The temple is located in the eastern suburb of La Molina, and quite the ride from the airport. However, I was glad that I made the effort.
Sunday, June 19, 2011
The Lima Temple
I left Cusco at 2pm on Wednesday. My flight into Atlanta would not leave until 12:40 am the next morning. So, I decided to visit the Lima LDS Temple.
The temple is located in the eastern suburb of La Molina, and quite the ride from the airport. However, I was glad that I made the effort.
The temple is located in the eastern suburb of La Molina, and quite the ride from the airport. However, I was glad that I made the effort.
To Market, To Market to Buy a Fat (guinea) Pig!
After returning from Machu Picchu, we would return for two more days in Cusco. During our free time to ourselves, I chose to explore the market places.
San Pedro Market
This market has been featured on both Travel Channel shows Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern, and No Reservations with Tony Bourdain.
The market is mostly for the locals to do their grocery shopping. About, the size of a football field, this open-air market sells mostly food items, with a few artisans booths sprinkled here and there for the tourists. There are the typical fruits and vegetables that we know and love in North America. There is also familiar cuts of meat such as beef, lamb, and pork.
And then there is the not so typical: pigs heads, alpaca steaks, and cuy - which to you and I is the guinea pig!
In North America, pigs heads were used to make head cheese. Not a cheese at all, you can find head cheese in the deli section of any grocery store. Oscar Mayer makes it. A good understanding of head cheese can be found in the children's book Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder. In one chapter she describes how her parents butcher a pig and what they did with all the meat, and this includes a section on how to make head cheese. My great-grandfather was a butcher in Chicago, and my mother was subjected to all sorts of cuts of meat. If she didn't like it as a child, she never fed it to her own children. Suffice it to say, I have never tasted head cheese!
Alpaca - Alpacas and Llamas are part of the camel family. Alpacas are typically bred for their wool or fiber, which is used in traditional weaving. Llamas are the larger of the animals, and are bred for meat, and to be pack animals. Having had camel meat on several occasions when I lived in Egypt, I was not adverse to trying alpaca or llama meat.
Cuy - having first seen this on the Travel channel, I was not about to try it. I am not a picky eater, but there some limits. Then again, when in Rome - or Cusco....... And, on my last night in Cusco, one of my fellow travelers did get brave and order cuy. I wish I had had my camera! You could just see it's little head with teeth, and curled up paws! However, I did try a taste, and I liked it!
Please enjoy the pictures of the San Pedro Market :)
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| Fruit juice stalls. |
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| Flower stalls |
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| Corn stalls |
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| Sign over the pork aisle. |
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| Sign over the juice aisle. |
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| Overall view of San Pedro. |
Mercado de las Brujas - Cusco's Version of Diagon Alley!
Sixty percent of Peru's population is Roman Catholic - with a sprinkling of the ancient Incan religion thrown right in! Adjacent to San Pedro Market is the Witches' Market, and it is fascinating!
Like the fictional Diagon Alley of Harry Potter fame, The Witches' Market has something for everyone. So I will break it down with comparison's to Diagon Alley.
Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions - All around the perimeter of San Pedro are clothing stalls.
Flourish and Blotts - In the Witches' Market, itself, I could find no books. However, there are shaman shops all around the city, and many of them look like your average health food store in the U.S. They have a selection of books.
Apothecary - With potion ingredients galore, the Witches' Market carries a wide assortment of potion ingredients that could make Severus Snape salivate! The list is long: herbs, herbal medicines, beginner spell kits, dried animals of every variety, potion ingredients, ready-made potions, amulets, charms, etc., etc.
Eeylopes Owl Emporium - The closest thin to Eeylopes I could find was a women selling dried and live frogs and toads. She would not allow me to photograph her stand (I always ask).
Ollivander's Wands - I did find these cool sticks with faces carved in them. I don't think they are used as walking sticks!
Knockturn Alley - I couldn't find a Knockturn Alley equivalent, not that I was looking for one.
Friends of Madam Pomfrey- Shaman and Witch doctors are available to help a person with spells. There are even the rare Sorcerers. Only good white magic is practiced. No sectumsempra here!
The Witches' Market is mainly for the locals. Here they buy spell supplies, Andean herbal medicine, and amulets for the Challas (Chay ahs), the important ceremonies that have survived from the Incan times.
