Your destiny, is a result of your actions.
Live by a code of conduct that will secure supreme hapiness
and worldy joys; which are usually the little things.
First I want to start by saying I am soooo slow. It is now September October and I am just getting to our trip to Peru. I know you all think we have nothing but free time on our hands, but we have been very BUSY. Since returning from Peru we had to get the boat ready for the yard, get to the yard (that was an adventure, see previous blog post), make a trip back to the states to see family, and all the while attempt to complete a very long list of projects to be done before we head south; all of which I want to write about also....it never ends.
Clint and I are very blessed to be able to do what we are doing and when we get to share it with someone it makes it even that much more special. Now that we are out of the Caribbean it seems the only taker for "sharing the adventure" is Tom, and Susan when she can. (Clint pointed out that I might be insulting some of my readers. I am strictly referring to visitors; I know all of you who follow our blog (hello, anyone out there) are also sharing the adventure.)
This adventure was in the works for over a year. It was one of those, "...so where are you going to visit us next Tom?". We knew our next stop after Panama was Ecuador, and once there we wanted to do some inland exploring of South America.
Tom has a buddy who had recently hiked the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu and told him all about what a once in a life time experience it was; so one thing led to another...Ecuador is close to Peru...Machu Picchu is in Peru (had to look that up first)...let's meet up in Peru and do a three or four day Inca Trail hike to Machu Picchu (like Tom's friend).
Receiving over a million visitors a year, Machu Picchu is one of the most visited historical sites in the world. In an effort to prevent degradation of the Inca Trail and Machu Picchu, Peru limits the number of daily visitors on the Trail and at Machu Picchu. Only 500 people are allowed on the trail each day, of which only 200 are trekkers the rest our guides and porters. We were not aware of this and by the time we started finalizing our plans the trail was sold out. In retrospect we are very glad that we did not hike to Machu Picchu, we never would have made it. We did an 8 hour hike on Llactapata which about killed us and we weren't even carrying packs. We had no idea how rigorous the trail could be and just how out of shape we are.
The plan was hatched and fine tuned. Clint and I flew from Ecuador, Tom from Detroit, rendezvousing in Lima.
This was the first time Karma was not a part of "the experience" so it was a little different for all of us. Unfortunately, Tom has a job so we only had two weeks to pack in a lot. Peru is a huge country with a lot to see. Our main goal was still to see Machu Picchu so we decided to spend most of our time in the area referred to as the Sacred Valley saving a couple days at the end to see the sights of Lima. The Sacred Valley, the heartland of the Inca Empire, encompasses the Inca capital of Cusco and the ancient city of Machu Picchu along with Ollantaytambo, Pisac, Urubamba, and some other small Andean towns.
We met in Lima and flew the next morning to Cusco. There is a lot to do and see in Cusco, it is the historical capital of the Inca Empire as well as the epicenter for tourism in Peru.
With Cusco's high elevation of 11,200 feet, we decided to take it slow and allow our bodies time to acclimate, so we meandered the streets and only took in a few of the major attractions of the city.
In Cusco you cannot walk down the street without being encouraged to take your picture with the cute baby goats, for a small propina of course.
The guys were more interested in having their picture taken with this señorita...
The Warrior's Plaza, the main square, is where the Inca kings built their royal palaces. It is also where Spaniard Francisco Pizarro proclaimed the conquest of Cusco which was integral in the demise of the Inca Empire.
In the square the very colorful flag of Cusco flies alongside the Peruvian flag. The rainbow-colored flag was adopted from the Incas and is meant to symbolize Inca territory.
On one side of the plaza is Inglesia de la Compania.
Diagonal from this church is La Basilica.
This is the main cathedral and is famous for its painting of the Last Supper (we were not allowed to take pictures) featuring cuy. Cuy or guinea pig is a traditional Andean meal served in Peru. When in Peru do as the Peruvians...we had to try it.
We washed it down with a pisco sour, the traditional drink. Once was enough for the cuy, however we could not get enough of the pisco sours.
