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Peru, the land of the Llama, the Alpaca, and the quest for the elusive Inca Princess.
Day 2, Nov 23, 2017. The revenge of the Alpaca: ‘Wasif Mama (uncle), please don’t eat the Alpaca. They are so cute’. Read a message from Noor, my niece, from back in Texas, as I tried to catch up with my messages and emails while having breakfast at the top floor of restaurant. She must have seen the message I posted earlier about expressing my desire to eat Alpaca meat in Cuzco being a specialty of the Inca land. Savoring the breakfast and the beautiful view from the top floor one last time, I say good bye to the hotel and its friendly staff, and we caught a cab to go to the airport. Moving through the busy morning rush hour traffic we got to the airport. There is a long line of cars outside the airport. We decided to get out of the cab and started walking towards the terminal entrance. After successfully negotiating the check in process and security procedures we finally boarded the plane for an hour long flight. Cuzco is a high-altitude city located at an elevation of 11000 feet. Cuzco is listed as a UNESCO world heritage site. This was the head quarter of the Inca empire that was the largest empire of its time. During its peak from mid 15th century to mid 16th century the Inca empire controlled large territory around the Andes mountains that included the countries of Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, Argentina, Chile and Columbia with a little less than 800,000 square miles of area. This empire was controlled and managed from this historic city of Cuzco. Major wars were fought here between the Inca and the Spanish invaders. The invaders eventually established their control here and erected many buildings, churches, cathedrals with grand colonial designs starting from the middle of the sixteenth century. Some of these structures were erected next to, or on top of Inca temples and structures. The stones from the demolished Inca structures were used to construct the Spanish churches and other buildings. The city is surrounded by Andes mountains and the pilot has to make a tricky landing as the plane has to suddenly descend to the airport after clearing the mountains. City looks beautiful from the airplane with landscaped multitude of red rooftop houses all along the green mountain slopes, as if offering red carpet welcome to the visitors.
Altitude sickness is a real concern for anyone arriving in Cuzco. Within one hour the traveler is transported from sea level to 11000 feet altitude. People can feel light headedness, dizziness and shortness of breath at this altitude due to thin Oxygen. The pilot cautioned everyone and advised the visitors to take few cocoa leaves and keep them in the mouth. This was supposed to help the body to acclimatize to the high altitude. Glass jars containing cocoa leaves welcomed all visitors. We all picked up few leaves and kept those in the side of the mouth. I felt that this was more for mental satisfaction rather than some real effect.The small airport is nestled between beautiful scenery with mountains and colorful houses rising on the mountains. As I got off the airplane from the stairs, I started taking pictures until security staff asked me to walk towards the terminal. I noticed the lunatic in my mind, jumping with joy, doing cartwheels, as he looked at the mountains of Cuzco. We started to walk outside the terminal where a crowd had gathered to receive the visitors. We were also looking for our guide. We noticed someone holding a sign, ‘Suresh and Anjana’. Wasim said, ‘Oh there are some desis (South Asians) in our flight’. Then he started to look around as he yelled, ‘Suresh and Anjana where are you’. But we did not see anyone. From that point onwards anytime, we saw a desi (South Asian person), Wasim would say loudly Suresh or Anjana. One person was holding the name Khan Group. Wasim again yelled, Khan, only to realize that this was our group. He was our wonderful guide Iric Tayro Huillca. He was accompanied by a sweet lady Janet who would be our van driver for next couple of days. She appeared to be a nice, gentle and quite person offering the occasional smile. Iric on the other hand being a professional guide can talk non-stop for as long as you will allow him. Iric must have done google search on the last name Khan belonging to two members of our group and concluded that we were from Afghanistan. Every once a while he would mention this and say something about Afghanistan. At least he was kind enough not to place us in Mongolia, the land of Ginghiss Khan. Repeatedly we told him that we were from Pakistan but it would never register in his mind. Few times I reminded him about the high mountains of Pakistan and 5000 year old ruins of ancient city Moenjo Daro in the Indus valley. He would acknowledge this, only to revert back to Afghanistan in the next discussion. After trying in vain for few times, we gave up our effort to correct him. Anytime he would say something about Afghanistan we would nod our heads in full agreement and total submission. He trusted google more than our word. Iric, however, demonstrated adequate command of his subject, i.e., all information related to the Inca empire and detailed description of the Inca ruins. He was also very passionate about his Inca heritage. I noted that he would always use the words ‘In my country’, rather than saying Peru. I got the sense that he was referring to his Inca land, and did not have much regard for the country formed by the invaders after looting and plundering the land and resources of the Inca empire. We have seen such stories unfold all over the Americas, where natives are killed and suppressed by invaders and are still kept in confined spaces or reservations, slowly wiping out the remnants of their rich culture and heritage.