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| These are llama fetuses, used in the building of new buildings. The pictures is not rotated correctly, and I can't fix it on this computer. Next to the dried fetuses are packets of love potions and other spell kits. |
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| Masks for festivals - again, I can't rotate this picture. |
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| I would love to know what these carved wood sticks are for. |
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| The frog lady would not let me take pictures of her dried and live frogs. I went to the next aisle to get a photo of the cures that frogs can give a person. |
Eventually, I will get these photos rotated.
Two Small Towns
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| The touristy section that reminded me of a Middle East Souq. |
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| The local elementary school |
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| Statues of Inca emperor. |
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| Son of a shop owner. We played together. |
Then we took the train back to Ollantaytambo to pick up the rest of our luggage. While the rest of the group went to look at some more Inca ruins, I took to taking pictures of the village, and the festival that was still going on.
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| A wall of hats at our hotel. This gives me a reason to buy hats! |
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| This is a fun town during festivals. |
Machu Picchu
When I was in sixth grade our social studies textbook clearly stated that Macchu Picchu was built so the Incas could run and hide from the coming Spanish invaders. We now know this was not the case. One of my main goals in writing this blog is to educate. My hope is to plant seeds so that the reader will want to research more on their own.
What is Machu Picchu?
Machu Picchu, in the Quechua language, means "Old Peak". It is 7,970 feet above sea level. Located 50 miles northwest of Cusco, we now know it was meant to be an estate for the Incan emperor Pachucuti ( 1438-1472). Incan emperors often had estates away from their main ruling cities. Sort of like their own huge Camp David.
The Incas started to build the estate around 1400 A.D. They abandoned it as an official site for the Inca rulers over a century later during the Spanish Conquest. The Spanish never learned of the site. Because of this, the site remained in excellent condition without the violation and graffiti that the Spanish rendered on other Inca sites.
The following designations have been given to Machu Piccu:
While Hiram Bingham was the first to bring outside attention to Machu Picchu in 1911, he may not have been the first outsider to get there.
Maps found by historians show references to Machu Picchu as early as 1874. While not completely proven, there are claims that Machu Picchu was visited by Christian missionaries, Thomas Payne and Stewart McNairn in 1906. Others may have visited in 1901 to leave their names etched in rock. I actually saw these names, and attempted to photograph them, but could not get close enough. The area is roped off. In 1867, German Augusto Berns may have discovered and plundered the site. Thee is evidence that another German, J.M. von Hassel arrived even earlier.
And then there are the extraterrestrials. Given that some people believe the mysterious Nazca lines, near the town of Nazca, in southern Peru are the work of aliens, maybe they visited Machu Picchu, too!
Hiram Bingham and the Yale University Controversy
Hiram Bingham was a history lecturer at Yale University. He had visited Peru several times in search of the city of Vilcabamba, the last Inca refuge during the Spanish conquest. in 1911, 11-year-old Pablito Alvares, a local Quechuas boy, showed Bingham the site of Machu Picchu. There were local Quechuas people living in the original structures. Bingham called the complex The Lost City of the Incas. He made his discovery public to the world on July 24, 1911. He made several more trips through to 1915, collected several artifacts, and wrote several books on the subject.
Ceramic vessels, silver statues, jewelry and human bones were just a few of the artifacts excavated and taken by Bingham back to Yale University. His study period was to be 18 months, and then he would return everything. However, Yale took possession of the lot, probably with Bingham's approval. According to Yale, Peru did not have the proper conditions or infrastructure to care for the pieces. Many of these pieces are on display at Yale's Peabody Museum.
By 2007, Yale and Peru reached an agreement concerning the return of the artifacts. Some actually have been returned. A new museum and research facility would be built in Cusco. Yale would be in charge of the research and help the Peruvians with the museum. This has not happened. Not much happened on Yale's end of the deal. In fact, Yale has been a tad defensive about the situation. They have a website about myths concerning the artifacts. According to them, Peru's civil code of 1852, which was still in place when Bingham visited, allowed him to take artifacts.
By November 2010, Yale agreed in principal to return all artifacts to Peru.