A Peruvian Pisco Sour is made with pisco, key lime juice, syrup, ice, egg white, and Angostura bitters; served straight up. Pisco is a brandy produced by distilling grape wine. It was developed by the Spanish in the 16th century out of the need to concentrate alcohol volume in order to transport it to remote locations such as Peru.
We spent one night in Cusco then rented a car and headed into the Sacred Valley...
...nothing could have prepared us for the breathtaking panoramic views of the Andes Mountains or the spectacular blue skies. The sky in Peru rivals the waters of the Bahamas and the sun is like nothing I have ever seen before. I think it must have to do with the clarity of the air, both are strikingly beautiful.
On the ride from Cusco to Santa Theresa we pulled off on the side of the road to take some pictures. This shy little girl was helping her mother at a road side stand and asked to meet Duke.
The Andean people of Peru have similar traditional clothing to the Indigenous of Ecuador.
Back on the road, next stop Santa Theresa. Not many people who visit Peru go to Santa Theresa. Those who do are mostly just passing through to get the train to Machu Picchu. You can only get to Machu Picchu by hiking in or taking a train from one of three places. Santa Theresa is the hardest of the three to get to and the least visited. Who wants to go where everyone else goes?
We did not truly realize just how difficult it would be to get there or how remote it really is.
We spent five nights in Santa Theresa at the Eco Quechua Lodge. We usually shy away from places with the word "eco" in it; concerned that we will be charged more for less, all in an effort to be "eco" friendly. Yes, the Eco Quechua is a little more than we usually spend but it was worth every penny.
The Eco Quechua Lodge is one of the most unique places I have ever stayed. It was like a five star tree house complete with gourmet food an outdoor (hot) shower.
In the evenings we sat on our "veranda" listening to the river, sipping cocktails.
Just outside of Santa Theresa Tom and Clint had some bro time canopying (high altitude ziplineing) at Colo de Mono. It is one of South America's highest with over 8,000 feet of cables.
They flew across the jungle thousands of feet in the air. Reaching speeds of almost 40 mph, their longest ride was 1300 feet long.
We were still a bit disappointed that we were not hiking into Machu Picchu so we decided to take the day hike the Lodge offered of Llactapata. Kike, the owner of the Eco Quechua Lodge was our guide.
"The Inca Trail" to Machu Picchu is one of many trails that were built by the Incas. The Incas built a whole network of trails from Colombia to Peru. Our hike of Llactapata was on one of those Inca trails.
The Inca trail is not just a path, there are lots of stairs. The Incas loved stairs; I would bet money that there are more stairs in Peru per square footage than anywhere else in the world.
Our hike of Llactapata included a morning stop at a high-elevation coffee plantation.
The "plantation" is actually a small family run farm. They harvest and process their beans before taking them to market. They also roast a small quantity to sell to the tourists that visit their plantation. In the picture above the beans are being roasted on a traditional clay wood fired stove. After they were nice and toasted they were ground and coffee was brewed for us to sample.
It is typical to see cuys, maybe it is cui, (guinea pigs) running around the cooking area staying warm by the stove until they are served for dinner, yes that is what I said....cute and tasty. We saw this little guy when we were roasting the beans. I find it a little strange to eat a pet but I guess it is no different than a farmer having a pet chicken or pig or the kids' rabbit we gave to Peter (sorry kids).
After our "coffee break" we continued on to the Inca ruins of Puñculloc.
Like all of the Inca ruins, including Machu Picchu, there is only speculation as to the purpose. These ruins are thought to have been sacred in nature due to their perfect alignment with the main temple at Machu Picchu.
On the day of the winter solstice the sun lines up perfectly through this doorway which is aligned with the main temple at Machu Picchu. These ruins sit higher than Machu Picchu; therefore, the sun is seen here first. It is believed that the golden robe of the priest would reflect the sun to Machu Picchu.
It is amazing that the Incas were able to perfectly align their temples and there structures over many miles and at different elevations. Even with today's modern devices such as GPS this would be a difficult task.
Seeing Machu Picchu from Llactapata really gave us an appreciation of how immense it is. Simply amazing...
After six hours of hiking which was more like climbing, we were rewarded with an awesome lunch at the Llactapata Lodge.
This avocado salad was followed by several platters including fresh pan seared river trout and freshly picked vegetables.
