Jan 28-30, 2024
At 6:15 AM, we went through a quick immigration line to get our passports stamped for Peru, grabbed breakfast and back to the Tropical Theater to assemble into our tour groups by 7:15. We arrived at the Pisco airport by 9. The airport appeared brand new and empty except for the Royal groups, a vendor, airline staff and some security personnel. I discovered a really nice little museum on the second floor that I don’t think any of the other 500+ folks found. I learned about the Nazca people and the geoglyphs they built along the sides of mountains and how they were made (and can be seen to this day). They inhabited this extremely arid region from 100BC until about 800AD.
After a 90-minute flight to Cusco, we were given a wonderful welcoming ceremony,
and placed into 9-10 person groups for the remaining of our time in the area. I attempted to walk briskly, but the 11,100 feet about sea level took my breath, and I had to walk at a much more moderate pace than my norm. We met our tour guide Nancy (who was named after an American actress, but later her mother could not remember which one). She advised three things: 1) stay hydrated 2) breath slowly and deeply and 3) to drink the coca tea unless you have a heart condition. (I made sure to do all three – and I did much better than my last experience at altitude when my eyes and walking stick said the ground were in different places).
Immediately, we took a tour around Cusco and to the Cathedral. Unfortunately, we were not allowed to take any photos within the structure.
We learned about how the locals incorporated some of the Incan ideals into Catholicism. Most Catholic churches and Cathedrals in Peru are dedicated to Mary – whom the locals transferred their love of “Pachemama” (mother Earth) to Mary. But Pachemama was a symbol of life and fertility – so local artists eventually incorporated something not seen in European depictions – a pregnant Mary accompanied by husband Joseph and son Jesus. Few remain – but paintings of young Jesus dressed as an Inca were popular for a time. They also depicted local delicacies – such as a roasted guinea pig at the Last Supper.
We continued on our tour to the first of the Inca sites – Saqsaywaman. The first of the sites to view the Incan construction using the tight-fitting blocks that have stood for centuries and through many earthquakes without mortar.
(There were also some alpacas roaming around – so we took a brief detour to get photos of them).
We returned to town, to a former convent that incorporated the Incan stonework into their lower level (mainly because the walls had been built with interlocking stones and the Spanish couldn’t knock them down). The walls were so exact that the openings lined up in each room.
After a quick freshening up in our beautiful hotel (The Palacio del Inca), we reconvened for the Gala – where we were given the red-carpet treatment.
The evening started with story-telling of the Earth, Sun and Moon.
(Hopefully my link to where I posted this on Instagram comes through. I was lucky to be standing next to Nancy who translated several passages you can hear on the video). The dinner was lovely (though the convent was cold – we were glad of the baby alpaca blankets provided)
We had hoped the protests blocking the trains from arriving at Machu Picchu would be over – but unfortunately, they would continue for another 2 days. (In late 2023, the Peruvian government granted the rights to manage Machu Picchu ticket sales to a large corporation, and ALL sales would be online. This effectively denied the indigenous people from using and accessing the sacred land – its more complicated – but that’s the gist; I absolutely support indigenous peoples protesting for their rights, I was just sad I was in the group affected – but life goes on. And yes – the Peruvian Government eventually sided with the protestors, but not before we returned to the ship).
Instead, we visited other portions of the Sacred Valley. Our group travelled to Ollantaytambo. The Incas ruled the area from 1420 until the Spanish conquered in the mid 16th century. We wandered the village streets (including those that embrace a bit of whimsical Western culture)
where the Incan walls and waterways continue to provide shelter and some irrigation.
The climb up from the valley, along the terraces and to the remaining portions of the temple were both spectacular and educational.
John and some others continued with the guide up to the very top (the only time Nancy has ever had a group continue to the top), the path was steep with fine gravel, so me and some of the others chose to return to the little town to shop for a bit while the others hiked.
On the way to lunch, Nancy stopped for John to try a local delicacy – guinea pig. John was the only one to eat it – he described it as juicy, flavorful and gamey.
Lunch today (which did NOT include guinea pig) introduced me to a new favorite Sauvignon Blanc – who knew Peru made really nice wine!
Lunch also included another favorite past time – watching lovely horses with a demonstration of the Paso Fino. The Paso Fino is a breed that developed in this region due to the need to pick the front feet up high – eventually developing a change in the shoulder and a natural one- sided (aka lateral) gait (most horses walk/trot on the diagonal). The breed is one of the smoothest to ride (though notoriously bull-headed in personality).
