Arequipa

Arequipa is apparently the Intellectual center of modern Peru, and by far one of the most beautiful cities I have visited here; so beautiful and popular that there is a following of people who want to move the capital from Lima to Arequipa! The plaza is pretty and peaceful, scattered with palm trees, flowers and an ever-flowing fountain, all lit by the lamps of the cafes and restaurants lining the sides with a mesh of all age groups and nationalities filling the spaces in between– very Europeanesque. We spent our first day celebrating the Areguipan football team at the local stadium (we figured, don’t you have to see a soccer game when you’re in South America?). Although the game resulted in a tie of 0-0, it was a fulfilling two hours of crazy, angry fans shouting phrases I was never given the privilege to learn in Spanish class. 

Arequipa also houses the gateway to the Colca Canyon, the Grand Canyon of South America, in which the sacred Condors of the ancient Incas fly and the green, mountainous views marvel; however, I regret to say, we failed to see the great Colca Canyon. Traveling always brings surprises and unpredictable mistakes - we have had few, but one occurred yesterday when our supposed bus ticket to the Colca Canyon led us only to an extremely small, desolate, almost abandoned town in the middle of everything dry. The whole day wasn’t a waste, as we walked to some natural hot springs and relaxed in the Equatorial sun in complete solitude. 

Today, we enjoy the sights of Arequipa once more until our overnight bus will take us to Lima where we will fly off to France. My South American portion of the journey is almost over. I feel ready to move on. I have learned so much Spanish, have met so many great people, have lived a rather poor lifestyle (at least for an American) with dirty bathrooms, bugs, and desert sand, and I have felt the dramatic, romantic aura of the Latin-American dreams. Now, on to Europe where I will attempt to work in the French countryside, enduring back-breaking labor for three weeks in order to make a couple extra bucks… it’s all for the experience, right?

The lost city of the Incas

Machu Picchu. Possibly one of the only Tourist Meccas I’ve seen that fully deserves its renowned stature. Beginning construction on the will of the great Incan leader and architect Pachacutec in the 15th century at the height of the Incan Empire, and abandoned by the Incas in 1536 in lieu of the incoming Spanish slaughterers, this city is the only remaining ruins of the Incan Empire never found by the Spanish Conquistadors, and therefore never destroyed. Thought to be the intellectual center of the Incas Sacred Valley inhabitants, Machu Picchu was a legendary city in the ears of the Spanish that was never to be discovered, thanks to the Incans decision to destroy the only remaining Incan Trail leading to the city, in hopes to preserve their magnificent architecture. That is until Hiram Bingham, an American anthropologist in search of Vilcabamba, the home of the last living Incan civilization, fell upon this New Wonder of the World by accident in 1911. Bingham, by the way, took up many of the gold, silver, idols, and other artifacts he found and brought them back to Yale where they are still housed today; the Peruvian government, as you can imagine, has some opinionated thoughts about this. 

As tradition goes (at least for the real travelers, we woke up at about 4:45 AM to meet our guide and head up to the bus station that would take us up the curvy mountain road, back 500 years, into the history and culture of the most famous Empire to inhabit the South American continent. Starting our journey into the city at about 6:00 AM and with a mystical fog and light drizzle hanging over us that only National Geographic can mimic in its special editions, my breath was literally taken away (how many times am I going to say that on this trip?) by the grandiose size of the site – it is bigger than you could ever imagine. Not until the fog cleared about two hours later could I really appreciate how vast this civilization really was. We began with the numerous terraces, cut in the side of the mountain in order to catch rain and better cultivate the crops that were grown to feed the city. Sprinkled amongst these terraces were the homes of the daily citizens, built with stones and mud; and don’t kid yourself, they had running water in this ancient city as well – springs in the mountainside were tapped and led to canals which fled into the city for showering, irrigating, or spiritual rituals. We moved on to the religious center of worship which was built a bit higher than the houses. This spiritual center was made only of the largest, monolith stones dragged from faraway peaks and chiseled into perfect rectangular pieces, placed together like a puzzle with no mistakes. There was a window to the East, where the sun could shine in on the stone structure in the middle, which would then cast a shadow on the ground in the shape of the Andean Cross. Also, there was a large figure in the middle resembling a Condor, the sacred bird of the Incas which had a wing-span of almost 6 feet! In some of the other, small places of daily worship, they constructed niches (windows but with no openings) where they could place there heads in to hum and meditate; the resonance of the sounds were said to go straight to the gods, and could also be heard from almost anywhere else in the city. We saw the plaza, the center of town where large gatherings were held and the Incan leader could speak to his people from a lookout point high above; a symbolic structure in the center was also destroyed by current president Alan Garcia when he decided to fly a helicopter in and land in the plaza. 