We were completely taken aback by the meal we were served. All day we hiked encountering very few people after the coffee plantation. To come upon this "lodge" in the middle of nowhere was quite strange; to then sit down at a picnic table and be served a delicious gourmet lunch while gazing out at Machu Picchu was the twilight zone. The lodge, which is really a camp ground, and the hundreds of acres it sits on is owned by a family who can trace their roots back to the time of the Incas. It is not possible to buy or sell land around Machu Picchu, the only people that live in this area have been there for generations.
After lunch we started our way down which turned out to be more difficult than going up. Going up we wound our way up. Going down we pretty much went straight down.
The Llactapata crew, Chris and Brian are cousins from Boston who were also staying at the Eco Quechua Lodge.
It was a very long day and it made us realize there was no way we would have survived a 3 or 4 day hike to Machu Picchu. When writing this, I could not remember the statistics of the hike so I emailed Tom to see if he remembered and this is his response: "6,500 vertical feet and 12 kilometers. 2500 ft up. 4000 ft down. I could barely make it down. I was never more happy to bury my knees and face in ice cold water in my life...leeches and all." The victory splash Tom is referring to is our final destination at the base of Llactapata when the guys dunked their heads in the frigid Rio Urubamba.
The following day we dragged our sore bodies out of bed and made an early start to Aguas Calientes, the town at the base of Machu Picchu. As I already said you can only hike or take the train, and after the hike the day before there was no way we were walking.
There is no late return train to Santa Theresa so we had to spend the night in Aguas Calientes which posed a problem with Duke. There are no animals allowed on the train or at any of the hotels in Aguas Calientes. Usually we just smuggle him in but I did not want to jeopardize our trip to Machu Picchu. Fortunately Kike was more than happy to let me leave Duke at Eco Quechua. He even let Duke sleep in the bed with him and his wife. Needless to say, I did not clear this plan with Duke and he refused to talk to me when we returned the following day.
The short train ride to Aguas Calientes was quite pretty, we followed the Urubamba River the whole way.
Machu Picchu is nestled between the Peruvian Andes and the Amazon Basin. Covering over 80,000 acres of mountain slopes, peaks and valleys, it has over 200 structures all set on a steep ridge, crisscrossed by stone terraces. Considered one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, Machu Picchu is among the greatest artistic, architectural and land use achievements anywhere and unarguably the most significant tangible legacy of the Inca civilization.
Built in the fifteenth century, Machu Picchu was abandoned when the Inca Empire was conquered by the Spaniards in the sixteenth century. Machu Picchu was made known to the outside world by an American Hiram Bingham III. Bingham was a professor of South American Literature at Yale University. In 1911, on behalf of Yale University, he came to Peru to do an extensive study of the Inca culture. He located Machu Picchu and is credited with making it the significant historical sight it is today.
To this day many of Machu Picchu's mysteries remain unresolved, including the exact role it may have played in the Incas' sophisticated understanding of astronomy and domestication of wild plant species. Even the name Machu Picchu, which means Old Mountain in Quechua, the language of the Incas, is not what it was called by the Inca's. The name really is a reference to its location.
As fate would have it, the only day of rain we had during our entire trip was the day we went to Machu Picchu. (Ironically this happened to us at the Grand Canyon many years ago.)We chose to not look at this as misfortune; the weather definitely leant itself to the mystique and it was a lot less crowded than an average day with the allowed 2500 visitors.
Plus we got to wear snappy ponchos.
For our Llactapata hike, the day before, it was spectacular and we were able to take in the same vistas as from Machu Picchu plus we had the added bonus of a spectacular view of Machu Picchu.
The most unfortunate part of our rainy day was that our guide was not prepared for the freezing rain so he rushed through our tour. These are the highlights:
The Sacred Plaza is thought to be the political section of the urban sector. Surrounding the Sacred Plaza are the most important buildings at Machu Picchu, The Main Temple, The Temple of the Three Windows, and the Intihuatana.
The Main Temple.
The Temple of the Three Windows.
It is theorized that the windows represent each part of the world: The underground, the heaven, and the present.
