Day 5 - Village Market and High Plateau Hike

Chinchero Market

We hopped on the bus, and drove across the Urubamba River, up into the mountains to visit the Village of Chinchero and its local market.

This is one of the few markets in Peru where traders still barter. We observed several women trading corn for potatoes, or lima beans for corn. There was one section of the market where the traders sat on a woven cloth under a bright sun, side by side.

It was pretty cool, I will give you five ears of corn (look at the size of that corn by the way) for ten potatoes….deal?

There are over 4,000 varieties of potatoes in Peru, and many corn variations (size and color). Different potatoes grow at varying elevations. The Inca’s understood this and were probably responsible for many of the varieties that exist today.


Chinchero Weaving Studio



After strolling through the market we walked up the hill to a weaving studio. Several families live in a cooperative where they try to maintain traditional weaving techniques, dyeing methods (from plants) and skills.



The women might start out making narrow strips (eg a hat band), and then eventually graduate to weaving intricate design patterns. Lynn purchased a runner made by this woman.



There are a couple things shown here. The Alpaca wool after it has been dyed from natural plants. The red is amazing. It is made from Cochinella Bugs. They get crushed and begin to turn a dark red, salt gets added as a stabilizer and then the mixture is tossed into a pot of boiling water. The wool is dropped into the pot and once again “Voila” you have a naturally dyed piece of wool.

The wool is strung by women on a thread needle. Women will often do this while working in the field tending animals, walking across fields while carrying their babies on their backs. They tug on the cut Alpaca wool and begin to make the thread. All of the ladies in our group practiced pulling on the raw wool, stretching it out and spinning it on the thread needle.

Chinchero
Lynn and I left the group and walked around the town.
Turns out they were celebrating an anniversary and in a futbol field, all of the kids were lined up in groups for a parade.
Unfortunately, we had to leave while all of the VIP’s were making speeches and before the kids started their parade. They did let the some of the kids make a speech, and one was quite energetic….I regretted not being able to understand it.


Moray to Maras Salt Mines Hike
We then rode on the bus to the town of Moray. Pavel was born in this town, his father was Principal of the local school and his grandparents lived there for many years. The bus drove through narrow streets, some of the turns Jose Luis made were amazing.
He dropped us off just above the town and we began our hike to the Maras salt mines.



We had an amazing lunch made by Angelina & Armando in a portable tent; a chicken breast stuffed with veggies and cooked in a Pisco and wine sauce. It was so good Lynn asked for the recipe.
We sat in the tent and had this view of the mountains.

Incan Food Lab

After lunch we passed an Incan Laboratory for growing food. Pavel explained one of the reasons for terrace farming was so the Inca’s could actually have different ecological zones to test plants. The bottom terraces of the sinkhole were 30° warmer than the top terrace. So they could experiment with the ideal zone for various plants. They could also experiment with hybrids and train plants to grow in different zones. This was primarily a food growing lab, not a ‘real’ farm. There were two other sinkholes next to this, in the process of restoration.

The Salt Mines
I have never seen anything like it.
The salt flats are fed by an underground stream. They don’t know, if there is a sea underneath the mountain, or where the exact source of the salty water comes from. Every year the local village has a celebration to express thanks for the salt and to pray that the bounty will continue. Each flat is actually owned by someone in the village. And they will periodically come out to tend their flat(s) and ultimately harvest their salt after the water evaporates from the flat. It needs to be done on a timely basis, or the dried salt quickly becomes hard as a rock.



Some of the group became quite anxious as we hiked above the terraced salt flats. We had a pathway that was perhaps 18” wide. And usually there was a four to six foot drop on the right hand side.

Family Home Visit


After the end of the hike we had dinner with a local family in Yucay. Emma & Justo, in her mother (Vilma’s) home. It is very common for the family to live in the woman’s mother’s home. They had twin girls, Marjorie and Melena, their cousin Wendy also joined us for dinner. We dined upon lamb, chicken, local potatoes, quinoa (keenwa), and a lasagna type pasta. They also served a drink made from purple corn, fruits and herbs.




The girls entertained us for the evening singing a few local songs, some English songs they knew finishing with a rousing version of Jingle Bells. In the photo Melena is playing with her Dad Justo. Our group then sang “You are My Sunshine” which the girls immediately began to sing-a-long. It was a fun evening and helped us to gain some understanding of small town life in the Andes.