All in all, I was most impressed with the architecture and intricate construction of everything in the city. Large stones dragged from mountaintops could take months or even years to reach their destination for construction, and the chiseling and carving of the stones was usually one person’s life-long career. There was no money in Incan society; however, there were taxes – paid by one’s manual labor. Citizens from surrounding areas of the empire would travel especially to Machu Picchu to participate in the construction of the marvel. The abundant presence of their sophistication and civilization makes one wonder why the Spanish ever thought these “barbarians” needed saving; it also makes one wonder what the empire could have amounted to had the West not interfered. 

Fransisco Pizzarro and his Spanish conquistadors fled into the Incan Empire in 1536 and destroyed most of the civilizations they found including Ollantaytambo, Pisaq, and the capital Cusco. They heard of the intellectual center of Machu Picchu (which, by the way literally means “Old Mountain” and was not the original name of the city) but could never find it because of the destroyed path, and because of their preoccupation with finding the “El Dorado” of the Incas, Vilcabamba. After years of fighting and struggling with the Spanish to preserve their culture, the last Incan King took about 500 of his people and hid in the valley of Vilcabamba, continuing the Incan culture and customs, hidden from the Spanish for almost 100 more years. Finally, he was found and killed, along with the legend of the Incas. However, some believe the Incan spirit and heritage still live on in Peru, through the blood line of those who were captured forced into slavery by the Spanish, but never converted from the Incan treasures in their heart. 

After the fog lifted and the rain stopped, I headed back out to explore the highest point of the ruins, Incahuapac. It was an extremely long hike up (which makes me appreciate how great of shape these people were in!) but completely worth it. You can’t appreciate the size of this untouched city until you see it from the top, in broad daylight, with the backdrop of the green Andes behind it. I felt like an Incan, breathing in the fresh, mountain air and feeling the serene tranquility of being in the presence of such a magnificent ancient peoples. Although you must always come down the mountain, the surreal experience will remain in my thoughts forever.

Cusco

We made it to Cusco safely but sorely after the lovely Peruvian bus company failed to inform us that the “18 hour” prediction on the ticket was more like a 23 hour excursion in freezing conditions and switchback roads that woke you up to the sound of screeching metal every time you were just about to doze off. Maybe it was the fault of the bus attendant serving our food who admitted to smoking marijuana in the cockpit three times during the drive…? Least to say, we didn’t get much sleep but I finished my book, made a good start on my blanket I’m making, and met a nice girl from Florida.

Cusco is a brighten-your-day sight as you roll in, seeing the mountainside lit up by all the colors of the rainbow painted on the houses – just as any other Latin American proud city would be; it reminds me of flying in over Mexico City.

The city is very old and beautifully built, mixing the remains of the ancient civilizations that inhabited it with the European influences of brick roads, breathtaking churches, and narrow streets filled with cafes. It is also a tourist-packed city with people of all ages and nationalities being swarmed by the many street vendors offering the best package for this or that adventurous tour of the Incan ruins. We have a wonderful hotel in the town center, properly equipped with 4 blankets on each bed (to save us from the bitter cold in the evenings) and an endless supply of Coca Tea, made from the coca leaves of the region (to help with altitude woes!)

