Journeys in Peru

Some cut and pastes of emails to my family from here in Peru.

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Our second night we stayed at a hostel very close to us where a fellow nnamed Robert from Holland, about my age, is staying. I had been in touch with him previously, as he is with a fellowship of Ringing Cedars enthusiasts there in Holland who would like to start a community here in Peru.

So, Andrea and I have spent much of the last few days with him. Friday we hiked to Sacsayhuaman behind and above Cuzco, an ancient Inka ´Temple´ (my
mind sees that it was a ´religious military outpost´, set atop the Cuzco
Valley with massive stone walls/massive stones in the walls). The plant
life up there is very vibrant and beautiful, and we hiked ´off road´ to do
a ritual in the hills with Robert´s Q´ero friend Torribio (the Q´ero are a
very small people, with colourfull pompom hats, etc.). And each day we
visit the market (...Wow! So many wonderful foods, herbs, baskets,
clothing).

The ritual involved prayers to the Mountain Spirits, various herbs and
woods lit as incense, a large bundle of coca leaves, flowers, and shells
that was burnt... It was to bless the community poject of Robert´s and
´attract´ a very good piece of land.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Q'ero

We also visited Torribio´s family, about a 40 minute ride outside of Cuzco
on a ´locals´ bus. He lives in a mudbrick home, as most people do, with
his 4 children and his wife. We shared some very interesting potatoes
with them, ones that have been aged in the ground for about 3 years, with
the consistency of bread and a cheesy flavour. His wife Victoria weaves
traditional pieces like scarves, cloths, bags, hats, and we purchased a
couple of items to hold our foods and herbs in. They have just moved to
this home about 3 months ago, with a large area turned over for potatoes,
which with onions, sugar, salt, and a little bit of meat, is mostly the
diet. Interesting that Torribio told us his grandparents were people our
size, and that it is because of the food that they´ve grown small.

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Here in Macchu Pichu Pueblo with Andrea.

Yes, we are staying with her friend Herberth, though hthis town where he
lives is just below Macchu Pichu. It is much like a ski resort town! It
is very jungly here, with steep cliffs that have halted the development
that has happened elsewhere in the Urubamba River Valley. Today we hiked
to a waterfall in the area and were able to see the different peaks
(Macchu Pichu is the name of the mountain where the ruins are, which they
named after the mountain).

Had a great time while David was here, spending some time in Cuzco, with
some local musicians overnight in the Valley, and at his friend´s
house/compound that is directly next to the Temple of the Moon above
Cuzco. Lots of alpacas, caves, old walls, shepherds, herbs...

The train ride here was just over three hours from Cuzco, taking us
through a lot of remote farm land and green valleys. Basically this is
the first place we have been that has not been totally deforested though.

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I am here in the city of Puno on Lake Titicaca. Had about an 8 hour drive
over the altiplano for Cuzco to here, an area I would think is very
similar to Mongolia, the difference being their latitudes. Grassy, hills
and mountains, scarecely a tree, thatched mud-brick homes, llamas, cattle,
sheep, a large meandering river likely coming from the lake here...

Andrea left on Wednesday for a week in Puerto Maldonado, in the jungle. A
more expensive trip, so I came here and will go today to Isla Tequile, a
long-inhabited island out in the Lake. Will likely stay for the weekend
and head back to Cuzco on Tuesday to meet Andrea there. Then, our friend
Robert will be traveling to two areas to look at pieces of land, West of
Cuzco and near Quillabamba, where the Andes and the Rio Urubamba begin to
descend in to the Jungle, and where most of the tropical agriculture is
located (i.e. coffee, cacao, fruits, tea...)

In Macchu Pichu, we climbed the mountain called Putacusi. This is
actually the center of those lands, both geographically and in Inkan
Cosmology. It was about a 2 1/2 steep climb, often up large wooden
ladders, first through jungly terrain with orchids, then more rocky and
shrubby up at the top. There, you really see that you are at the center
of a circle of mountains, which is then encircled by another ring of
mountains. Very unique, and then with the Rio Urubamba rushing below.
And, you get a top-down view across the valley to the ruins of Macchy
Pichu.