In both of these buildings you see the reoccurring use of the trapezoid. It is thought that the Incas utilized the shape of the trapezoid much in the same way an arch is used to provide strength.
The Intihuatana.
The Intihuatana is a ritual stone associated with the astronomic clock or calendar of the Incas. Intihuatana in english means "hitching post of the sun".
The Temple of the Sun was used to celebrate Inti, the Sun, an important Incan diety.
When the sun of the winter solstice enters through the central window, it falls directly on the large ceremonial stone. Below the Temple of the Sun is the Royal Tomb.
This cave-like area contains ceremonial niches and an Inca cross carved from one wall. The cross resembles a series of steps. Like the Temple of the Three Windows, the steps represent the three levels of existence in the world of the Inca. The first step, symbolized by the snake, represents the underworld or death. The second step represents the present, human life, and is symbolized by the jaguar. The highest step represents the celestial/spiritual plane of the gods, and is symbolized by the condor.
Temple of the Condor.
In the picture you can see one of the two naturally shaped rocks that form the condor's wings.
The Incas used no mortar to hold their walls in place; they relied upon precisely cut stones, geometry, and female and male joints in the corners and foundations. Their best-built structures have withstood the passing of centuries, and even multiple earthquakes, without falling. It is actually quite amazing, many of the Spanish Colonial structures that were built over top Inca structures have not withstood the test of time and have crumbled while the Inca structures are still standing.
The Andes are some of the tallest, starkest mountains in the world, yet the Incas were able to farm the land. They developed resilient breeds of crops such as potatoes, quinoa, and corn. They built cisterns and irrigation canals that snaked and angled down and around the mountains. They cut terraces into the hillsides, progressively steeper, from the valleys up the slopes. At the Incan civilization's height in the 1400's, the system of terraces covered about a 2.5 million acres throughout Peru and fed the vast empire.
The Incas filled the terraces with dirt, gravel and sand. The stone retaining walls heat up during the day and slowly release that heat to the soil as temperatures plunge at night, keeping sensitive plant roots warm during the sometimes frosty nights and expanding the growing season. The terraces are also extremely efficient at conserving scarce water (not the day we were there) from rain or irrigation canals.
From our first distant views of Machu Picchu from Llactapta the terraces were a dominant feature. Once at Machu Picchu it was amazing to see just how much farming must have been done there.
Even without any crops, the terraces are still a spectacular site to behold.
We spent the whole day at Machu Picchu; we persevered even though our guide did not. We brought our lunch and sat huddled on a bench under a thatched roof trying to keep our sandwiches dry gazing off into the mist. Not a bad place to be even in the freezing rain.
The following day we took the train back to Santa Theresa. We were looking forward to soaking our sore bodies in the area's natural thermal baths. We jumped in our car for the first time since arriving and followed some sketchy directions to take the road (actually a dirt path) that follows the river. When we finally found the place we were amazed. Literally in the middle of nowhere at the end of a dirt path sits three beautiful stone pools fed by the thermal water of the surrounding mountains. It was like we walked into a five-star spa. It wasn't just the pools that were spectacular but the back drop of the mountains and river made it truly surreal. Each of the pools were a different temperature depending on your taste.
And if you got to warm you can douse yourself in the frigid outdoor shower.
After spending five days at the Eco Quechua Lodge we were sorry to say goodbye.
The Eco Quechua crew: Kike (next to me) was our tour guide and chef, his wife Janet (next to him) was always on hand to answer any questions, their son (sporting the hat) was a playmate for Duke, and Ronald ("like the President") tended to us at all of our meals with a gigantic smile and eager to practice his english, the young boy and teenage girl are Janet's brother and sister who also helped around the lodge.
We packed up our car and hit the treacherous Santa Theresa road and headed to Urubumba.
Remember all the rain we had at Machu Picchu? All that rain caused landslides in Santa Theresa. We had to delay our departure to allow time for them to clear the roads.
This spot they could not clear because the machine died.
They placed large rocks along the edge of the washed out road so cars could eak by. Tom and I had to get out of the car to eliminate weight. What you can't see in the picture is the shear drop off to the right of the car trying to get around the truck. It was a truly stressful moment, one wrong move and Clint was going over the edge. In hind sight I wish we had videoed it, at the time it did not occur to us, we were too focused on making sure Clint made it past; which he did and we continued on.