Overwhelmed with the opportunities abounding me here, I was glad to have the friendly Floridan allow me to tag along her hike to the city of Pisaq, a site of more Incan ruins (they are everywhere!) in what they call El Valle Sagrado, the Sacred Valley – a region of geographical and climatic benefits for the Incans, stretching throughout the length of the Sacred River. We took a short bus packed to the full with native Peruvians of descent I haven’t witnessed yet in the North – the traditional woman you see on the cover of National Geographic with her colorful skirt, long, dark braids, and a top hat to top it off. They all carry unbelievable loads of .. I don’t know what over their shoulder by a blanket tied to double as a satchel bag, and they have the most beautiful wrinkles and white teeth of anyone I’ve seen. On departing the bus, we were pleased to find the first thing we notice in this small Peruvian town in the Andes mountains is a coffee shop – a coffee shop owned by 5 traveling hippies from Argentina, Brazil, and Bolivia with long dreadlocks and a wonderful taste for making empanadas, a favorite breakfast substitute here. We chatted, drank the traditional coca tea, and made a friend named Junior from Brazil to accompany us on the hike.

Unfortunately, I got the Battery Blues and my camera went dead about 10 minutes after we commenced the hike. And, as always, the sights are indescribable. We didn’t want to be “touristy”, so Junior sort of formed our own path up the side of the mountain, through the business of some workers building a retaining wall, and literally straight up about a half mile of stairs from the old Incan city. Not too mention that I’m probably not the strongest person alive, but the mountain air requires about four breaths for every one I should need – I was tiiiired. Junior just laughed and strolled easefully up the stairs, whistling Brazilian tunes all the way. At the top, it was relaxing and beautiful, including the murmur of over 15 languages around me. The mountains were different than the Andes of Ecuador – much more inhabited and much less green, but anyone could see why the Sacred Valley was so sacred. As for the structure of the ancient city, one has to wonder how arrogant the Spaniards must have been in their assumption that these “barbarians of the New World” needed their help – canals, stairwells, rooms of all uses, and perfectly square stones placed in perfectly straight patterns obviate the intelligence of the Incas.

I hurried back to meet Michael and we rushed off to by some tickets for Macchu Picchu – an endeavor in which we failed. We are going to have to end up paying about $300 for the both of us to enter unless we can figure out a way to cheat the system (and don’t doubt us..) Also, there’s no seats until Friday so it looks like we’ll be spending a few more days here, which I don’t mind at all. We spent the evening in a packed Irish pub, the only place in town (maybe the country) with Guinness beer and good company from fellow travelers. Today, off to discover all the historically elegant legends and levels of Incan and Spanish history.

Layover in Lima

After the 14 hour ride from Piura, we found ourselves waking up to two excruciatingly sore backs, unstoppable yawns, and a foggy sky with no intention of lifting in sight. Lima hasn’t seen sun in weeks, maybe months, according to locals and the frequent Peace Corps visitors. After being disappointed by the lack of available seats on the continuing bus to Cusco we were hoping to catch that night, we opted to stay a night in Lima at the party hostel, Loki.

Our adventures have brought us terrible luck thus far after losing some precious goods to the charms of thieves; so we find ourselves in a capital city with the underworld of the market awaiting our heavy wallets. After a long taxi ride and a couple compliments from the driver on my ever-improving Spanish skills, we arrived at Polvos Azules, the blackest of black markets – so black, there are several venders armed with original boxes, stamped with brand names, wrapped in cellophane, ready for you purchase with a smile, until you return home to open the box and find, to your surprise, a rock instead of that $300 camera you thought you purchased. We came prepared, however, and left with some much-needed goodies bought at cheap prices; Michael’s Peruvian futball jacket was the buy of the day. We purchased our bus tickets for the following day and headed off on a long walk back towards Miraflores district in lieu of our lack of change for a taxi.

Craving a delicious meal, one that would break the mold of Santa Isabel’s limited options, we decided to head off to Larcomar, a shopping district built on a cliff overlooking the Ocean. Although the view was quite unimpressive due to the looming gray smog over the landscape, the meal was refreshing and overloading! Food has become my weakness in this trip. I fear I may really gain some weight on this year in world if I don’t start controlling my ravenous appetite for anything tasty! However, I digress on this guilt and give in because, hey, it is my year in the world, and if eating adventurously is something that adds to the experience, so be it. Michael got so excited at the word of an Irish Pub in the area of the hostel; the possibility of an ice-cold, tall Guinness was ringing in his mind as we headed off on the search for Murphy’s Irish Pub, advertised to the Western travelers. Yet to our dismay, the pub was closed and now we find ourselves tucked away at the bar in a popular backpacker’s hostel, soaked with travelers from numerous countries – all most likely dubbed the “hippies” of their culture: sporting sandals with socks, shaggy, unwashed hair, and a jacket that has traversed the whole of South America without seeing the inside of a washing machine.