We are happy not to have bothered going to the ruins themselves. It was
such a peaceful and magnificent view from Putacusi, and without the
hundreds of tourists whom we would see buzzing around.

Our experience with Herberth, the man we stayed with, was certainly a
great time spent for us, i.e. with the intentions we have for this trip,
even if it was other than 'good'. On our first day with him, he did take
us to a beautiful waterfall there in the Macchu Pichu Valley, and we were
so happy to be in the jungle and the elements. We then did an Inkan
ceremony with him, an offering for the Earth, 'Pacha Mama' in Quechua,
similar to the one we experienced with Torribio in Sacsaywaman. In this
offering though were bits of plastic, metal, cookies, candy... and this
was considered food for the Earth, to be given with feelings of love and
pleasure. And, on our walk, Herberth had been telling us how important it
is to really see with our eyes when imersing ourselves in Spiritual
traditions, and that so much of the traditional and spiritual culture in
Peru is being exploited and used for profiteering. Should we have been
surprised at the cost of doing this ceremony with him? And on top, with
our interest in plant medicines, he has been using some of the traditional
ceremonial medicines for 30 years, and yet is still content to only drink
coca-cola on our walk and consider candy as food for the Earth.

We are very appreciative to have stayed with him and seen the land with
him, and are so glad to have the futher insight in to what we consider to
be genuine and what we consider to be occult. Though captivating to have
these lands and the culture around us, it is apparent that we are much
more fulfilled with the ways of life of our own kin!

Today, here in Puno, there are many Quechua women out in the streets, all
with green skirts, sweaters, and these square hats with the four corners
curved upwards, two pom-poms on top and made of very elaborate,
fluorescent type yarns. It is also seemingly the case that the more
indigenous a women's ethnicity, the more prone to obesity they are.
Especially those working to sell things on the sidewalk and in markets,
being exceptionally overweight is the norm. The men never seem to reach
the size that the women do.

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So, I start with related comments. Actually Mom, the here seem to eat
quite a lot of fruit and vegetables. Often it is the ladies I am buying
mine from who are those I was speaking of. I even see them eating more
veggies than fruit, and they buy herbs in bundles about 5 times the size
anyone at home would. Of course, they also consume a very large quantity
of sugar and flour, and in contrast to traditional diet, their
carbohydrates are rarely fermented.

Shannon, that´s great that there is a connection in your classroom to these
travels of mine. Neither Andrea or I have a camera, though I´ll continue looking
for relevant picture links to the experiences I come across.

I am returning by bus tonight to Cuzco, and Andrea flies back there
tomorrow. I have just read a note from her, sounding like she has had a
great experience there in Puerto Maldonado. She mentioned spending about
a week in Pisaq, near Cuzco, visiting some places North of Lima, and then
returning to Puerto Maldonado... Likely I´ll be going along!

I realized there is much more to say about my interest in stepping in to a
culture with genuine relations to the plant world. That is, people here
in Peru really do seem to have more ´consciousness´, perhaps faith would
even be the word, in plant medicine. At one clothing shop where I bought
a pair of simple cotton pants, I was telling the young girl working there
about Andrea´s difficulties with the pollution there in Cuzco. She walked
to the front of the shop where she had a vase with various herbs in it,
pulled one out and said it would be very good for Andrea to smell. Munya,
also called Andean Mint, is very common in peoples households for tea, as
well as a number of other herbs growing around in the city and towns that
people know how to use. At the market, there are many women who put out
blankets on the floor with half to a dozen herbs layed out on them. I
have no idea how it brings much money for themselves, though perhaps they
don´t need to be making much money anyways.

Anyways, I am very satisfied with my cultural experience here in Peru, it
sounds like Andrea has found a great ´flow´, and likely enough Bolivia
will wait.