Peru Tour Comments

Lynn and I have never booked through a tour group before. So we wondered what this would be like? It was actually pretty good. Our guides were:

Fredy Delgado Zuzunaga - Fredy was both a great tour guide and a mountain doctor to the several folks who suffered minor aliments during the week.

Pavel Punacayo - Pavel was wonderful with his passion for Inca Culture and pride in his country.



They are both shown here with Guido, who accompanied us with his andean flute at Pisac. Both men knew very much about their country and shared their thoughts on Peru’s strengths and some of the issues Peru needs to address. Lynn and I, as well as the rest of the group appreciated their insights and honesty.




Lynn was not feeling well one night, so Freddie, Pavel and I created the “macho table.” Actually this photo, is the Macho table with 'a babe.' Which is every 'macho table's' wish.


You may remember perhaps that the ‘most macho’ guys are the ones who say, “yes, dear” the best. ;o)

We booked our tour though Country Walkers which our friends Dana & Susan had used before. I think Susan was somewhat worried that we enjoy ourselves….well we did!



I’m sure there are many fine touring companies, but so far this is the only one we know. One of the things we liked about Country Walkers, was the use of native guides, and their program of investing in improvements in the host countries and the families they touch in their programs.

http://www.countrywalkers.com/

Making Bricks and Plowing Fields

Making Adobe Bricks & Plowing the Fields

We had an opportunity to do two fun UPS(unexpected pleasant surprise) things on our tour. Observe making bricks and to participate in plowing a field.





Adobe Bricks
Adobe bricks are quarried from the local soil. First they mix dirt with tough Ichu grass (a llama delicacy) and small stones. This mixture is turned over a few times in a pile.



Then they shovel from the dirt pile into a wood frame, which you can see, it’s the box holding the dirt. Usually working in groups of two, the second person steps into the dirt box (not sure my feet would fit) and steps on it several times to remove air bubbles.



After the mixture is consistent, the top get wiped to level the brick and then the frame is removed. Viola! A new adobe brick.


Plowing the Field



The next day, the bus passed some farmers tilling the field. Freddy (one of our two guides) had the driver stop and asked if we could observe and perhaps even participate. It's pretty clear this operating team has its act together. When volunteers were asked….I was first in line.



It looks quite simple, but I think myself and my compadres who plowed after me, kept doing the same three rows…over and over. Perhaps the potatoes will grow particularly fine in the well plowed segment. And I'm not too sure about this operator's capability, seems to be slightly tilted.

There were several other farmers working the soil on either side of us. They were almost falling over laughing, at our exploits as “BULL DRIVERS!” I don’t think they were worried or threatened relative to the security of their employment.

It’s actually quite interesting how you need to keep the plow level and the Bulls straight. They pair a young bull, with an old one. The young bull carries most of the load, and the older bull teaches the young one how to do the work (sort of like a consultant). ;o)

Day 4 - The Sacred Valley - On the Road to Machu Picchu

The Sacred Valley and Pisac



We hopped on to the bus and drove through a major mountain pass, into the Sacred Valley around the Urubamba River. Along the way we learned the difference between Alpaca’s and Llama’s. The Alpaca is the one on the left with hair on its head, the llama is on the right.



We also passed a couple charming young ladies with a lamb and for one sole each (30 cents) we were permitted to snap this photo.



The view of the Sacred Valley is absolutely stunning! This was one of the primary bread baskets of the Inca Empire. And it abounds with Inca ruins. This must have been one fantastic place to see, when the fields were being worked and the economy was bustling with energy.



We then drove to the Pisac ruins. Terraces running up the side of the mountains, it must have been an amazing site, when the Inca’s were working much of this land. I always thought someone just piled up a bunch of stones and then threw dirt in the middle. Of course it is not that simple. After the excavation and building a rock wall, they would put a layer of small gravel, then a layer sand, larger rocks and finally dirt (sometimes imported from elsewhere in Peru). You can see how the other end of these terraces seem to meet an intersection with another mountain face.



The terraces were irrigated, often being built at the intersection of two hillsides where the terraces would collect natural runoff waters. Each terrace would drain, so it did not stay too damp. It was really quite sophisticated, unfortunately the Spaniards being Warriors and more importantly winners…cared nothing for the Inca technology. And much was lost in terms of agronomics and plant breeding knowledge. The Inca food yields were excellent.

