Pachamama's Peru

Pachamama...Mother Earth; Despacho...an Andean Shaman ceremony of healing and thanksgiving; Apu... mountain deity; Ayahuasca...a psychotropic plant ritually used in shaman supervised ceremonies by a great many gringos these days; Pachatata...husband of Pachamama; Coca...deeply imbedded in the indigenous way of life the leaves of this plant relieve the symptoms of altitude sickness; Huaca...sacred pyramid or temple; Chicha...a fermented corn drink; Mullu...food of the gods. Quechua words, we heard and used pieces of this new language over and over upon entering the Land of the Inca and during the 3 weeks we spent following the famous Gringo Trail. Probably the most tourist visited country in South America. Peru may be small but it packs a powerful Inca Punch. With a rich history of conquest, the residual effect is a smattering of some of the most interesting and visited sites on the planet. Can you say Machu Picchu?

Peru was the most culturally important part of our wanderings below the Equator. Having said that we could bore you for hours with each and every rich detail of the experience...but we won't. This is a trip you should put on your own life-list and make a point to see with your own eyes. We'll only touch on the highlights.


- Arequipa (alt. 2,350 meters): The best part of visiting Peru's second largest city is the Monastario de Santa Catalina. Unbelievably photogenic, this historic gem was built in 1580 to accommodate the daughters of wealthy families in Spain. Second-born children were expected to enter religious service in those days, giving their lives to the church. Cloistered from the outside world and with unexhausted funds sent from their rich families back home these women lived a less than devout existence with paid servants and slaves. Wow! What digs. Encompassing an entire city block the monastery is a small city onto itself. It was fun wandering about trying to imagine the women who lived in the varied 'cells' scattered along the colorful geranium-dotted streets. Each 'cell' had it's own kitchen, while only a few had 'toilets'. Others sported lovely enclosed patios. We should mention that although their hedonistic lifestyle was tolerated for 3 centuries it came to an abrupt halt when Pope Pius IX caught wind of the goings on and sent a strict Dominican nun to whip things into shape in 1871. Party over, although some of the servants and slaves stayed on as nuns. Do you suppose they were better or worse off?

- The Mercado in Arequipa: Along with Sylvia, a new friend we'd met at lunch, we were guided through many stalls of foreign fruits and vegetables. We bought a bag of coca leaves to wad up and chew like the locals or to brew into a tasty tea, both of which offset the symptoms of altitude sickness. We tasted interesting things we've already forgotten the names of except for chirimoya, which tastes like a delicate cross between a pear and an apple. We saw more varieties of potatoes than imaginable. It was also here that we ran across a stand that offered a very interesting virility drink. They took live frogs, poured boiling water over them and pulverized them in a blender. Mixed with honey, this queasy concoction is the Peruvian equivalent of Viagra. Ken was game but Becky, drawing the line, figured she'd be the one to mop up the resulting mess. Besides, Ken's virility has never been a problem.

- Puno (alt. 3830 meters) Lake Titicaca...the world's highest navigable lake. The Floating Islands of Uros (Islas Flotantes), unique to this one place on earth, are a marvel of human engineering. These inhabited islands are completely manmade using reeds that grow around the lake's perimeter. We hired a private boat to deliver ourselves and another couple we'd met on the bus to several of the islands to witness this unique lifestyle up close and personal. The friendly inhabitants of the islands we visited welcome tourists and took great pride in showing us how they built their islands and houses. In fact at one we were enlisted to help move a house and at another to tug together part of the island that was separating. Both of these tasks were done using only manpower. Tough by any standards it was even more exhausting done at that altitude. Again we could elaborate greatly on the interesting people and lifestyle. But our descriptions could never recreate the experience that literally brought Ken to tears for it's greatness.

- Pisac: Ground Zero in the Sacred Valley (2715 meters). This special place situated along the sacred Rio Urrubamba is close to the great Inca ruins of the same name and host to one of the most famous tourist/indigenous market in the country. When perfectly timed, the Sunday Market in Pisac encompasses a day of real treats. The church closely straddles one side of the market. Both before mass and after the mayors of the surrounding villages and their young minions, colorfully attired in their indigenous best, stand on the steps of the church blowing conch shells. We have it all on video for those who think they'll never see it. Another magic moment we couldn't soak up enough. After we'd bought scores of alpaca hats and sweaters we found our way to the upstairs deck of our favorite restaurant and ate lunch while watching the bustling indigenous market below.

From our hotel in Pisac (Paz y Luz) we also got to sit in on a 'Despacho'. This is the healing ceremony we mentioned earlier conducted for us by Don Francisco, a shaman right down the line from the indigenous shamans that have been performing this ritual in the surrounding Andes eons before the advent of Christianity. This is an event that would loose its magic in the telling. We felt lucky to have been asked to participate in a ceremony that has been sacred here for centuries. Several nights later we were also invited to an Ayahuasca Ceremony, but acquiesced. (Find info on a despacho at: http://home.earthlink.net/~megbeeler/earthcaretakers/id39.html )

- Ollantaytambo (2800 meters): A mouthful to say and a heart full to experience. Used mainly as a place to catch the train heading to or from Machu Picchu, as we did, it was worthy of a much longer stay. From the central plaza you can munch on a healthy and delicious lunch at Hearts Café while gazing at the ruins of the old Inca fortress a block away. The ruins themselves sport some of the largest stones in the impressive building style for which the Inca are renown. The stones were mined from the side of a mountain 6 kilometers away. It's awesome to imagine the techniques involved in getting these monstrous stones down a mountainside (well, letting them tumble isn't so hard to figure), to the raging river and across, (purportedly they diverted the river for that part) and up 2800 meters to the building site on the next mountain. An amazing place and too short a visit.