So, I have just returned from Taquile Island, about a 3 hours boat ride
from Puno out in to Lake Titicaca.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taquile

Now it feels as though I went from Mongolia to the Mediteranean, all still
at above 3000ft!

Taquile is an island almost completely terraced, where the people still
wear the clothes as was demanded by their first Spanish Governor, way back
when (and yes, his name was Taquile). They grow potatoes, small corn,
quinoa, a type of loopin that produces a bean they eat, a little bit of
grain, and they have many very small sheep and some cows. And they got
lots of touists.

I stayed for two nights, on the southern part of the island without so
many tourists. It was also very close to a beach, and I went swimming! A
magnificent spot, with the snow capped Andes on the Bolivian side looking
across the waters upon this beach. Everywhere you walk is these little
stone paths, terraces, people often knitting while they walk. There are
not even donkeys, everything is carried on their backs.

And well, there is lots to say about life there. Very communal, even the
restraunts for touists go through a cycle where many families trade
playing host.

Very neat though is a place we stopped on the way there, called Uros.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Titicaca#Uros

These are islands that have been built up by many generations of people
laying down the Totoro reeds that grow abundantly in the Puno Harbour of
Lake Titicaca. There are about 50 little islands with 1000 people living
on them. These people really rely upon tourism, though apparently there
are some outer islands who live more traditionally, predominately by
fishing. I really thought how nice it would have been to have a kayak
there, very everglades like.

And, they build boats with the reeds, and I got to speak with two of the
men building one. They basically make two very large, long bundles of the
reeds, now tied with nylon though traditionally with reed ropes. These
bundles have a smaller one between them on the underside, and then two
more smaller ones at the sides to keep the edge blocked off. With one
large oar on the back. They are really wonderful crafts, though most
people now use row boats which they all row by standing and rowing
forwards. I showed the men a picture I have of Shannon in one of the
Kayak´s, telling them that my Dad builds ´barca´ too, of wood (madera).
They were quite interested, and then particularly by the very large
hotel/mansion that happens to be in that picture, and then with the
comment that I look like Jesus. As on Taquile, they are about 60% ´Inkan´
Catholic (i.e. my guide says his Mom considers the Virgin Mary to be Pacha
Mama) and 40% 7th Day Adventist.

So, this was a wonderful jaunt, with many a fascinating insight in to
Peoples, and a very much enjoyed time upon this ´tranquillo´ island on
beautiful Lake Titicaca.

Yup, now for a night on the bus!

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Andrea and I have been in Pisaq for the last week. It is about an hour
twenty minutes outside of Cuzco, over the mountains and in what is called
the Sacred Valley. Staying at a great hostel, run by a lady from Nelson
and with 6 people from the Kootenays staying there!!!

The people she did the jungle retreat with live in this town, and we
joined them on Friday night for a ceremony of song in their ´Maloca´...
basically a round building often used for ceremonies with plant medicines.

There is a very large market here on Sundays, considered to have some of
the best textiles. Lots of great food and herbs too. I made my first
batch of ceviche (fish in lime juice) last night and used the skins and
bones for a soup I had this morning. There is a lot of seaweed and
fisheggs for sale too which have been great for soup. The fish eggs most
common are from the flying fish.

Andrea will fly to Lima on Thursday to spend some time in the Mountains
north of there with a couple of friends from the retreat, and I will
travel with our friend Robert, perhaps to the jungly farming area of
Quillabamba. When Andrea gets back she has a friend from California
likely coming here to Peru, and we are thinking to go with him down to
Puerto Maldonado, the jungle area Andrea has been to.

The Quechua people are striking and blocking roads today against the water
privatization that is currently happening here in Peru. The information
I´ve been able to see here on the internet is mostly from 2004 when there
were protests for the same reason. It looks like Peru gets a big loan
from the International Development Bank in agreement to having their water
privatized.