The weather in Cuzco was pleasant. Although November is a summer month in the Southern Hemisphere, it was not very hot in Cuzco. We left the airport, driving to the hills surrounding Cuzco. As the van started to gain altitude on the mountains, the view of the city of Cuzco continued to get more and more breath taking with each turn and twist of the road. It is a sprawling city. The colorful houses cascaded up the mountains starting from ground below. You could see the soccer stadium in the middle of the city. After a long drought Peru had qualified for the world cup to be held in Russian in 2018. There was football fever sweeping the nation. Everyone was excited. Football or Soccer appeared to be the official religion of South American countries that are often led by Brazil and Argentina.
Our first stop atop the hill is the famous archaeological site of Tambomachay, or The Inca Baths. In the Incan language Quechua, it means the place of rest. This is a place where the Inca would visit to cleanse their body and the spirit. It is a great example of ancient water engineering. Water from a nearby thermal spring was channeled through aqueducts and canals to flow through a small water fall, which was divided in 2 more water falls. The sound of the flowing water brought tranquility to the peaceful surroundings. This place could have served as a spa or a bath house for the Incan Elite or possibly Royals. We had our first Llama encounter at the entrance of Tambomachay. Wasim immediately asked whether it was Llama or Alpaca. As usual Iric started his rant with the words, ‘In my country….’. The gist of that particular lecture was that we were looking at a Llama that were generally twice the size of Alpacas. Llama could be offensive animals, that may kick or bite if feeling uncomfortable. Alpacas were gentle and docile akin to a sheep or goat. Alpaca would rarely bite, unless someone like Wasim would forcibly pick them up and make them pose for a duck group selfie. Wasim did pick them up every chance he got, they surrendered meekly never threatening to bite. However, that was an angry Llama sitting on the side of the road, weary of tourists trying to woo its attention. Executing stealth moves Wasim tried to get close to it urging me to shoot the picture, and barely survived the resulting kick from the angry Llama. We did manage to get couple of nice clicks while avoiding some kicks. Upon reminding Wasim that his health insurance does not provide coverage against Llama induced injuries, he decided to leave. After a short drive we stopped at the huge white statue of Cristo Blanco (white Christ). This statue was erected by Christian Palestinians in 1945 as a symbol of their gratitude to the people of Cuzco for hosting them, before they departed back to their homeland of Palestine. This statue was reminiscent of the great white statue of the Christ in Rio Di Janeiro, Brazil.