I read this in a book afterward, so we did not get a picture, but the Pisac ruins on the hillside actually have the shape of a Giant Condor, this fits with Cusco, which was also laid out to look like a crouching Puma. So the Inca's must have been one fine set of engineers.

The Incas like most Societies, were very hierarchical. The local chief, the nobility, priest, people with knowledge about astronomy or plants all lived the good life. Their houses were better constructed, they also had access to the temple areas. The common folks were actually called Chica (CheCha), not Inca. And the lived outside a fenced area for the nobility and temples….sort of the first gated community.



Here is Lynn by one of the Temple structures. And me in my favorite hiking ensemble.



And a picture of our “Country Walker’s Group”…..not sure why everyone else has on all of those layers? And our travel guides Pavel (left), Freddy (right) and Guido our flute player. The Guides are both from the area, and have a deep knowledge of the culture, the history and current events. So I think everyone in the group appreciated their insights and knowledge. This was our first group trip....we usually like to do things on our own. But the group was great, and hopefully we have made a few new friends.



At the edge of the Pisac Temple to the Sun…you overlooked the valley below. The stone work, while not shone...was excellent quality. I will share a few more ruin pictures later from Ollantaytambo...and of course Machu Picchu. This is Lynn, Pavel and Susan.



I was curious how exhausting it might be to run to the top of a small hill, at 13,000 feet. Well what do you know....indeed it was exhausting…..too tired to run back down.



In the afternoon we visited the Pisac Market where we picked up a Peru soccer shirt for Andy, and a Cienciano one for me (Cusco Champs rock!). We also bargained with 3 tough negotiators in the market….over valuable ‘finger puppets.’ Kate’s present is a surprise. ;o)

Day 3 Sacsayhuaman in the Rain - On the Road to Machu Picchu

Day 3


This was supposed to be a major hiking day. We took a bus ride to the top of one side of the valley 12,000+feet and visited “Sacsayhuaman” the principle Inca Temple of this region.





As they say in the Andies, “Be prepared for anything.” when it comes to weather. No sooner had we stepped off the bus than it began to pour down rain. Here is Lynn feeling blue. At one time this was thought to be a fort, today, they believe it was a major temple site, due to the quality of the stone work.

We were supposed to walk to the next Inca site, but give the rain….and the group feeling like a wuss…we hopped back on the bus and drove a few miles to Manhar Blanco. There was not much in the way of ruins left, but there is a spring of running water that still works today.



On this hike we passed grasslands and saw a Giant Hummingbird, that was the size of Robin.



As we finished the hike we passed through a very tiny mountain village of perhaps 8 homes. Our guide Pavel explained the story of the animals on the roofs of many homes. A Bull for fertility, prosperity, the one with the cross is spiritual of course…and to show this is a Catholic Home. And probably as a ward against traveling Jehova Witness Evangelist.

Day 2 - To Cusco, city of the Inca's - On the Road to Machu Picchu

On the Road to Machu Picchu - Day 2
On the way to Cusco. Again we were on TACA. We scurried to the airport for our 6:10 am (woke at 3am to get there). We learned, all the other airlines had flights leaving on time, but TACA’s planes were not going to be flying until 10am…or maybe later. The joys ;o) of travel.

We met our two traveling buddies Susan & Dana as we waited at the airport. But more about them later….as we do our trip. Our 6:10am flight left at 11:30am for Cusco. Airports are such great places….I can’t imagine why more people don’t elect to just sit in one of this comfortable waiting room chairs instead of checking into a hotel room for the night. Actually it wasn’t all that bad….typical airport….typical wait.

From the air, one could see right away, Cusco is more prosperous than Lima. Of course it is much smaller. I think there are 8 million people in Lima, and Cusco around 300,000. It sits in Valley…assuming that one can call something at 11,400 feet (3,416 meters) a valley. The mountains to the south look quite high, on the northern side they are much lower….but higher than anything back home in Chicago. Toto….we sure ain’t in Kansas anymore.