The Fate of Machu Picchu
Tourism is harming Machu Picchu. There is no doubt about it. As a tourist, I do feel guilty about leaving my carbon footprint. The town of Aguas Calientes sits in the valley under the ruins. Its sole purpose is to take care of tourists. The Unesco Foundation, and World Monuments Fund are studying the situation. Peru is highly dependent on the tourist trade, and Machu Picchu is its crown jewel - but at what cost? My goal is to find out what I can do to save this site.
Peruvians have taken a good stand in protecting the ruins. When a proposed helicopter landing pad was proposed on the main green of Machu Picchu, an outcropping of rock was removed to make way. However, the pad was never built, thanks to environmentalists, Peruvians, and groups like Unesco. The well-to-do have to ride the tourist buses with the rest of us unwashed masses!
Enjoy the pictures.
What is Machu Picchu?
Machu Picchu, in the Quechua language, means "Old Peak". It is 7,970 feet above sea level. Located 50 miles northwest of Cusco, we now know it was meant to be an estate for the Incan emperor Pachucuti ( 1438-1472). Incan emperors often had estates away from their main ruling cities. Sort of like their own huge Camp David.
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| The actual Machu Picchu peak. |
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| Huaynu Picchu (young peak) |
The Incas started to build the estate around 1400 A.D. They abandoned it as an official site for the Inca rulers over a century later during the Spanish Conquest. The Spanish never learned of the site. Because of this, the site remained in excellent condition without the violation and graffiti that the Spanish rendered on other Inca sites.
The following designations have been given to Machu Piccu:
- 1981 - Peruvian Historical Sanctuary
- 1983 - Unesco World Heritage Site
- 2007 - One of the New Seven Wonders of the World
- 2008 - World Monuments Fund Watch List.
- Currently under review with Unesco as a "World Heritage Site in Danger".
While Hiram Bingham was the first to bring outside attention to Machu Picchu in 1911, he may not have been the first outsider to get there.
Maps found by historians show references to Machu Picchu as early as 1874. While not completely proven, there are claims that Machu Picchu was visited by Christian missionaries, Thomas Payne and Stewart McNairn in 1906. Others may have visited in 1901 to leave their names etched in rock. I actually saw these names, and attempted to photograph them, but could not get close enough. The area is roped off. In 1867, German Augusto Berns may have discovered and plundered the site. Thee is evidence that another German, J.M. von Hassel arrived even earlier.
And then there are the extraterrestrials. Given that some people believe the mysterious Nazca lines, near the town of Nazca, in southern Peru are the work of aliens, maybe they visited Machu Picchu, too!
Hiram Bingham and the Yale University Controversy
Hiram Bingham was a history lecturer at Yale University. He had visited Peru several times in search of the city of Vilcabamba, the last Inca refuge during the Spanish conquest. in 1911, 11-year-old Pablito Alvares, a local Quechuas boy, showed Bingham the site of Machu Picchu. There were local Quechuas people living in the original structures. Bingham called the complex The Lost City of the Incas. He made his discovery public to the world on July 24, 1911. He made several more trips through to 1915, collected several artifacts, and wrote several books on the subject.
Ceramic vessels, silver statues, jewelry and human bones were just a few of the artifacts excavated and taken by Bingham back to Yale University. His study period was to be 18 months, and then he would return everything. However, Yale took possession of the lot, probably with Bingham's approval. According to Yale, Peru did not have the proper conditions or infrastructure to care for the pieces. Many of these pieces are on display at Yale's Peabody Museum.
By 2007, Yale and Peru reached an agreement concerning the return of the artifacts. Some actually have been returned. A new museum and research facility would be built in Cusco. Yale would be in charge of the research and help the Peruvians with the museum. This has not happened. Not much happened on Yale's end of the deal. In fact, Yale has been a tad defensive about the situation. They have a website about myths concerning the artifacts. According to them, Peru's civil code of 1852, which was still in place when Bingham visited, allowed him to take artifacts.
By November 2010, Yale agreed in principal to return all artifacts to Peru.
The Fate of Machu Picchu
Tourism is harming Machu Picchu. There is no doubt about it. As a tourist, I do feel guilty about leaving my carbon footprint. The town of Aguas Calientes sits in the valley under the ruins. Its sole purpose is to take care of tourists. The Unesco Foundation, and World Monuments Fund are studying the situation. Peru is highly dependent on the tourist trade, and Machu Picchu is its crown jewel - but at what cost? My goal is to find out what I can do to save this site.