- Aguas Calientes (2410 meters): Not that wonderful of a place but deserving mention just because we stayed for such a cheap price. This place was built specifically for tourists on their way to Machu Picchu and is the end of the train line. From here everyone who visits the ruins must catch a bus or walk the 10 kilometers up. It is home to scores of various hotels with basic yet expensive rooms. Using our much touted method of 'arrive and find' Ken and new friends Hari and Yogi were able to score a room at a hospedaje up the hill that was basic for only $10/night! And it had the best hot shower of our trip in SA to boot!

- Machu Picchu: You've seen the pictures. You've maybe even read the book (Shirley McClaine's) that put this place on the map. We'll write not a word other than to acknowledge what hordes before us have said. It is a sight to behold. A man-made wonder of the world shrouded in magic and mystery worthy of the high cost of admission and often arduous journey to get there. If it's not already on your list of places to visit before you die you should put it there. Anyone's description will be pitiful by comparison.

- Cuzco: (alt. 3326 meters): This was the heart of the Inca empire. As you stroll around you still see walls that remain from the old city. Within walking distance are the remains of Saqsaywaman (think 'sexy woman') the citadel where Inca conquests were planned and mounted in the early 1400s. By the time the Spaniards arrived 150 years later the Inca empire extended from northern Chile to northern Ecuador. In 1535 the conquerors became the conquered. The Spaniards pillaged many of the stones used at Saqsaywaman to build their own houses, so what's left today is a mere skeleton of the fortress. The stones that remain, however, are impressive both for their immense size and the tight seams of the construction. You can also see jagged walls built like the teeth of a large cat. Pachacutec, the 9th Inca king, designed the layout of Cuzco to resemble a puma. Saqsaywaman was the head (the military center and the brains of the city), the valley below laid out like the body (housing the bulk of it's citizens...the heart), and the outlying villages strung along the river the puma's tail.

We spent a week enjoying the rich history of this colonial city sharing it with hundreds of other tourists. After we arrived in Cuzco, though, the trains and roads into the Sacred Valley were blocked by protesters, thwarting many people's efforts to get into or out of areas we had moved freely through for 2 weeks earlier.

- Getting High: Most of the places we visited in Peru were well over 2500 meters high. At those altitudes quite a few visitors succumb to the symptoms of altitude sickness...or soroche, as the locals call it. We were not immune, and unable to take the preventative meds, we spent a lot of time chewing coca leaves and drinking coca tea. Our friend Sylvia also recommended 'soroche pills' available at farmacias throughout the country. Primarily aspirin and caffeine, these cheap little pills knocked out the headaches and lethargy toot sweet. We became quite fond of our coca tea, served at the breakfast table of every hostel we stayed. Since it is considered an habituate drug outside of a small pocket of South America it is illegal to travel with. The rest of the world's strict anti-drug policies lends little tolerance to this indigenous plant that's been used for medicinal reasons and in sacred rituals for millennia.

- Food: During our 3 weeks of traipsing the countryside we were introduced to many Peruvian delicacies. As we mentioned before potatoes are important here. Peru is where spuds were originally cultivated. We have read there are well over 400 varieties grown in Peru in every color of the rainbow. Our favorite unique creation was causa, mashed potato salad filled or topped with meat or fish and served cold. We had some in Puno served with smoked trout that was delectable.

The food that will become a staple in our diet when we return to normal life is quinoa. Native to Peru it is a whole grain used in soups and salads that's loaded with nutrients. We slurped up savory quinoa soups every night for weeks.

Cuy is intended for a far more open-minded eater than most folks outside of Peru and Ecuador. Known to gringos as guinea pig these little creatures have been spit roasted and served legs up on a platter for centuries. In the indigenous painted 'Last Super' hanging in the Cathedral in Cuzco a keen observer will spy just such a creature included on the table of that famous feast. Although Becky took only a token nibble, Ken enjoyed the full magnitude of eating a whole cuy. Multiplying quickly, requiring little space to raise, eating leftover kitchen scraps and extremely high in protein they are ideal livestock. Look hard enough and you'll find cuy roasters for sale in the local mercados...the perfect gift for Mother's Day.

Pisco is the grape brandy used to make the national drink of Peru (and Chile... something they've squabbled over for years). When mixed with limes and sugar it becomes a Pisco Sour and tastes very much like a blended margarita. Delicious, but lethal in large doses. Trust us on this.

- Geography: Traveling mostly by bus and train throughout the country we had a window onto the most breathtaking scenery imaginable. Some of the most memorable views were: riding across the Altaplano in southern Peru where sparse vegetation was peppered with herds of timid wild vicunas and fuzzy domesticated alpacas. The train ride from Ollantaytambo along the sacred river up to Aguas Calientes was an enchanting trip through ethereal cloud forests. The taxi ride through the patchwork planted plains of lofty Chinchero was such delicious eye candy we forgot to take pictures! And on the flight from Cuzco to Lima we caught a majestic glimpse of the snow-covered volcanoes of the Andes....gorgeous.

Kudos to Pachamama for weaving such intense magic into this incredible country. Breathtaking vistas, ancient sacred rituals, a lively indigenous population, mist-enshrined ruins, a plethora of sweet and savory foods and some interesting new friends. All have become colorful fodder for a lifetime of treasured memories.