Peru. Is. Stunning.

These last few days, Mom and I have explored the Sacred Valley region and Macchu Picchu with our guides Eddie and Juan Carlos.  Surrounded by the Andean Mountain range, the valley is filled with the physical remnants of the Incan Empire, pre-Incan, and Colonial structures.  Although these structures are what most people talk about after having visited these areas, they are only a small portion of what makes this place so remarkable.  At an elevation of up to 20,000 feet, the mountains shoot straight up and you marvel at the sheer feat of building any sort of structure (let alone one that would last for over 800 years) in this type of terrain.  It is possible to differentiate from the different time periods by how the structures are put together.  During the Incan times, the temples are constructed with the best stones and are put together so perfectly, that it is impossible to slide even a knife blade in between each stone, which are held together not by mortar, but by the pressure and angles of the adjacent stones.  Even more impressive is the fact that most of the stones were not quarried in the site where the temple is currently, but often from another mountain over 20 miles away.  This means that each stone (averaging 2 tons each), had to be carried for miles and up the mountains, not to mention having to then be carved perfectly to fit in its place. 

We did a number of day hikes, specifically to different Incan temples around the Sacred Valley and tried to soak in as much history and information about the people and the areas as we could.  A highlight was a six and a half hour hike up to Huchuyqosqo, which mean "Little Cusco" that is only accessible by foot (or animal) as there is no road leading to the site.  A local Quechuan woman and her five year old daughter were herding their sheep up to their plot of land where they grew potatoes to check the damage from the frost the night before. They walked with us for the first ten minutes chatting with us.  Once we parted ways, we only saw three other people (all local) the rest of the day.  The hike took us over a 14,500 ft pass and down into a valley where the archeological site resided, and then an hour and a half descent off of the mountain down switch backs that were terrifyingly steep.  It was incredible.  Exhausted, Mom and I were both very excited to return to our "hotel", Willka T'ika (meaning Sacred Flower in Quechuan) which is not as much of a hotel than a zen style retreat with expansive gardens and vegetarian food straight from the garden. 

Photo by Mom

Willka T'ika

There was a striking contrast between hiking to Huchuyqosqo and then exploring Macchu Picchu, which was another highlight.  Even though this site was jammed packed with tourists, it still retained its awe factor.  We had an amazing tour of Macchu Picchu (meaning "old mountain") which some believe might have been the summer residence of the Inca, or King.  (interesting fact: The Incans have been incorrectly named, according to both tour guides.  The main ruler was called the Inca, but the language and culture is, in fact, Quechuan.).  After our tour and a late lunch, Mom and I went back into the site and sat on one of the terraces for about an hour overlooking the urban area, which is the postcard picture place.  A lot of times I need that moment to let it sink in where I am, what I'm looking at, and what I'm experiencing.  It was very special. 

We are currently in Ecuador and are flying to the Galapagos tomorrow where we will hop on a boat and be spending the next 8 days exploring the underwater environment.  How quickly a year has gone, some how, and it brings us back full circle to a true love and passion - the ocean.

Cusco

Every time I have heard someone talk about Cusco, it has always seemed as though it was simply a gateway to Macchu Picchu.  My expectations were far surpassed.  Cusco is a really visually and culturally interesting city that I have thoroughly enjoyed exploring these last few days.  Cusco, meaning the "naval" or center of the world is the oldest continuously inhabited city in South America and was the capital of the Incan empire from 1400-1533 AD.  It looks very European with its narrow, steep streets and many balconies, but then you turn the corner and see a woman in traditional Quechuan dress holding a lamb, or a boy in a similar outfit with a llama.  Although driven by the tourism trade where they model for a small propina, or tip, it is a very fascinating sight. 

This week is the start of Semana Santa, or holy week here in Cusco, the week before Easter.  There have been numerous parades, the main one today being the Señor de Los Tembladores. It started at 2pm with a procession following 12 or so men carrying what looked to be an incredibly heavy and large silver alter of Jesus on the cross.  People threw red flowers onto the crucifix as it came by.  It was carried throughout the city and returned to the San Armas plaza where the cathedral is located at 7pm.  The square was absolutely jammed packed with people. If I had to guess, I would say there were at least 7,000 people there, if not more.  It was an amazing sight. The festivities continue until next Sunday, which is Easter. 