We only had an hour to explore Cusco on our own, so I wandered (I found a bottle of the wine from lunch) while John got a massage.
An early morning flight (we did not request a wake-up call, but our organizer decided we needed one – at 5 AM – the only thing I did not approve of in their management of the trip). We dropped our bags back off at the ship then on to an afternoon tour of Lima.
They drove of us to some parks,
and a mall (very typical of a mall anywhere – the only highlight being the grocery store in the lower level that also carried the same Sauvignon Blanc – three more bottles!).
Then the beautiful water fountain show (Liam, Alan and I stood to the side, unfortunately – they used the water as a screen for some videos so we did not get the full effect – still beautiful!)
and then a “typical” Peruvian dinner. It was good, but we’d been spoiled over the last few days, so not quite as amazing.
Poem for the day:
The Inca never bowed to the Spanish
Their language and customs wouldn’t vanish
Now Quechua is spoken
Their will unbroken
Keeping traditions and colors so lavish
History Lesson:
I will use today’s history lesson to focus on something previously blurred in my mind – the differences between the Maya, the Aztecs and the Incas.
The Mayans were the earliest of the great cultures of the Americas, first documented about 2500 BC, developed agriculture (growing maize, beans and squash). The height of their empire spanned from 250 BC to about 900 AD in what is now Central America and the Yucatan peninsula. Most cities ranged from 5000- 50,000 people. They had advanced studies in mathematics (including the zero) and astronomy, using knowledge to build limestone pyramids that were oriented in ways to capture almost magical appearing effects at solstices. They developed writing, and used tree bark to create their books (codices – of which only one remains). Chocolate was a type of currency commonly used throughout the empire. Although the Empire had fallen by the arrival of the Spanish, there were still some coastal communities that practiced many of the religious ceremonies and agriculture.
The Aztecs dominated the central valley of now Mexico from 1300 to 1521. Another name for them was the Mexica – providing the name for the country. Early Aztecs defeated the declining Toltec Empire as they moved southward, adopting the pyramid building of the Toltecs. In the early 14th century, the Aztecs followed the vision of their elders of founding their capital where the eagle held a serpent in its beak atop a cactus, finding this symbol on the Island in Lake Texcoco (now Mexico City) (and now the central figure on the Mexican flag). Through the 15th century, they expanded their influence and beliefs. Their city of Tenochtitlan housed over 140,000 inhabitants – the largest city of the pre-Columbian era. Advanced agricultural techniques – irrigation, using “floating” gardens with soil dredged up from the enriched soil in the bottom of the lakes allowed for large scale food production. The society was elaborate, with mail and messenger services, tax collection, a court system, and defined bureaucracy. Many of their religious beliefs likely developed from that of the Mayans. Although skilled warriors they could not overcome European diseases and advanced weapons (and poor judgement of their leader Montezuma).
The Incas dominated the west coast of South America from central Chile to Ecuador, starting around 1200 AD in the central South American west coast near what is now central Peru. They worshipped one central God – Inti, the God of the Sun, and several lower Gods and leaders. They built large cities and intricate monuments without the use of iron or any hard metals, and no wheels to carry the huge boulders that were carved to fit precisely, without mortar, and able to withstand the massive earthquakes commonly occurring along the Pacific coast. Unlike the Mayans, they did not have a written language, but used an elaborate system of knots for precise calculations, and developed levels using water between two bowls. They built roads that are used today and connected all parts of their empire. To feed the close to fourteen million citizens, they terraced steep hillsides and irrigated the narrow fields, and used crop rotation to prevent overuse of the soil. Many of the storehouses still stand today along the hillsides. Quechua is still commonly spoken, especially around Cusco – the capital of the Incan empire. So much was built because taxes were paid in labor. Land use was granted by the king and not owned by individuals. The downfall came at the hands of the Spanish at a time when the Empire was having a war of succession between two of the princes. Francisco Pizarro arrived with 168 conquistadors in 1528, shortly afterward, the Incan Emperor Huayna Capac and designated prince and heir died suddenly (likely from smallpox). The 168 conquistadors convinced one prince they would support him, and when one group was defeated, then took up against the remaining prince, eventually declaring a third – Manco Inca the Emperor. But Manco was more wily than Pizarro thought. Pizarro founded Lima in 1538, and was killed by the Incas in 1541. The battles continued until Spain took control in 1572.
And – now on to Costa Rica!