Today we traveled from Cusco in the heart of the Andes back to the Pacific coast of Peru to Lima. We were met by another Lindblad guide who took us to a museum with a large private collection of pre-Incan clay pots. Although the Inca culture is probably the best known because of the encounter with the Spanish in the 1500's the cultural history prior to the Incas was long and rich. Most of the clay vessels we saw were taken from grave sites. The dead (at least the dead nobility class) were sent off into the afterlife with lots of stuff. In some cases hundreds of decorative pots were included in the graves and it is speculated that the pots were specially made for this purpose and not used in life.
The diversity of the pottery was fascinating, pots were made representing food that was eaten, animals, medical conditions, homes, just about every facet of everyday life.
After the museum we were treated to lunch at a private home in the historic district of Lima. The home was one of the first built when the Spanish conquered Peru in the 1530's and is still occupied by the descendants of that original Conquistador.
Tomorrow we leave very early (4 am!!) for the airport for our flight back to the States.
As much as I have enjoyed this trip I am very much looking forward to being home again!
Friday, February 9, 2007
Thursday, February 8, 2007
Cusco - February 8, 2007
Today we went to a couple of sites in the city of Cusco. Cusco was the very heart of the Incan empire. Today it is a cosmopolitan city of 400,000 residents. We first visited the Qoricancha (Gold courtyard). This site was once a very important Incan temple but after the Spanish conquered the Incas the cloister of Santo Dominigo was built on top of the foundation.
We next visited the local cathedral and saw impressive alters covered in silver and gold as well as very interesting examples of art in the style of the "Cusco school" from when the Spanish and Dominicans sought to convert the natives of Peru to Catholicism.
Our final visit of the morning was to an impressive Incan site called Sacsayhuaman. This site was apparently used for large celebrations of the summer solstice. The foundation walls on this site are enormous and the craftsmanship in how the stones fit together is awe inspiring. Many of the stones from the site were used to build cathedrals and other buildings in the center of Cusco.
Looking at the outline of Cusco as it was during the time of the Inca shows that the city was built in the shape of a puma and Sacsayhuaman forms the head of the puma. The puma, snake, and condor are all important icons in Incan spiritual practice and cosmology.
After a busy morning we had a wonderful lunch and then said a sad farewell to our local guide, Karina. We had the rest of the day to wander around the city on our own.
Tomorrow we have an early start and head back to Lima.
We next visited the local cathedral and saw impressive alters covered in silver and gold as well as very interesting examples of art in the style of the "Cusco school" from when the Spanish and Dominicans sought to convert the natives of Peru to Catholicism.
Our final visit of the morning was to an impressive Incan site called Sacsayhuaman. This site was apparently used for large celebrations of the summer solstice. The foundation walls on this site are enormous and the craftsmanship in how the stones fit together is awe inspiring. Many of the stones from the site were used to build cathedrals and other buildings in the center of Cusco.
Looking at the outline of Cusco as it was during the time of the Inca shows that the city was built in the shape of a puma and Sacsayhuaman forms the head of the puma. The puma, snake, and condor are all important icons in Incan spiritual practice and cosmology.
After a busy morning we had a wonderful lunch and then said a sad farewell to our local guide, Karina. We had the rest of the day to wander around the city on our own.
Tomorrow we have an early start and head back to Lima.
Sun Gate at Machu Picchu - February 7, 2007
We entered the ruins at 6 am and hiked up to one of the high points to await sunrise. It was a foggy morning though but the effect of the fog in the early morning light was mystical.
After the sunrise we headed out the Inca Trail to the Sun Gate which sits high above the ruins. The Sun Gate marks the position of the sun on Winter Solstice. Although the Sun Gate is quite high relative to the position of the ruins the hike itself was pretty gradual along an excellent rock path.
After our visit we headed back by bus and train. Near the end of the train journey a truck got stuck on the tracks and we sat on the train for about 30 minutes. Our quick-thinking guides suggested that the train back up to the nearest road and let our bus pick us up there. So that's what we did and we ended up taking some other travelers who were not part of any tour group with us on the 1.5 hour ride to Cusco.
Along the way back to Cusco we had breathtaking views of the countryside in Peru.