Including the Citadel of Machu Picchu, we saw 5 magnificent archaeological sites. In their own right they were all grand, awe inspiring and wonderful. I would briefly state what I observed that was common to most Inca architecture and construction. Just like a human spine running from the back of the neck down to the tail bone, the 4500-mile-long Andes mountain range, hold together the South American continent from the North to the South and was the geographical spine of the vast Inca empire. The highest peak in the Andes is the Mount Aconcagua, in Argentina standing tall at 22,841 feet. No other mountain range in the world has higher mountains other than the mighty Himalayas and its neighboring ranges like the great Karakorum and Hindukush in South Asia. Average height of Andes is 13000 feet. The Incas did not leave any written records, hence most conclusions were based on observation of patterns found in the sites. They did not know the use of wheels. They did not possess iron tools. They were deeply spiritual, religious, mystical and scientific. They worshiped the Sun and the solar cycle figured deeply in all of their architecture with special designs to celebrate both solstice occasions when the day is the longest during summer and shortest during winter. The windows, doors and the general direction of the structures would face the Sun. The shadow would form a special figure on the solstice day signaling the changing of weather and time to harvest or plant certain crops. The Inca would also hold sacred the three animals, snake to represent the ground world, the puma to represent the world of men and the condor to represent the upper world. They were obsessed with the imagery of these animals whether in the structures, shadows or similar images found in mountain rocks. Sometimes I thought that the Inca king would be standing among some random mountains and would observe an image resembling one of the sacred animals in the mountain shape or the ridge and would proclaim to his nation, ‘It is our lucky day, Puma god is revealing on that mountain. It is a sacred sign and we will build a city on top of that mountain’. The Inca nation and the local herd of Llamas would shake its head in despair and go to work for next few years. No wonder they did not have any time to read or write. Rather they became construction masters.
Most of the major Inca archaeological sites were built on top of the mountains. It is not clear how they managed to carry stones weighing hundreds and thousands of pounds, mount them on top of each other with perfect precision, and create structures that withstood the test of time and survived massive earth quakes. Many of these stones were several feet high and wide. They had several different techniques to stack these stones and use other material to fill the gaps. But in some cases, stones were carved with high precision to follow the contours of their neighboring stones with perfect fit and leaving no gaps. One theory stated that the Llama was their beast of burden of choice to carry the heavy stones on the mountains. No wonder Llama is still a very angry animal, carrying this grudge for centuries through several generations. The terrain is extremely rough to climb the mountains at high altitude through the jungles and forested terrain. How they managed to pile these heavy stones and rocks on top of each other with perfect precision to withstand earthquakes that destroyed Spanish buildings that were built at ground levels. Must have taken hundreds of workers several years to complete these projects unless Aliens were helping them as some theories would like us to believe, just like they helped the Egyptians, Aztecs and Maya civilizations to build pyramids and heavy structures. These cities were designed to bring fresh water to most structures using aqueducts and water distribution channel system. Farming the Alpacas for eating and using their wool for clothing. Well-designed lanes were laid out between the structures. Anyone looking for more details can find many articles on the web to satisfy their curiosity. There is enough in each of these sites to be explained in volumes of books, and beyond the scope of this blog.
There were many reasons to build above the mountains at high altitude. Top of the mountain provides natural protection and security from enemy attack and is easy to defend. Inca had a sense to be closer to the gods and heavens at the top of the mountain. The top also presented a clear view of the Sun god, moon and other stars not obstructed by other mountains. Snow-capped neighboring mountains would be a source of fresh water. Presence of clouds would add to the mysticism of the location and natural cover from attacking enemies. Inca were also very effective in farming by creating beautiful cascading terraces on mountain slopes with proper water supply to those terraces. Generally, the cities were located in close proximity to rain forests to avail all resources present in the forest.
The next stop was another awe inspiring archaeological site of Sacsayhuaman (Royal Eagle) Fortress/Temple complex. That site was another magnificent testament to the building capabilities of Incas. This rather large site is constructed on an elevated plateau on the north side of Cuzco. Some believe that this site was built to honor the Puma visible in the shape of rocks. Being big on rituals and ceremonies there are temples and squares along with large dwellings. This site was heavily scavenged by the Spanish to use the large stones for the colonial constructions of churches and buildings. Like a jigsaw puzzle the giant stones perfectly fit each other to form walls that are almost 20 feet high. All stone blocks fit so perfectly with other blocks on all sides that a thickness gauge could not be inserted between two stone blocks. Estimated weight of each of the large stones would range from 120 tons to almost 200 tons. About 20000 people, and hundreds of angry Llamas worked on this site during its construction in the mid 1430s. All of this was built upon beautiful green grassy area with black stones rising from the lush green meadows in stark contrast. Our guide, Iric was a hub of knowledge about all these sites and continued to enlighten us with revealing information about all places. After all he believed that we were his first ‘Khan’ visitors from Afghanistan and he wanted to ensure we were fully educated about the Inca.
