-based alcohol and sprayed each person in turn. The conch shells were blown and many prayers were uttered (in Quechua) as he prepared a package using the paper he is seen folding above. In it he placed various small items of food, beads, and other objects. When this was complete, the package was lifted to all points of the compass and was then buried in Mother Earth. The ceremony lasted about 45 minutes; to conclude, we all held hands and expressed our appreciation for the important things in our life.
No photos were allowed during the ceremony but we did take some at the end.
On our return to Cuzco, we all went out to a celebration dinner. Our guide can be seen at the far end of the table.
Next day, the final part of our tour took us, by minibus, to Puno and Lake Titicaca at 12,500 feet above sea level. Despite altitude sickness, which had affected all of us to varying degrees, we were all keen to visit this “cradle of the Inca.”
Some miles outside Puno is another, smaller lake, which surrounds a small flat island that was a sacred place in the past. On a steep hill edging the lake, the Inca built Funerary Towers. Amazingly, despite their shape – wider at the top than at the base – they have largely survived earthquakes and lightning bolts. The one shown on the right was never completed, but one can still see what was probably the ramp up which the huge stones were raised.
Sacred Island Unfinished Funerary Tower
I was fascinated by the local agriculture. Almost every available piece of valley land around the lake was used to grow vegetables, particularly fava beans and manyvarieties of potatoes. Reeds, cut from the lake edge, were used to roof the adobe houses.
Village on the Edge of Lake Titicaca
On the last day -- Christmas Day -- we went to visit a Fertility Temple, also massively constructed without any mortar. From there we walked to a trout farm, where a wide variety of trout are raised for consumption in restaurants in Puno and beyond. A local family was enjoying a Christmas holiday outing.
Fertility Temple Trout Farm
Of course, we had to try travel by reed boat. During the brief passage, the four-year-old daughter of the boatman successfully persuaded us to buy some of the picture postcards the had for sale. On arrival, we were shown round this larger island, where we admired the much larger, double-decker boat that was moored alongside.
While on this island, we visited the local elementary and middle schools, each consisting of one room.
Children attend high school on the mainland and some go on to university.
The final stop – on the way to the airport: an arch on a mountain above the lake.
Christmas Day at 13,000 feet.
Within a day we were back at sea level: Home in Santa Cruz.