Tomorrow we'll visit some sites in the city of Cusco and one more set of ruins at Sacsayhuaman.
After the sunrise we headed out the Inca Trail to the Sun Gate which sits high above the ruins. The Sun Gate marks the position of the sun on Winter Solstice. Although the Sun Gate is quite high relative to the position of the ruins the hike itself was pretty gradual along an excellent rock path.
After our visit we headed back by bus and train. Near the end of the train journey a truck got stuck on the tracks and we sat on the train for about 30 minutes. Our quick-thinking guides suggested that the train back up to the nearest road and let our bus pick us up there. So that's what we did and we ended up taking some other travelers who were not part of any tour group with us on the 1.5 hour ride to Cusco.
Along the way back to Cusco we had breathtaking views of the countryside in Peru.
Tomorrow we'll visit some sites in the city of Cusco and one more set of ruins at Sacsayhuaman.
Wednesday, February 7, 2007
Machu Picchu - February 6, 2007
We arrived at the town of Agua Calientes by train in the early afternoon and then took a bus up steep switchbacks to Machu Picchu. We entered the ruins late in the afternoon. This turned out to be the best time as most of the other visitors had left the park and it was cooler than during the mid-day.
Machu Picchu is certainly worthy of the status of being one of the seven wonders of the world. In fact there is a movement to have it listed as such. The site itself is divided into a agricultural area and an urban area. The current thought is that the settlement was the home of the women who were selected and raised as possible sacrifices to the gods. There is also a school of thought that the site was also a sort of university for training astronomers. There are a number of temples throughout the runs to the major gods (sun, earth, sky). It is very easy to distinguish a holy site from a "practical" one because the nature and quality of the stone work is much more precise around the holy sites.
Archaeologists think it probably took around a century to build Machu Picchu and the resident population was probably several hundred individuals.
We were the last ones out of the ruins in the evening. It was very special to have the place to ourselves for a few minutes.
Tomorrow we'll do a sunrise walk and then take a long hike up to the Sun Gate.
Machu Picchu is certainly worthy of the status of being one of the seven wonders of the world. In fact there is a movement to have it listed as such. The site itself is divided into a agricultural area and an urban area. The current thought is that the settlement was the home of the women who were selected and raised as possible sacrifices to the gods. There is also a school of thought that the site was also a sort of university for training astronomers. There are a number of temples throughout the runs to the major gods (sun, earth, sky). It is very easy to distinguish a holy site from a "practical" one because the nature and quality of the stone work is much more precise around the holy sites.
Archaeologists think it probably took around a century to build Machu Picchu and the resident population was probably several hundred individuals.
We were the last ones out of the ruins in the evening. It was very special to have the place to ourselves for a few minutes.
Tomorrow we'll do a sunrise walk and then take a long hike up to the Sun Gate.
Tuesday, February 6, 2007
Sacred Valley of the Incas - February 5, 2007
Our travels have shifted from an exploration of natural history to one of cultural history. After leaving the Polaris on Saturday we flew to Lima, Peru and spent the night in the city. Peru is a country of 28 million people and 8 million of them live in Lima. The city is very westernized and as we drove to our hotel we passed some American classics- KFC, Taco Bell, Chili´s, Dunkin Donuts, and Starbucks. Sigh.
The next day we flew to the heart of the Incan empire, Cusco, which sits at an elevation of 11,000 feet. We visited a collective of native weavers to learn about that art and also visited the very busy Sunday market in Pisac. By the end of the day we were all feeling the effects of being at a high altitude. My head was pounding and was overwhelmed a couple of times with nausea. I was very happy to reach the hotel and have a chance to rest. My head got worse so the hotel staff delivered and oxygen tank to my room. After seven minutes or so I felt great again.
Yesterday we visited some Incan ruins outside of Cusco. I was completely in awe of the stonework. The blocks of stone in the sacred temple regions are put together with a tongue and groove construction. They are not simply placed on top of one another and held with grout. Apparently they would make clay or wooden models before shaping each rock to the a precise fit. It was a great outing but by the end of it I felt the effects of the altitude again and spent most of the afternoon resting at the hotel.
In the evening the local theater group put on a musical performance for us that introduced us to the various Incan gods. The dancers wore colorful constumes and danced on stilts.