It was originally called Quosqo (Costco…but I don’t think any relation to the current holder of that name). Quosqo means, “naval of the world.” And the inhabitants believed it was the source of life. The city was founded by Manco Capac and his consort Mama Ocllo….sent by the Sun god Inti to find where the golden staff would sink into the ground. Low and behold…they discovered this beautiful valley. There is some ‘lite’ reading on Cusco…not the above story at
http://www.andeantravelweb.com/peru/destinations/cusco/index.html



We toured the Temple of the Sun. At one time its walls were covered with 700 sheets of gold, and when the sun would shine through the windows it would be too bright to see. This is just the outside, the round wall is rare. Guess you have to use your imagination.



Have you ever wondered how the Inca’s fit all of those stones together so tightly without morter? Well nobody knows! But here is what we did learn. The stones are actually chiseled on the inside. No pic’s sorry. But you might have a male and female part, or a channel in two blocks side by side that they would fasten together by pouring molten brass in the tow hollowed out channels to fasten the blocks together. The end result was a wall that looks like this:

The fascinating thing about these wall they were assembled without motor, and you cannot even fit a credit card in between the stones. Where the walls have been reconstructed, even in modern times, they cannot do it with the same degree of precision. They were built with a 17˚ lean toward the center of the room, which gave them a stability to resist destruction during earthquakes.



We also toured the Cusco Cathedral, which is like three churches in one. Much of the artworks expressed the Spanish exploitation of the Inca Indians. Its sort of amazing how the winning side feels its culture is so superior, and easily discount the cultural values and heritage of the losing culture (side.

On the Road to Machu Picchu - Day 1 Arrival in Lima

On the Road to Machu Picchu
Lynn and I flew from Chicago to Lima, Peru earlier today. Like most flights that get booked 6 months in advance, things change. When we arrived in LA...last night?...this morning? I forget which. Our connecting flight through San Salvador..to Lima.. no longer existed. And the TACA desk staff, was just wrapping up for the evening...which happened to be around 1am. After citing the rules to us, and explaining how this was not 'their fault' the lead desk agent took pity on us....perhaps because Lynn looked so sad, and said he would see if he could help. WOW...he came through! Booked us on a flight to Costa Rica to Lima and we nearly arrived at the same time as originally planned. So TACA beats United service by a long shot.

Lima
My first images of Lima are from films in a Catholic grade school in 5th grade. All I remember is it looked cold and all of these women wearing several layers of clothes and sporting bowler hats....it looked very different from anything I had seen growing up in St. Louis. Well so far...no bowler hats and the temperature is cool but very comfortable.

The city....well, I thought I had seen the worst traffic of my life in Rome....now I have a new ‘worst’ standard. In Rome they have a habit of turning 3 lane roads into 5 lane roads. But then they hit the gas and go. In Lima...they do the same lane thing....but traffic just crawls along slower than a three legged dog...walking down the sidewalk. Sorry we did not get any photos.

Our first impression of the city was...Ugh! Dreary, dull brown and gray. It seemed tired and worn. But then I realized after 3 planes, confusion in LA, and only 3 or four hours of sleep...perhaps I was the one that was feeling dull and gray. Once I realized that…I thought, “It can’t be that bad, things will get better.” We checked into a Sheraton Hotel in the city center. The hotel is nice...but the desk clerk told us it is not safe to walk outside. UhOh!



First Peruvian Meal
Again…no pic’s. We left without the camera. Sleepy, I guess. We went to the suburb of Miraflores, on the coast. It looks somewhat like the bay in LA., except the city is pretty high off of the beach, like Normandy in France. It was relaxing to hear the ocean surf crashing against the beachfront. We walked around the shopping district. Quite a few new high rise residential units. Several of them with interesting curves vs. a flat face.



We dined at a restaurant on the beach, Rosa Nautica. It looked like a Victorian Conservatory. There was a walkway from the road, going out into the ocean. One side of the walkway was lined with small stores and the other open to the sea. The restaurant was full of white window frames and flowers. The sun has just finished settling into the ocean, and Lynn and I had our first PiscoSour…the National drink of Peru.



Put a few of those away….and you probably risk falling into the sea…I sort of floated back to our taxi and we crashed for the night. Oh yeah! The food. It was very good. We had two different versions of Sea Bass (corvina in Espanola)…another national thing. Lynn’s was grilled with potatoes, & leeks. She thought they tasted fresh. I have never put the words fresh and potatoes together before….but her taste buds are better than mine. And I had Sea Bass with a confit of onions, red wine and magic sauce. If it has wine in it…has to be good, right ;o) and it was.