All that rain also caused this...
At 14,000 all that rain turned to snow. This time we got out of the car to play.
We made a brief stop in Ollantaytambo to check out these Inca ruins and to get some lunch.
When we finally made it to Urubamba we had to hire a moto-taxi to help us find our hotel.
In the smaller towns you see these guys running all over. The drivers take immense pride in jazzing them up and making them each unique.
They are basically motorized rickshaws.
With help from the taxi we found our lodging, Las Chullpas.
Las Chullpas was every bit as unique as Eco Quechua; especially the bathroom.
It was huge and smack dab in the middle was a giant boulder that was too difficult to move so they incorporated it into the shower.
Chloe, Las Chullpas' pet alpaca took an instant shine to Clint. She followed him all over. We theorized that she thought he was a long lost brother since they have similar hair.
We spent two nights in Urubamba doing several day excursions. We went to Pisac to check out the popular artesian market.
We went on Sunday so we were able to see the locals dressed up going to church.
Clint and I were on a quest for an Alpaca rug. After wearing Tom out, dragging him from stall to stall and numerous bidding wars with vendors, we settled on two small rugs.
The highlight of our day was actually on our return trip to Urubamba when Clint was pulled over by the policía. It was a routine "road-stop" that could have turned out very badly...Clint had forgotten his driver's license and as the officer told us in what little english he knew "this is very bad señor". I am sure the whole thing could have been settled quickly but we were not willing to buy our way out of it. We have a strict no bribe policy. We were more than happy to travel to the local station to fill out "all" the paperwork and do whatever else was required of us. This was not what the policía had in mind. He had taken Clint's passport and was not returning it. I became extremely agitated and explained to the man that where his passport went he went. He quickly realized it would be a lot less of a headache to just let us go with a gentle reprimand and someone with a driver's license behind the wheel.
Where was Tom in all of this? While Clint and I were at the back of the car dealing with the officer, Tom was in the passenger seat texting Susan to be on standby in case we were getting thrown in the clink.
The following day, with driver's license in hand, we drove to the nearby pueblo of Maras to see the salt evaporation ponds built by the Incas.
Although not as spectacular as Machu Picchu, they were fascinating. We have visited many salt ponds at sea level that use ocean water; what we did not realize is that they also exist at high elevations naturally fed by a saltwater stream.
They were not easy to locate and it was a small adventure just getting there. After finally locating the correct dirt road that would take us to the very small community of Maras, we encountered an old rickety wood suspension bridge with a locked gate. Fortunately there was another vehicle, a local, waiting to cross and he had sent for the holder of the key. After waiting about 15 minutes we were granted access to cross and assured that someone would be around to let us out.
Once safely across the bridge (I walked) we followed the road until it ended at a small creek. Guessing that a worn path would lead us up to the pans we continued on foot. It's not like there are any signs anywhere pointing out the various tourist attractions, sometime you have to guess.
Today the salt ponds are available to anybody wishing to harvest salt. The only requirement is that you are a member of the community. Any families that are new to the community wishing to propitiate a salt pond get the one farthest from the community. The size of the salt pond assigned to a family depends on the family's size. Usually there are many unused salt pools available to be farmed. Any prospective salt farmer needs only to locate an empty currently unmaintained pond, consult with the local informal cooperative, learn how to keep a pond properly within the accepted communal system, and start working. There are approximately 3600 ponds; with 700 to 800 families maintaining them. The total annual production varies between 160 and 200 tons.
We spent the last night of our Sacred Valley tour back in Cusco and the following morning flew back to the big city of Lima.
Lima was not anything I expected. Our first glimpse of it was at night and that was just the area around the airport. Lima is a huge city, the fifth largest in the Americas. It is made up of 43 districts. We stayed in the Miraflores District where most visitors to Lima stay. It is filled with shopping, hotels, and wonderful restaurants.
One of the most famous landmarks in Miraflores is restaurant La Rosa Náutica. It is a rambling Victorian-style building perched over the Pacific at the end of a pier.