We are soon off to Cusco, but first we must endure another excruciating 18-hour bus ride to reach our destination.

Independence

To my surprise, I had a common-day event in my activities this morning: I attended a parade in honor of Peru’s Independence Day. This amplifies my theory of the world as I travel and encounter people of every kind and make: people are simply people all over the world. This may seem no profound thought, but it is truer to me now than any other view I have of the world. I have come to find, I am essentially no different than my mysterious counterparts inhabiting faraway lands. We all eat, we all sleep, we all want to succeed, we want to live peacefully, we get frustrated when we don’t, we love, we lose … and we celebrate our country’s Independence proudly each passing year.
In an all too familiar scene, the kids dressed up in the adornments of their forefathers (although Peru’s history possesses a much longer timeline of history to choose from than the United States), donning fake beards and stately top hats, and delivering powerful speeches remembered from the days of their emergence from colonialism. The other toddlers donned the dress of the various indigenous Indians from the many different regions of the country: the Nazcas (famous for the Nazca lines seem from Space – look it up!), those from Lake Titicaca (highest lake in the world!) and, of course, the famous Incans.

They marched down the dirt road as the entire neighborhood eagerly cast their eyes on their prized children, and the few with cameras snapped priceless photos of the memories. The flag was hung, the anthem was sung, and just as the proud Americans did just a month ago, the right arm was raised and placed over the heart in respect to their precious homeland. No matter how much material possession, or depth of knowledge, or individual strength one may have to himself, everyone needs a place to belong – everyone needs a sense of pride in belonging, to something. 

I placed my right arm over my heart as the anthem played as well, as an emblem of my appreciation to the diligently kind and joyful people of Peru.

Vilcabamba!

Vilcabamba, Ecuador, the Valley of Longevity, the humble town trapped by lush, green mountains that forces one into a state of incomparable serenity. The last five days I have arisen to a never-ending vista of rolling hills and numerous shades of green being brightened by the morning sun peaking over the mountains. The hostel provides a quaint patio overlooking the beautiful valley as I sip on my coffee and sigh in relief at the quiet. It is not surprising that the inhabitants of this paradise live to be 135 years – the presence of something divine refuses non-spirituality; the resources of mineral water and fresh fruit provide for a healthy mind and body; and the absence of technology and modernization that confuse us helps you to stay in the present moment.

Hillsides of the Andes during our hike

It’s a small hostel tucked away on the side of the mountain with no internet, no air conditioning, and plants and flowers surrounding you everywhere! It reminds me of Manoa in Hawaii. It is so beautiful here, I even tried to get a job at the Hostel but an Australian beat me to it by a day! There are people here from everywhere – and mostly not from the U.S. (I’ve began to notice that Americans just don’t travel like the rest of the world). Especially, we have befriended an Israeli, Hagar, on her quest ‘round South America – all Israelis are obligated to two years of service in the army after high school, after which they all travel in South America or East Asia for 6 months; Israelis are everywhere! It has been interesting exchanging stories and theories on the age-old conflict in her country, and noting the irony at the difference of information we each receive from our governments or media. I always think differently about a situation once I meet a real, live person surviving it.
The three of us set out on the Izhcayluma Hike through the Ecuadorian Andes, which got Michael and I into much more than we were prepared for! The hike was about 6.5 hours and returned us just before the sun fell in the valley. The ascent was not bad and the views were, to use the cliché but appropriate phrase, truly breath-taking! Rising only about 6,000 feet, the mountains are still covered in beautiful shades of green, have wild horses roaming, and have no power lines to ruin the panorama either! However, the descent consisted of a purely ridgeline hike for about two hours on a path 1.5 feet wide, straight across and down the face of the mountain. We lost the blue rocks guiding our way at one point and went an hour out of the way only to turn around and climb straight back up. My legs were shaking in fatigue, my ankles hurt, and the equatorial sun was rough – but we made it! We trekked the Andes!