This morning we head off to what should be the highlight of this part of our journey, Machu Picchu. We are fortunate that we will be able to spend the night in Machu Picchu and so will have the place almost to ourselves tomorrow morning before the other tourists begin to arrive.
If you ever come to Peru I would highly recommend the hotel in which we are staying right now - Sol y Luna. Each room is its own little circular building--like a stucco yurt. The grounds are covered with beautful gardens. Very comfortable and modern. And the food has been extraordinary!
The next day we flew to the heart of the Incan empire, Cusco, which sits at an elevation of 11,000 feet. We visited a collective of native weavers to learn about that art and also visited the very busy Sunday market in Pisac. By the end of the day we were all feeling the effects of being at a high altitude. My head was pounding and was overwhelmed a couple of times with nausea. I was very happy to reach the hotel and have a chance to rest. My head got worse so the hotel staff delivered and oxygen tank to my room. After seven minutes or so I felt great again.
Yesterday we visited some Incan ruins outside of Cusco. I was completely in awe of the stonework. The blocks of stone in the sacred temple regions are put together with a tongue and groove construction. They are not simply placed on top of one another and held with grout. Apparently they would make clay or wooden models before shaping each rock to the a precise fit. It was a great outing but by the end of it I felt the effects of the altitude again and spent most of the afternoon resting at the hotel.
In the evening the local theater group put on a musical performance for us that introduced us to the various Incan gods. The dancers wore colorful constumes and danced on stilts.
This morning we head off to what should be the highlight of this part of our journey, Machu Picchu. We are fortunate that we will be able to spend the night in Machu Picchu and so will have the place almost to ourselves tomorrow morning before the other tourists begin to arrive.
If you ever come to Peru I would highly recommend the hotel in which we are staying right now - Sol y Luna. Each room is its own little circular building--like a stucco yurt. The grounds are covered with beautful gardens. Very comfortable and modern. And the food has been extraordinary!
Friday, February 2, 2007
Bartolome and Santiago Islands - February 2, 2007
Today is our last full day in the Galapagos Island. We awoke to find ourselves anchored just off of Bartolome Island. We had an early morning (6:30 am) hike up to the top of the island to get a good view of the geological features of the area. There were many remnants of lava tubes and recent lava flows. It reminded me of a moonscape.
After breakfast we put on our snorkeling gear and went out for awhile off the beach on Bartolome Island. We got a very close look at a large white-tipped shark who was circling his territory. We also got a nice look at two sting rays gliding across the sandy bottom.
During lunch we weighed anchor and traveled to Puerto Egas on Santiago Island. The island has a beautiful black sand beach. The currents were kind of strong but we went out snorkeling for a little while since it was our last chance to swim with the fishes. There were some great rock outcroppings to explore and we saw an amazingly colorful and large (2 feet long at least!) parrotfish.
After snorkeling we headed out for a final beach walk in the Galapagos Islands with our guide, Gilda. It was a wonderful walk. Highlights included seeing Galapagos mockingbirds gathering nesting material, watching a striated heron hunting and catching a Sally lightfoot crab, and having a Galapagos flycatcher land on my hand for a few moments. We took our time on the walk and were the last people off Santiago Island.
We have many wonderful memories of this expedition to the Galapagos to take home with us. We depart tomorrow for Lima, Peru where we will start our next adventure to Machu Pichu. I’m not sure that we will have email access in Peru so I may not be able to post to the blog until we get back to the US.
Weather:
Sunny: 80-90 F
Water temperature: 74 F
Wildlife sightings to be reported later…..
After breakfast we put on our snorkeling gear and went out for awhile off the beach on Bartolome Island. We got a very close look at a large white-tipped shark who was circling his territory. We also got a nice look at two sting rays gliding across the sandy bottom.
During lunch we weighed anchor and traveled to Puerto Egas on Santiago Island. The island has a beautiful black sand beach. The currents were kind of strong but we went out snorkeling for a little while since it was our last chance to swim with the fishes. There were some great rock outcroppings to explore and we saw an amazingly colorful and large (2 feet long at least!) parrotfish.
