The Inka Trail and the Sacred Valley of the Inca’s

Another enjoyable day in this intriguing and interesting part of the world.

Firstly to correct an error on the last blog, the lovely hotel at Macchu Picchu was in fact the Inkaterra.

Today was an easier day with a respectable 8.00 start and first to a quaint restaurant not for from the hotel for lessons in how to prepare ceviche, almost the natural dish where the fish is ¨cooked¨ by marinating it in lime or lemon juice.

Thence to the somewhat famous Pisac Markets. Many “bargains” although it is pretty obvious that the “alpaca” garments are mostly lambs wool. Jewelry seems OK for price after you bargain (you offer 100, I offer 80, you suggest 90 settle for that or else 87.5, probably worth 50!). Mitch looks resplendent in the choker and the new sweater. I have yet another polo, yet another shirt clean out required on return.

The Inca offering today was Sassayhuaman quite close to Cuzco, where we had the good fortune to see a condor, one of the three sacred fauna to the Inka, along with the puma and the anaconda.

Back in Cuzco for yet another buffet lunch and then a tour of the cathedral and finally the Temple of the Sun. Free time in the late arvo before dinner tonight which we have negotiated in what seems to be a private house, shop, laundry, snack bar. Heaven knows what we will get but it was the bright idea of one of pour party and 10 of us will go.

The luxury train to Puno tomorrow, apparently an 11 hour journey.

Some reflection on the Inka´s and South America Generally

Firstly, nothing is ever as you expect it and particularly so when you experience different cultures. The travel brochures stress the traditional ways of life and historical connections whereas the reality is that most of the Countries we have visited are largely urbanized and in many ways little different to cities anywhere. The shopping malls have the same franchise brand stores and the youngies in particular, wear the same clothes and behave in the same way.

The most obvious differences is the price for many items, particularly clothes which are considerable different.

Each of the cities, whether large of small has a well preserved “old Quarter” dating back 500 years, which makes our cities awfully young by comparison. Each old quarter is laid out in the same way with a central Plaza de Armis.

All have an excess of churches often sharing walls, almost all of the old quarter churches are full of icons and idols in the Spanish catholic tradition.

This leads to the first overwhelming observation in that the Spanish destroyed the pre Columbian way of life on the pretext that it was idol worship, yet the religions were largely astral based and earth/calander based. The churches in particular built on the foundations of Inka temples are far more idol and icon based than the Inca ones ever could have been (apologies if this offends any Catholics).

The other interesting facet is how the contemporary situation is that many of the traditional beliefs and customs have been integrated into the catholic system.

The second aspect which we had not fully understood was the very limited life of the Inka empire, less than 150 years and the fact that it was in some turmoil when the Spanish arrived which made its down fall easier. Before coming here I was of the opinion that it had lasted several centuries at the very least.

The third aspect is the stone work itself and the effort which went in to construction, particularly at Ollantaytaambo. No photos can do the mastery of it justice.

Finally there is the disparity in wealth across all countries. In many cases this disparity seems to be racially based with those of fairly pure European background at the top, those of mixed race in the middle and the ethnic indigenous groups at the bottom.

Housing construction is another contrast with different materials used in different countries, bricks and tiles in Colombia, blocks, concrete and iron in Ecuador and adobe and tiles here in Peru. If you wish to add to your house you just plow up a bit of field and make some bricks. As a housing aficionado this has been of particular interest to me.

The agricultural practices here are fairly basic and it is amazing where and what they will cultivate, even the tops of the highest mountains. Just getting to these remote fields must be an exercise in itself.

Time presses on, the bar and dinner await,

Hasta Leuago Amigos yet again.