Are we in trouble yet?

Day two consisted of a massage from the Hostel and relaxation. We rode horses up to the beautiful mountain views on Sunday as well; however, I believe that will be my last horse ride for me – the pains from that 3 hour bull ride (as it seemed to me) are still piercing my back and butt as I type this message now.
We met a French couple, German medical missionaries, an intelligent Dutch couple traveling for a year (who just couldn’t understand that phenomenon we call Privatized Health Care in the U.S.), and so many more. The weekend was a breath of fresh air, literally, and I miss it already! I can’t say much more, just look at the pictures!

What do I do here, you may ask?

The first sounds I hear when I squint my eyes to let in some sunshine at 7:00 are the desperate shouts of the salesmen, beginning their daily route through the neighborhood, on their bicycle with their fruits in stowe: “Pina, Papaya, Platanos!!” And don’t you fear, if you didn’t hear it the first time, he will repeat it about 20 more times before he reaches the end of your street. After eggs, toast and Pineapplae juice for breakfast, I head off on a twenty minute walk through the market to the Church of Santisimo Sacremento, which hosts the social program that I volunteer for. SOme days, there isn’t much for me to do; however, if the construction team is out, I am eager to jump on the back of the truck and head to the “barrios pobres”.

About 12 of us – mixed Peruvians and Americans – pile into the back of a truck with ladders and tools, and enjoy the packed, rickety ride to the shanty towns where we’ll get down to business. The villages usually have no electricity, no running water, thatch houses with dirt floors, and dirty dogs running everywhere. As a team, we start by tearing down whatever structure is attempting to remain standing at the site so we can replace it; this is when all the little critters like mice and scorpions come running out of the sand to make the day a little more interesting. After teardown, we begin with the most difficult task of the day: using old, rusty post-hole diggers to dig 5-foot deep holes in the dry, sandy desert – I can only help you imagine how difficult this is. Bamboo is placed in these holes as the wall support. Woven thatch is then run from each bamboo pole to another, creating the walls, which are held together by simple wire. Rather than nailguns and levels being the most important tools in the US, wire cutters and saws are highly prized here – I would say about 20 nails are used in total. The Peruvians usually handle the roof of tin material and attach a door – which probably has the only real lock on the block. No floors, no insulation, no separate rooms, and no electrical outlets. This simple structure, however, changes the lives of every family, which come out crying when they see their new sleeping quarters, and are to provide up to 7 years of stability. The equatorial sun beats down pretty hard in the afternoon, and water is hard to come by, but it is pretty neat working with Peruvians and gazing at their almost acrobatic constructional techniques.

If I don’t go to the church, sometimes we go to the Community Center to see our roomate JA at work. In his time here, JA has noticed the lack of discipline and and lack of encouragement for creativity or goal-planning. To incorporate these important methods he has implemented the use of the wonderful game of Chess. It’s incredible to see the transformation from chaotic mayhem when I first walked into the classroom, to complete silence and concentration as the Chess boards were revealed. It helps them practice staying focused for long periods of time, and to set long-term goals – in order to Checkmate, they have to know the extended goals of their opponent and try to decipher a counter attack far in the future.

I run in the afternoons, which I wish I could say was motivated by my overly-ambitious personality (!), but truly its because I’m trying to get as sweaty as possible before stepping into the stream of icy water in the shower that causes continual shivers for the entire 10 minutes I suffer in that damn thing! Dinner is usually a satifying meal: we have Chinese, Pizza, Hamburgers, and even a little Cuban place that has traditional Peruvian food – all for around 4$ for a full plate and a beer.

We have a different bottle of wine each week (Argentinan and Chilean wine are so cheap here!), and head off to bed fairly early after reading a bit.

Next stop – the Valley of Longevity in Ecuador tomorrow!