After snorkeling we headed out for a final beach walk in the Galapagos Islands with our guide, Gilda. It was a wonderful walk. Highlights included seeing Galapagos mockingbirds gathering nesting material, watching a striated heron hunting and catching a Sally lightfoot crab, and having a Galapagos flycatcher land on my hand for a few moments. We took our time on the walk and were the last people off Santiago Island.
We have many wonderful memories of this expedition to the Galapagos to take home with us. We depart tomorrow for Lima, Peru where we will start our next adventure to Machu Pichu. I’m not sure that we will have email access in Peru so I may not be able to post to the blog until we get back to the US.
Weather:
Sunny: 80-90 F
Water temperature: 74 F
Wildlife sightings to be reported later…..
Venecia Islet and Cerro Dragon
Overnight we traveled to the other side of Santa Cruz island to Venecia Islet and Cerro Dragon. Venecia Islet is a shallow area with many mangrove trees and was perfect for kayaking. In the relatively shallow and clear water we saw lots of white-tipped sharks and diamond rays. After today Venecia Islet will be closed to all visitors as the park authorities have decided that it is an area that is too sensitive for visitation.
After kayaking we did a quick change into our snorkeling gear and did some deep water snorkeling at an area known as Guy Fawkes. There was quite a bit of wave action so the water wasn’t crystal clear but we had a great sighting of a very large Spotted eagle ray and some very large white tipped sharks. Most fun was floating along the wall of the underwater cliffs and looking at all of the little critters living there. It made me want to watch the movie, “Finding Nemo” again!
In the late afternoon we went ashore in an area known as Cerro Dragon. This is an area where there has been an effort to restore populations of land iguanas. It was a blistering hot walk but we saw some beautiful large male land iguanas. After getting back to the ship some folks jumped overboard to cool off in the ocean.
In the evening we all wore our various Galapagos t-shirts to an on-deck barbeque. By far the most popular t-shirts are ones with blue-footed boobies on them.
Tomorrow will be our last full day in the Galapagos. We will visit two areas on Santiago Island.
Weather:
Sunny: 80-90 F
Water temperature: 72 F
Santa Cruz Island: Venecia Islet, Guy Fawkes and Cerro Dragon
Birds:
Audubon shearwater
Brown pelican
Blue-footed booby
Magnificent frigate bird
White-cheeked pintail
Whimbrel
Phalarope
Lesser yellow legs
Willet
Black necked stilt
White-cheeked pintail
Sanderlings
Great blue heron
Striated heron
Galapagos mockingbird
Other:
Land iguana
Spotted eagle ray
White tipped shark
Pacific sea turtle
Sally lightfoot crabs
Marine iguana
Many fishes, sea cucumbers, and echinoderms
After kayaking we did a quick change into our snorkeling gear and did some deep water snorkeling at an area known as Guy Fawkes. There was quite a bit of wave action so the water wasn’t crystal clear but we had a great sighting of a very large Spotted eagle ray and some very large white tipped sharks. Most fun was floating along the wall of the underwater cliffs and looking at all of the little critters living there. It made me want to watch the movie, “Finding Nemo” again!
In the late afternoon we went ashore in an area known as Cerro Dragon. This is an area where there has been an effort to restore populations of land iguanas. It was a blistering hot walk but we saw some beautiful large male land iguanas. After getting back to the ship some folks jumped overboard to cool off in the ocean.
In the evening we all wore our various Galapagos t-shirts to an on-deck barbeque. By far the most popular t-shirts are ones with blue-footed boobies on them.
Tomorrow will be our last full day in the Galapagos. We will visit two areas on Santiago Island.
Weather:
Sunny: 80-90 F
Water temperature: 72 F
Santa Cruz Island: Venecia Islet, Guy Fawkes and Cerro Dragon
Birds:
Audubon shearwater
Brown pelican
Blue-footed booby
Magnificent frigate bird
White-cheeked pintail
Whimbrel
Phalarope
Lesser yellow legs
Willet
Black necked stilt
White-cheeked pintail
Sanderlings
Great blue heron
Striated heron
Galapagos mockingbird
Other:
Land iguana
Spotted eagle ray
White tipped shark
Pacific sea turtle
Sally lightfoot crabs
Marine iguana
Many fishes, sea cucumbers, and echinoderms
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
