Land of color by Kelly Cullen (2001/07/30)
	Nearest City: Not Specified
Detailed Location: Peru
Photo/Video:"A Peruvian family"
PERU .... A land of color (7-30-01) Peru is the land of multicolored fabrics, amazing landscapes, soothing music and beautifully distinct people. I arrived early in the capital city of Lima (named the City of Kings) and drove around the gray cloud-covered city looking for accommodation. This is peak season so many places were full, I ended up in a basic hostel in the suburb of Miraflores. Miraflores felt very safe after all the stories I had heard about Lima. Miraflores is a lovely coastal town full of bright lights, places to shop and eat, and a giant cinema house... which I thoroughly enjoyed. I visited the elaborate Gold Museum and was mesmerized by the dazzling collection of Inca gold, jewelry and ceremonial objects. The other museums I visited were the Museo de Armas, reputedly one of the best arms museums in the world and the Museo de Textile that housed a Paracas weaving that contained 398 threads per linear inch...a world record. After a few days in the Lima area I was more than eager to fly straight up to Cuzco, the Archeological Capital of America. Cuzco was the capital of the Inca Empire and is at a very high altitude, thus I arrived with a headache that stayed with me all day. The streets are lined with Inca-built stonewalls and crowded with Quechua-speaking descendants of the Incas. The city is famous for being the oldest continuously inhabited city on the continent and for being the closes city to Machu Picchu. Cuzco also gave me the first glance at the distant snowcapped mountains, stunning countryside and the time to absorb the pure, clear invigorating air. I toured the Sacred Valley with all the ruins of the various Gods and also took a city tour in which we went to the several museums and cathedrals. One of the cathedral sites had a massive painting of the Last Supper; the supper included a plate of the Inca delicacy, Cuy (Guinea Pig). After these comprehensive tours I felt I had only touch upon the wealth of Inca Empire. My only disappointment of this trip was that I set up a trek for the Inca Trail and because of a communication problem; I ended up at the end of the trail at the magical site of Machu Picchu. Machu Picchu was recently discovered (1911) by an American historian who stumbled upon it while visiting Peru. Machu Picchu is an absolute wonder of the world, its quality of stonework and abundance of ceremonial sites were amazing. I stayed over night in the local town and greatly enjoyed the Peruvian music and food. I returned to Cuzco completely satisfied with seeing the ruins, not to mention I took over 40 pictures. Next, I headed towards the jungle to Paucartambo for the authentic and brilliantly colored annual Fiesta de la Virgen del Carmen. I met up with 5 fantastic travelers who I spent 2 sleepless days with enjoying the fiesta and traveling to Tres Cruces. Tres Cruces is famous for the jungle views and a sunrise here that tends to project an optical distorted images of the sunrise. We unfortunately did not see the double images, halos or unusual colors but it did seem like the sunrise was in an eclipsed stage and looked as if it was pulsating. As for the food, today I tried Guinea Pig.... it tasted like rabbit to me and washed it down with my first Inca Cola which tasted like liquid, fizzy bubble-gum. I have also sampled Chicha, a mild, maize-based beer that is often avoided by foreigners because the fermentation process is begun with the aid of human saliva. Fortunately, I thought it was disgusting. My latest addiction seems to be chocolate milk, which I have consumed everyday since I arrived in Peru. I guess it is one of those comfort-homey foods that have provided an amazing amount of satisfaction in my traveling life. Cuzco has been wonderful and full of many fun-filled activities but as of this evening I board a bus headed for Bolivia, I will return back to Peru on my last week in South America. Well, my Bolivia trip didn’t occur due to boarder disputes thus I remained in Peru. I left Cuzco headed South to the Lake Titicaca area. I stayed in the City of Puno one night and then early in the a.m. I boarded a boat for a 4-hour journey into the unusual islands of Lake Titicaca. Lake Titicaca, at 3820 meters, is noted as the highest navigable lake in the world and is South Americas largest lake. The water was exceptionally clear and the sun danced along it as we cruised from island to island. First stop was the very touristy island of Uros. Uros is a floating island made up of Totora reed and is inhabited by a small Indian tribe. The Totora reed is used to make their ¨land¨, houses, and boats, also when the reed is peeled it is made into chicha and pancakes. The reed faintly taste like a banana. Next we headed for Amantani Island where a traditional family of whom we were to spend the night with met us. ¨My family was wonderful! The 3 children spent most of the time with me either in my mudroom. We also played lots of games and feed the Llamas, sheep and their mule. The next day headed for the island of Taquile for a hike and to eat a ¨typical lunch. On all the islands the Indians speak Quechua and maintain a strong group identity. The modest homes and dirt roads were only visible at night by candlelight. It was a very good trip. Next location I traveled was to the beautiful but earthquake-prone Spanish city of Arequipa. 3 spectacular snowcapped mountains including the Volcano El Misti surround Arequipa. The city has many light-colored volcanic rock buildings and cobble stone streets. Plus some amazing sites including the Monasterio de Santa Catalina, La Compania Church, the Cathedral and the Museo Santuarios Andinos, where the mummy ¨Juanita¨resides. I also visited the local market that sold a contrasting array of items both ancient and modern. One stall even sold dried Llama fetuses for the use in magical rites. The market women looked very festive in their elaborate embroider bodices, long vibrant-colored and multilayer skirts and brilliant hand-woven shawls. I took a 2-day tour out to Colca Canyon reported to be one of the deepest canyons in the world. As we drove through the bleak altiplano (4,000-5,000 meters). I saw lots of animals: Llamas, Alpacas, plus 2 endangered species: Vizcacha, which looks like a rabbit with a furry, long catlike tail and the Taruka whose fur is worth a fortune. I stayed over night in the small pleasant town of Chivay. I indulged in the hot springs, toured the museum, and listened intently to the ever-present Peruvian music that penetrated the air. For supper, I dined on Alpaca and papaya as I stared into the cloudless sky that was filled with a million twinkling stars. Colca Canyon was like a fairy tale location complete with unending green and brown terraces, vertical drops of 1,200 meters and cacti that produce the most delicious fruit. I was awestruck as I watched the colorful campesinos carry loads of potatoes and or babies on their backs as they sprinted up these near-vertical paths. At the majestic Condor Cross I viewed over 20 condors gliding through the deep blue sky in this magical corner of the Andeans. I must have taken over 50 pictures, but thanks to my digital camera I saved only the top 3 pics. Now I am to board an anticipated torturous 16-hour bus ride back to Cuzco for a few days of river rafting before I leave Peru bound for Panama. My last thoughts of Peru are the scores of silent campesinos I’ve seen plodding up mountains with their eyes downcast and their jaws rhythmically masticating coca-leaf wads to blur their hunger and fatigue. And the beautiful, methodic and passionate music of the magical Andeans.