After completing the visits to the two archaeological sites, Iric informed us that it was time to go to the town center of the Cuzco. We started to descend down the mountains to arrive at the main square. This was a happening place bursting with life. Listed on the UNESCO World Heritage Register, Cuzco is the oldest inhabited city in the Americas. Once one gets into Cuzco, one would feel being in the Inca country. There were native Inca people on the streets dressed in traditional Inca attire. Streets are lined by the signature Inca walls constructed on stones stacked on each other. In the last 400 years, Cuzco has seen three major earthquakes that destroyed most colonial structures including palaces and churches. However, the Inca structures survived these earthquakes. Spanish took over the city around the middle of the sixteenth century. They destroyed many ancient Inca buildings and used the stones from these structures to construct their churches and palaces. While walking on the streets of Cuzco, one can observe complex structures with Inca base or walls with Spanish building built on top of them. There is amalgam of different civilizations and structures.
The city tour started with Plaza De Armas and its neighboring lanes and cobblestone streets. The historic square was built during ancient Inca times to celebrate festivals and other occasions. There are people everywhere including Tourists, Old Inca ladies dressed traditionally in Inca attire, shops selling all kinds of souvenirs, tourist guides, girls selling tours and massage services. Warm clothing made from Baby Alpaca wool is a top local seller. Everyone was busy taking pictures and doing tours of the churches, plazas and narrow lanes adjoining the plaza. Many coffee shops offered excellent coffee on street side. Peru is one of the top 20 coffee producers in the world, and the Peruvians love their coffee with immense pride. The Plaza is full of Inca children running around. Some have Alpacas with them. There were many famous landmarks around the Plaza De Armas. There was a statue of Inca king Tupac in the middle of the square.
After the Spanish invaders took over the city from the Inca regime, they constructed two Churches on either side of the square. One of them was The Cathedral of Santo Domingo which was the first Cathedral in Cuzco. The Cathedral was built on top of former Inca king’s palace. The facade of the Cathedral was built with impressive red granite bricks. There was enormous amount of colonial gold work inside the Cathedral. There was a large version of the Leonardo’s master piece painting, The Last Supper, created by the famous Inca artist Marcos Zapata, depicting Christ and his disciples feasting the common local food of roasted guinea pig. Guinea pig is from rodent family. It is extremely popular here. You would notice guinea pigs hanging on street carts with people feasting on them. Next to the Cathedral was another large church built in the finest of baroque styles, the Iglesia de la Compañía de Jesus. Many local student guides were available to the tourists for tours of the Plaza and surrounding buildings. Another Church worth a quick visit was the Church of San Francisco. If one would be in a mood to be creeped out, one may visit the basement and rooms that are filled with human skeletons, skulls and bones. There are thousands skeletons everywhere. In the 16th century and later, the people liked to be buried in the church hoping for early salvation. This place was not for the weak of heart. Already altitude sickness can cloud one’s judgement. As one looks at dark dimly lit rooms full of thousands of bones and skulls in every direction, it felt as if one may be hallucinating.
One of the finest structures located in the Plaza was The Convent of Santo Domingo, that was built upon the ruins of the Inca Temple of the Sun or Korikancha. During the time of the Inca empire the walls of the temple were lined with gold. The courtyard was filled with magnificent statues. This was all looted by the Spanish invaders. The colonial building was built on the original Inca foundation that was still visible while visiting inside the Convent. The beautiful courtyard with surrounding arches was a reminder of Spanish architecture at its best. There is enough for visitors of any taste to study, learn, or just get entertained in and around the Plaza.