Mom and I are headed into the Sacred Valley tomorrow and then on to Macchu

The Amazon

Have you ever encountered a true "birder"?  It wasn't until this past week that I had the opportunity to meet not only one, but 16 avid birders on board La Amatista for a week long riverboat trip down 700 miles of the Amazon's 4,000 miles.  And let me tell you, they are amazing!  I would equate their love of bird watching to my love of the underwater world, although when you are underwater, you are limited to just pointing and hand gestures without the ability to verbally communicate.  The enthusiasm is both astounding and a bit contagious.  I was also very amused since I have never been that into birds before.  So, we would be going down one of the side creeks, having gone about five inches, when you would hear "OHHHHHH.... Oooohhh.... Looooook... Theres the rare blue bellied kukawhaqalakamungachanga.... Oooooooh!!!!!" and you would get all excited at this incredible sighting and respond, "Where?!" and they would say "Ok, go to the farthest and tallest tree (which would be about a mile away) and look at the second branch just above those greenish leaves, and its there!". So, you'd look at the spot through the binoculars and all you would see is a silouetted spec that might move every once in a while.  It was hysterical to me.  The birds that were actually close to the boat (that I could see!) were stunning.  They were so vibrant and its amazing to see all of their different colors. Of note is the fact that the Amazon Basin is home to an astounding percentage of the world's bird species.

Great Egret

La Amatista

Great Potoo (very difficult to see during the day.)

Along with the many birds, we also saw a number of different species of monkeys, the caiman  (which is similar to the alligator), the capybara, the largest rodent in the world which looks like an enlarged guinea pig weighing around 120 pounds, snakes, pink river dolphin, grey dolphin, many species of frogs including the red poison dart frog, the Pygmy Hatchetface Leaf frog, tarantulas, and much more. 

Pygmy Hatchetface Leaf frog

olive Whip Snake

Naturalist, George, showing everyone the Olive Whip Snake

Caiman

Capybara

Red Poison Dart Frog

Pink River Dolphin

One of the main highlights for me was visiting two villages of the "River People" and learning about their way of life, medicines, schooling, etc.  Not knowing that we were coming, the excitement and interest of the kids was genuine as they raced down to meet our skiffs.  These people were incredibly kind, and welcomed us into their villages, showed us one of their houses and gardens, illustrated how to get sugar cane juice out of the sugar cane, and a medicine man showed us the different local herbal remedies for a number of illnesses.  Each year, the Amazon river rises at least 40 feet during the rainy season, although the majority of the water comes from the snow melt off of the Andean Mountains. So, unless their houses are built on high enough stilts, some of the river people have to move to a different area as their houses get completely flooded, before returning when the water recedes (as they are used to doing). Both villages that we visited were on terra firma, or dry land.

Photo by guide, Dennis

Photo by Mom

The guides that we had on the trip couldn't have been better. They were incredibly informed, intelligent, and enthusiastic.  Each day, one of them would give a talk about the Amazon, the people, and the history and current political situation of Peru.  It was fascinating and made each experience, whether bird and animal watching, fishing for piranhas, eating the delicious Peruvian cuisine, or visiting the local villages that much more substantial and fulfilling. Some of the interesting things that we learned were that the Amazon river is the largest and longest river system in the world and contains 2/3rds of all the unfrozen fresh water on Earth.  The Amazon empties out into the Atlantic Ocean, and the amount of fresh water that empties out into the Atlantic in one day (up to 500 billion cubic feet of water) could sustain New York City's fresh water needs for 9 years. Woah. 

Expedition Leader, Jorge

Looking at the bats

Fishing for pirahanas

Mom's big catch - catfish

Mom and I are currently in Cusco for Semana Santa, or holy week. 

In Lima