Peruvians have taken a good stand in protecting the ruins. When a proposed helicopter landing pad was proposed on the main green of Machu Picchu, an outcropping of rock was removed to make way. However, the pad was never built, thanks to environmentalists, Peruvians, and groups like Unesco. The well-to-do have to ride the tourist buses with the rest of us unwashed masses!
Enjoy the pictures.
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Salt of the Earth
Our next day in Peru would take us into the Sacred Valley, where we would visit the markets in the town of Chinchero. We also had the option of visiting ruins and salt mines. We would end our day in the town of Ollantaytambo.
Chinchero
Chinchero is a town with a population of 900 (my guide book) to 5000!(Our native guide). Our first stop was the Centro de Textiles Tradicionales. The women here are working with surrounding communities to keep the old ways of dying and weaving. One of the women can speak fluent English, and has been to the United Nations to testify on behalf of keeping traditional weaving practices. She would explain to my group of nine how wool is gathered from sheep, alpaca, and vicuna. She showed us how they used the soap plant to wash the wool, and how it was spun on a spindle. As someone who has cleaned, spun and dyed my own wool, I would further elaborate on her methods to my group. She would then show us the various plants, insects, and ground stones that were used to dye wool, and the use of various mordants to fix the color and get various shades and tints. (A mordant fixes the dye to the wool so it does not fade quickly - although all colors fade in time. Different mordants will change the colors from dark to light, etc. Also, the kind of pot used to dye in, from cast iron to plastic, will affect the mordant. It is a fun chemistry.) When one of my group members asked why she did not use a spinning wheel - while that was being translated to her - I explained I also learned on a spindle, and that you can take a spindle anywhere, whereas a spinning wheel is stationary. She would say the same. She was aware of spinning wheels, but that she knew of no one who owned one. We all bought something from these women, and when asked if I would bargain for another group member, I declined saying that I never bargain with women at a center where traditional methods are being used. They need the money to preserve their ancient methods. One of the ladies took such a liking to me as a fellow dyer, that I scored a free scarf!
After leaving the weavers, we would walk through Chinchero, which was a village started by the Incas. Several of their buildings, including the local Catholic church, are built on Inca stones.
The Salt Pans
After Chinchero, we went to lunch in the town of Urubamba. I had my first taste of alpaca meat, and it was yummy! Alpaca, Llama, and vicuna are members of the camelid family. Since I have eaten camel in the Middle East, I had no problem eating Alpaca. Llama is mostly a beast of burden, and is not usually eaten.
After lunch, we were given a choice of going on to Ollantaytambo and visiting the Inca ruins there, or going to the salt pans. I had seen pictures of the salt pans in a recent National Geographic Magazine, and I made a case to my group. We were not disappointed.
One of the most beautiful sites in the entire Sacred Valley is the salt pans of Maras. A hot spring at the top of the valley bubbles up with heavily salt-laden water. The water is diverted into literally thousands of pans, where the water evaporates, leaving salt. This practice has been done since Inca times. The salt pans have a fascinating look about them, reminding me of the travertine pools in Turkey.
While, there were other tourist groups there, we were the only one that actually went down into the salt pans, via a very narrow path, and our sure-footed guide, Vidal.
After the salt pans, we went on to the ruins of Moray, which no one knows for certain what the Incas where thinking when they built these terraces. The current theory is that is was a kind of green house for experimenting with different crops. The Incas did not leave a written language, but they did have some kind of iconography, as they had a kind of pony express using runners to go from city to city with messages, and someone had to know how to read and write that iconography.
Ollantaytambo
This small town of about 700, has been inhabited since the 13th century, long before the Spanish arrived. Two massive Inca ruins dominate this small town. We hit the town as the Pentecost holiday of Chockikillka was getting under way. This was awesome, as old indigenous beliefs weave in and out of Catholicism. I did not get to take as many pictures as I would have liked as the sun was sinking fast. They had bands, and people in costume marching around the main square. I would have loved to stay two days in this town to see this festival.
After we checked in, a few of us went to dinner with our guide, Vidal. We had second story views of the main square for when the fireworks went off.
The next day, we would take the Perurail train to Agua Calientes (Hot Water), the closest town to Machu Picchu.