Finally, the long day was coming to its weary end. Iric dropped us at our hotel. We were tired and hungry. Wasim and Fawad were ready to devour few Alpacas. We decided to get some rest and later got ready to go out for dinner. The hotel location was excellent right next to the Plaza with a magnificent view of the Temple of the Sun. Fawad decided to take a nap while I and Wasim went to a nice coffee shop next door and enjoyed some coffee with sweet pastries. Wasim and Fawad had already researched and selected a highly rated restaurant. Ciccioline Restaurant is one of the finest the Cuzco has to offer. The restaurant had immaculate colorful decoration. Ambiance is lively and crowded. Waiters were running around back and forth from the kitchen with an open view for all customers. Manager came to us few times to meet and greet. Nice, friendly and smiling faces everywhere. Restaurant is on the second floor of a building. The first floor has many art galleries and shops selling paintings by local artists. Being the crazy foodies, Wasim and Fawad ordered a host of dishes including exotic sea creatures and Alpaca steak. I just opted for a plain chicken sandwich with French fries. However, I did sample some of the other stuff. I felt obligatory to taste a little bit of the Alpaca steak. After all I was in Alpaca country. The words from my niece continued to ring in my ears, ‘Wasif Mama, don’t eat the Alpaca, it is so cute’. I laughed it off. I ate a piece not more than a square inch of the Alpaca steak. It was little hard and chewy but tasty. It felt similar to goat meat. That completed my adventure meal of the day. Did not want to take any chances with only one more day left before the big hike to Machu Picchu. We bid farewell to the friendly restaurant staff and started the half hour walk back to the hotel. Still I could feel little altitude effects while walking. The walk felt good with nice cool summer breeze and lively environment. People were walking everywhere. Cuzco is reputed to have energetic night life but our tired bodies had no energy left for any more exploration. We got to the hotel and decided to call it quits for the day. Rest was necessary as another busy day will be dawning in few hours.
I crashed down on my bed reflecting on the day’s activities and planning for the day ahead. I started feeling uneasy in my stomach. Gradually the uneasy feeling grew to discomfort and nausea. In about 30 minutes I found myself on the bathroom floor vomiting my heart out. Something totally incompatible with my body was inside my stomach and violently screaming to get the heck out of the confinement. ‘Wasif mama, don’t eat the Alpaca, it is so cute’, like a broken record my niece’s text message was echoing in my mind in an endless loop. I immediately realized that the Alpaca was exacting his revenge on me. Revenge for all the atrocities committed against it, for all the centuries, by all the people. It had finally gotten its chance tonight. I had let this illegal alien, Uh, undocumented entity inside my stomach and now it was wreaking havoc. Every 30 minutes I would get up and vomit loudly and violently. And every time I would optimistically think that my stomach was clear, the traumatic episode would be repeating soon. I tried to imagine removing all rotten remnants of that god forsaken animal out of my body. I tried and tried until the very last strand, DNA, atom and shred belonging to that 1 square inch piece of Alpaca meat was out of my dehydrated worn-out stomach. The vomiting was loud exceeding the limits of the decibel gauge. It was reverberating across the corridors of the hotel. The souls of Inca warriors wandering the halls of the temple of the Sun just across the street must be disturbed along with the thousands of resting skeletons I witnessed earlier today. In my misery, I apologized to all of them. It wasn’t until the early hours of morning that the last vomit happened. By this time nothing was left in the stomach. Alpaca had left with a bang, while totally de-energizing my body and sapping my brain of all activity. I somehow, managed to get couple of hours of uninterrupted sleep. The verdict was in. No more Alpaca meat for the rest of my life.
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Day 1 Lima – Day 2 Cuzco – Day 3 Ollantaytambo – Day 4,5 Machu Picchu
The Lunatic Travels by Wasif Malik 