We had a big pile of rocks tossed in to the road right outside our hostel
window this morning! And the people marching mostly looked like rural
peoples, wearing traditional Quechua clothing, just as many women as men.
Our hostel road is leading to one of the major Inkan sites, likely the
reason. Apparently last year the same thing happened, though for
protesting the privatization of the Inkan sites themselves.

Blessings that Spring comes soon for you! Here in Pisaq it is a very
moderate climate, only getting hot if the sun comes out, and night time is
comfortably cool. I have my sweater on except for around mid-day if the
sun is out or if I am hiking.

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Yes, interesting about your bridge mates enterprise here in Peru. Of
couse, the tall and lean Inkas of just 2 generations ago says something
about her theory regarding their body size.

Interesting that I had my first taste of Sacha Inchi nuts today, which are
one of the latest novelty products on the health food market, for the oil
they press from them. It is considered one of the better sources for
Omega fatty acids, particularly for those not eating fish. It has a long
history of cultivation in the Amazon.

I sometimes have a coca tea, though more often I am chewing it! This gets
me much approval from the local Quechua peoples * * *

Traditionally, they chew it with little bits of ash, either from the plant
of quinoa or banana in these lands, and in other places they burn
seashells. Cheweing the leaves with an alkali aids in the release of the
coca alkaloids. My consideration though is that it is not good for the
teeth, and is why coca chewers have dental decay later in life, even
though coca is a notably high source of calcium. I will use the ash if I
am doing a hard hike, and otherwise just chewing the leaves themselves is
enough. There is also coca powder available which we usually have in our
juices at the Cuzco market.

Ive also been enjoying to eat a type of radish called Maca, one of the
more popular health foods back home, especially in the raw food community.
It is a modulating herb, meaning that it has a balancing impact upon the
systems of the body, maca specifically working with endocrine glands and
parituclarly the thyroid. So, as a modulant herb, if the thyroid is
depressed it will act to stimulate it, and when the thyroid is over-active
it works to depress it. Maca is used by athletes for enhanced performance
though and it certainly does have an impact on strength and virility.
Apparently the Inka used it as a warrior food.

Glad to get news of the walnut tree!

On Sunday I will likely be going with Robert to visit Limatambo, west of
Cuzco and a warmer climate, though not quite so jungly as Quillabamba,
where we possibly will visit later in the week. Andrea flew to Lima
yesterday to visit a place called Marca Wasi with two Italian friends from
her retreat, an apparently amazing landscape above 4000 ft. elevation.
Possibly she will come back to go with us to Quillabamba.

More that I have found out about the protest is that it is related to
agricultural irigation, that these waters are undergoing the privatization
process, and possibly that irrigation water was cut off in areas around
Cuzco. Hence, all the farming peoples from the hills who came down to
block the roads.

The mornings have been getting even chillier, and the mid-days even hotter!

That is neat to hear about the shoe vendor game you did with your kids
Shannon. I remember a similar game in Grade 6 that was related to the
Amazon Rainforest. Andrew Collins and I were real estate/housing
developers and were persuading others to allow us use of so many acres
each session.

Vending is definitely a major occupation here! I went with Robert
yesterday to what could be considered the Peruvian version of Canadian
Tire. It is set up, however, with dozens and dozens of more or less 1
square meter booths, all operated by someone, and all filled to the hilt
with stuff to sell. So, you walk by these booths and there are about 2
dozen vendors on the one aisle, and then there are 6, 7, and perhaps many
more aisles. And at the markets, you may have one woman on the sidewalk
only selling oranges, only selling scarves, or only selling boiled corn.
So many people vending!

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Glad to hear that Spring is blessing you with some gentler weather and the
beauty of Nature * * *

I am back here in Cuzco. I came in this morning with some folks from the
hostal in Pisaq, and we went to the Saturday ´Barratio´, which is the big
flea market. Most interesting is that many of the textiles being sold
there are old, second hand, things passed down through families, and so
you see different styles and fabrics than one often does. Also it is a
place where they hawk electronics, tools, and American clothing.
Definitely the busiest place I´ve been to yet, and the folks with me were
commenting about the similarity to Delhi, though still not quite as
intense.