Several people suggested that we had to eat there. It is a bit fancier than where we would typically eat but we had a special reason to celebrate, it happened to be Tom's 30th anniversary with General Motors. We celebrated by letting Tom takes us to dinner; he is the one with the job. Thanks Tom!
We were advised to make sure we got a reservation for early in the evening so that we could enjoy the sun setting over the Pacific. Two things dawned on us as we sat down to dinner: one, there was only two other people dining so why did we need a reservation; and two, there is no sunset when it is hazy and it is constantly hazy in Lima.
The haze of Lima is not caused by smog it is due to the combination of the warm air and very cold water. Lima sits directly on the Pacific Ocean in an arid region of plains that rise to the east to the foothills of the Andes Mountains. The cold Humboldt Current which runs along most of the Peruvian and Chilean coast moderates the heat of the tropical sun, but at the same time produces high humidity with clouds and mist. The Andes Mountains to the east of the city prevent the tropical climate, including storms and rains, from the Amazon basin reaching the coast.
Miraflores is also a popular spot for paragliding. The winds coming in off the Pacific are very consistent allowing the paragliders to stay up all day.
We were in Lima for four days. One day was spent on a guided tour of the historic sites of the city. In the colonial era Lima was the seat of power for the viceroyalty of Peru and dominated the entire Pacific coast of Central and South America. Lima served as the capital of Spain's South American empire for 300 years. With this power came a lot of wealth resulting in magnificent buildings that have been beautifully restored.
Plaza de Armas has been the center of the city since 1535.
The Plaza de Armas is surrounded by the Government Palace, Cathedral of Lima, Archbishop's Palace of Lima, the Municipal Palace, and the Palace of the Union.
Government Palace.
Cathedral of Lima
Archbishop's Palace of Lima.
Municipal Palace and Palace of the Union.
Throughout most of the historic district, or El Centro, you see elaborate wood balconies, as seen in the last two pictures. Most of the balconies were built in the 17th and 18th centuries. In an effort to restore this cultural heritage, businesses and individuals have "adopted" balconies taking the responsibility for their restoration and maintenance. There are over 1600 balconies throughout Lima today.
Inglesia de San Francisico is the most visited church in Lima, combine that with the feast day for the unemployed and you have a very crowded church. We were there to visit the crypts so we did not need to wait in the long line of people there to light a candle in hopes of finding employment.
Tunnels under this church served as the city's first cemetery. We were able to meander among the remains of over 25,000 people. When they decided to open the crypts to the public they chose to arrange all of the remains by bone type. There are thousands of skulls arranged in eerie geometric patterns, creepy. No pictures were allowed so you will just have to take my word for it.
We did not limit our tours to churches, we also visited several museums. The Museo Pedro de Osma is a century-old mansion that was once the home of a wealthy collector of religious art. In addition to the beautiful paintings, the museum's inlaid wood floors, intricate plaster moldings and ceilings, and stained-glass windows were their own works of art.
On temporary display was this articulating Jesus. This life like sculpture of Jesus was created in the 1600's by Spanish artist Pedro de Noguera. This amazing piece of art articulates so that it can be manipulated to hang from a cross or lie flat as Jesus did after his death. The sculpture is still used today in religious ceremonies especially during the Easter Season.
Our favorite museum, and the one we were rightfully told not to miss, was the Larco Museum. Officially known as Museo Arqueológico Rafael Larco Herrea, it houses the world's largest private collection of pre-Colombian art.
The pre-Colombian era dates all the way back to the Stone Age. It is the period of history of indigenous cultures of the Americas before the appearance of significant European influences on the American continents.
The museum showcases chronological galleries that provide a thorough overview of 4,000 years of Peruvian pre-Columbian history. With the help of a guide, we learned about many indigenous cultures and saw artifacts that dated back as far as 5,000 B.C. It was hard to grasp just how old some of the things we saw are, the Incas date back only to the 13th century and their ruins seemed ancient.
The collection contains more than 40,000 ceramic pieces, most of which are jug-like vessels.