Chinchero
Chinchero is a town with a population of 900 (my guide book) to 5000!(Our native guide). Our first stop was the Centro de Textiles Tradicionales. The women here are working with surrounding communities to keep the old ways of dying and weaving. One of the women can speak fluent English, and has been to the United Nations to testify on behalf of keeping traditional weaving practices. She would explain to my group of nine how wool is gathered from sheep, alpaca, and vicuna. She showed us how they used the soap plant to wash the wool, and how it was spun on a spindle. As someone who has cleaned, spun and dyed my own wool, I would further elaborate on her methods to my group. She would then show us the various plants, insects, and ground stones that were used to dye wool, and the use of various mordants to fix the color and get various shades and tints. (A mordant fixes the dye to the wool so it does not fade quickly - although all colors fade in time. Different mordants will change the colors from dark to light, etc. Also, the kind of pot used to dye in, from cast iron to plastic, will affect the mordant. It is a fun chemistry.) When one of my group members asked why she did not use a spinning wheel - while that was being translated to her - I explained I also learned on a spindle, and that you can take a spindle anywhere, whereas a spinning wheel is stationary. She would say the same. She was aware of spinning wheels, but that she knew of no one who owned one. We all bought something from these women, and when asked if I would bargain for another group member, I declined saying that I never bargain with women at a center where traditional methods are being used. They need the money to preserve their ancient methods. One of the ladies took such a liking to me as a fellow dyer, that I scored a free scarf!
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| Various natural dyes. |
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| Showing how the dyes and mordants work. |
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| Hand weaving |
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| Who wouldn't have fun shopping? |
After leaving the weavers, we would walk through Chinchero, which was a village started by the Incas. Several of their buildings, including the local Catholic church, are built on Inca stones.
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| This Colonial church is built in Inca ruins. |
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| The switchbacks on this mountain are the only route to a neighboring village. There is no car access. |
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| Ruins in the foreground, but a careful look show a red satellite dish! |
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| This woman is dehydrating potatoes. |
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| Frescoes on the outside of the church. |
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| Inca ruins |
The Salt Pans
After Chinchero, we went to lunch in the town of Urubamba. I had my first taste of alpaca meat, and it was yummy! Alpaca, Llama, and vicuna are members of the camelid family. Since I have eaten camel in the Middle East, I had no problem eating Alpaca. Llama is mostly a beast of burden, and is not usually eaten.
After lunch, we were given a choice of going on to Ollantaytambo and visiting the Inca ruins there, or going to the salt pans. I had seen pictures of the salt pans in a recent National Geographic Magazine, and I made a case to my group. We were not disappointed.
 |
| The salt pans from a distance. |
One of the most beautiful sites in the entire Sacred Valley is the salt pans of Maras. A hot spring at the top of the valley bubbles up with heavily salt-laden water. The water is diverted into literally thousands of pans, where the water evaporates, leaving salt. This practice has been done since Inca times. The salt pans have a fascinating look about them, reminding me of the travertine pools in Turkey.
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| Hot salty spring water making its way down. |
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| I thought I was smiling. |
While, there were other tourist groups there, we were the only one that actually went down into the salt pans, via a very narrow path, and our sure-footed guide, Vidal.
After the salt pans, we went on to the ruins of Moray, which no one knows for certain what the Incas where thinking when they built these terraces. The current theory is that is was a kind of green house for experimenting with different crops. The Incas did not leave a written language, but they did have some kind of iconography, as they had a kind of pony express using runners to go from city to city with messages, and someone had to know how to read and write that iconography.
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| The terraces of Moray. |
Ollantaytambo
This small town of about 700, has been inhabited since the 13th century, long before the Spanish arrived. Two massive Inca ruins dominate this small town. We hit the town as the Pentecost holiday of Chockikillka was getting under way. This was awesome, as old indigenous beliefs weave in and out of Catholicism. I did not get to take as many pictures as I would have liked as the sun was sinking fast. They had bands, and people in costume marching around the main square. I would have loved to stay two days in this town to see this festival.
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| The baker girls are wearing masks. |
After we checked in, a few of us went to dinner with our guide, Vidal. We had second story views of the main square for when the fireworks went off.
The next day, we would take the Perurail train to Agua Calientes (Hot Water), the closest town to Machu Picchu.
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