So, I have come in to go with Robert tomorrow morning to Limatambo. As
well, we will go to a concert here in Cuzco tonight. There are two very
popular bands from Bolivia who play traditional Andean music, though
apparently with a more groovy rhythm. There are 5 French musicians at the
hostal who will join us, as well as the 15 year old son of the family who
runs the hostal and a Peruvian friend of Robert´s from the travel agency.
So, my first party night ! ! !

Yes, Andrea and I were together for the week prior to her departure on
Wednesday, and likely she will be back here in Cuzco the coming Wednesday.
We will likely then be back in Pisaq, where we are making good friends
and where there is still a good deal of hiking and playing with local
herbs to do. Possibly, we will go straight to Quillabamba.

Today, I collected flowers from the one pollinating pine tree I´ve seen so
far. There are many pines here in Peru, and I was told they flower in
November, so I suppose this is a less common species. I put the flowers
in a little bottle and then had it filled up near the Market with canaso,
which is a sugar cane alcohol. Stephen Buhner, the herbalist who wrote
the Sacred Beers book and with whom I considered apprenticing in New
Mexico,
documents that pine pollen is the highest source of androgenic hormones,
very important for mens health.

Yesterday, as I was walking back to the hostal in Pisaq, I spoke to a
couple of men who always greet me on that walk and who have been working
on an elaborate fencing and mud wall project. Before when I had looked
inside their gate, I noticed there was what seemed to be garden beds
inside the compound, in contrast to all of the surrounding fields of corn
and amaranth. I asked in particular why they had placed dried grasses on
top of their mud wall, which were covered once more with mud and rocks.
It was to help shade the wall where there will be plants growing.

I told these fellows that in Canada "Yo trabajandro a agricultura, con
frutas y huevas y vegetales". They invited me inside! So, the project is
a municipal nursery, and they have dug many trenches within which they
place the individual nursery plants. They had native plants, fruits,
reforesatation trees, and some medicinal herbs. The man seemingly in
charge showed me around, telling me about the plants, and we spoke what we
could to each other about differences in agriculture in our countries. I
mentioned that in Canada the mountains are primarily with forest, and that
the mountains here looked so barren. He said that the mountains could be
reforested in the next 20 years... I was glad to hear it!

I heard from Andrea the day she reached Lima. Apparently the ceviche (raw
fish in lime juice) is far superior down there on the coast!

Had a very interesting new fruit today. Sold by a boy about 8 years old
on the steps going in to the market. About the size of an extra large
egg, it is covered in red scales, each which falls off individually when
peeled. It looks so very Dragon! Inside there is a very large seed, so
the actual layer of fruit is quite thin. And, is has the taste of a
strong yellow cheese! I have also been eating quite a lot of the fruit
they call Aguaymata, called either Cape Gooseberry/Golden Berry/or Inkan
Berry at home; phylaris peruviana. It is related to the Chinese Lanterns
in the back yard. It is a really delicious, tart fruit, and apparently
any that you buy in the street or at the market are wild harvested.

Forgot to comment about your juices Mom... Nice! In Pisaq we were often
getting a pina, naranja, beterraga (pineapple, orange, beet) juice, though
here in Cusco we often get one more complicated and more ´cleansing´.
Celery, cucumber, stinging nettle, plantain, ginger, lime, aloe vera,
yacon, and coca powder. It always gets us feeling fresh, particularly
with the heavy energies here in Cuzco of ´contaminacion´, haste, and pushy
vendors.

Sending a link from a newsletter I get. Nothing in particular for you
folks, though I often get fairly good articles from these folks, and I
just had the idea that this might be one worth reading, regarding toxins.

http://www.bodyecology.com/archive/top-5-sources-of-toxins.php

Okay, I´m heading back to the hostal, where we´ll likely eat cacao beans
and make invigorating teas (sarsaparilla, maca, cacao shells, nettle root,
coca) for the concert tonight.