Unlike most museums, you are allowed to wander the store rooms. There was literally shelf upon shelf, row upon row, of ceramic jugs. There were so many pieces that it was hard to grasp their age and uniqueness. The pieces were in such perfect shape you felt like you were walking around a Crate and Barrel.
It is believed that the vessels were used as a form of writing to record historic events and teach aspects of their life. In fact, the museum has a whole room dedicated to the pre-Colombian erotic pottery, essentially pre-Colombian ceramic Kama Sutra.
Of course our maturity level dropped and the sophisticated museum goers were not impressed with our giggles. The pre-Colombians liked to get their freak on... Tom even learned some new moves.
In all seriousness, women and fertility were sacred to the Indigenous cultures. Childbirth was very significant and the representation of birth was seen in a lot of the pottery.
In addition to ceramics, the museum is home to the largest collection of pre-Colombian gold and silver jewelry.
There are also a lot of textiles, the most famous of which holds a world record of 398 threads per inch.
This massive piece dates back to 8,000 B.C. It is unusual to find old textiles in such good condition but because of Lima's desert-like conditions this piece was well preserved.
This mummy, a small child, is in perfect condition.
The mummy is located in the chest area, positioned in the fetal position, dressed in a funerary shroud and adorned with a gold death mask.
Many cultures in the pre-Colombian era mummified their dead. Unlike Egyptian mummies, they placed their mummies in the fetal position. This placement is thought to signify entering the afterlife similar to how they entered the present world.
South of Lima are ruins of the pre-Colombian Wari Indians. Dating back to the first century, this site was built prior to the Incas reign. It was built as a pilgrimage site to worship Pachacámac, creator of the world.
Slowly they have begun to excavate and restore the sand covered ruins.
This worship site was captured by the Incas in the 15th century. In an effort to demonstrate their supremacy they built their own temple to the Sun at the highest point over top a sacred Wari structure.
Although not as majestic as Machu Picchu, Pachacámac is overwhelming. It is an enormous site that they are only just now beginning to uncover.
The wind has unearthed several areas where skeletal remains are visible; yes the black is human hair, perfectly preserved!
While there we came across the infamous Peruvian Hairless dog. They are a common site throughout Peru. It is considered the dog of the Incas; however, they date back to pre-Inca and our found in pottery from 750 A.D.. I wish I could say they are so ugly they are cute (like our Duchess) but the bottom line is they are just plain ugly.
Tom is a big fan of fútbol, while in Lima he purchased the jersey for the local club team Alianza. He proceeded to put it on immediately and wear it everywhere. The locals were very excited to see a gringo supporting their team.
One afternoon, we were leaving a restaurant and the manager came running after us to tell us that one of Alianza's star players was a personal friend of his and happened to be there dining. He said he would be very honored to introduce Tom and that Tom could even request to have their picture taken.
Not wanting to miss out on the action, the guy in the picture below overheard the conversation and proceeded to introduce himself to us as a member of the Colombian Olympic Karate team. He was in Lima for a competition. Of course we had to have a picture with him as well.
Peru is a large, wonderful, and very diverse country; we only got to scratch the surface, hopefully we will have an opportunity to return and explore some more.
As with all of the adventures we have with Tom we make memories that will last forever. We are already planning our next hiatus so stay tuned.
Outtakes:
Tom and I goofing around outside the Larco Musuem.
Ansel.
Have bag, will travel.
Walking the road to Machu Picchu.
Dos Amigos.
Tres Amigos.
We never got tired of looking up and seeing the snow capped mountains.
We've been working towards this for almost 10 years. It has been a dream with many challenges, all of which have made it more worth while. We are so grateful and excited to start this next chapter!
Extra:
Twenty years fom now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the things that you did do. So sail away from the safe harbor, catch the trade winds in your sails,
EXPLORE, DREAM, DISCOVER.
-Mark Twain
Getting ready for the big day! We moved Karma from her home of two years (WPB mooring) to Sunset Bay Marina in Stuart. Packed up the rest of our "crap", the stuff not coming with us & took it to Texas. After a nice visit with Reina's parents it was back to Stuart to get down & dirty & get Karma ready...
Your destiny, is a result of your actions.
Live by a code of conduct that will secure supreme hapiness
and worldy joys; which are usually the little things.