The same thing happened two or three years ago, also in February. This is a bad time of year to visit Machu Picchu because it’s the rainy season.
First, you have to fly to Cusco and take a day to get used to the altitude which sickens some people. Then, you take a train, then a bus. Our guide said she returned exhausted after a four day trip and she’s young. She also said that Cusco is an
interesting destination on its own.
I forgot to mention the guinea pig I saw yesterday at the convent. There is a painting of The Last Supper that has a Peruvian twist. Right in the center of the picture, on a silver platter, is a cooked guinea pig. They are a favored dish in Peru. The guide asked us why we thought that a guinea pig was on the platter. None of us knew the answer. The guide said that in the minds of Peruvians, an important dinner would always include a guinea pig.
I forgot to mention the guinea pig I saw yesterday at the convent. There is a painting of The Last Supper that has a Peruvian twist. Right in the center of the picture, on a silver platter, is a cooked guinea pig. They are a favored dish in Peru. The guide asked us why we thought that a guinea pig was on the platter. None of us knew the answer. The guide said that in the minds of Peruvians, an important dinner would always include a guinea pig.
There are other interesting additions, including a woman, albeit she is off to the side. The guide surmised that she was in the painting because someone had to serve dinner.
We had a great day. We started off earlier which was nice. Yesterday we didn’t get going until noon. We went to Pachacamac Sanctuary first. We traveled south out of the city on surface roads. We got on the Expressway but it was not very impressive.
Traffic was terrible. But as long as I was not driving, it didn’t bother me at all. Traffic at home is much scarier because it’s fast. Here, you can hardly move. We didn’t go above forty miles an hour on the whole trip, even outside the city. We spent most of the trip trying to wedge ourselves into some tiny opening in the flow of traffic. It took 90 minutes to travel 20 miles south of the port. I doubt if anyone could get up the speed to ram us.
The archeological site we visited today was a precursor to the Incas. We saw a section of the famous Inca road. Unfortunately, much of the area was covered with squatters who built houses and shacks on it before the government decided to protect it.
We saw armed guards at all the important historical sites. In the city center yesterday there were rows of Policia in full riot gear.
In 1945, a medical doctor started the excavation of this site with his own money because no one else was interested. It has proceeded in fits and starts since then.
Like the other sites, it is a work in progress. The most restored site was the Women’s House. Visitors are no longer allowed inside because of vandalism. It resembles a two story apartment building with a square in the center. Women lived here while waiting to be honored with either marriage to a nobleman or a sacrificial death. It was probably much of the same in some cases.
A big part of their life involved bathing. There are three levels of water on the site. One is for the women’s hygiene, one for drinking water and one for ceremonies.
Our guide said they began by sacrificing animals. Over time, they sacrificed their enemies, then moved on to women. If a woman didn’t want to go along with this program, her whole village was expelled from the community.
(On a side note, we would have never made it up there without the help of several people. Bill and I were struggling along with his walker. I was trying to help him up the hill. An able bodied man came over and pulled his walker from the front and someone else took his other arm and we got him up the hill.)
There are beautiful views of the ocean from the Temple of the Sun. I wonder how many sites in Central and South America are called the Temple of the Sun or Moon? We have seen three already.
We had a great day. We started off earlier which was nice. Yesterday we didn’t get going until noon. We went to Pachacamac Sanctuary first. We traveled south out of the city on surface roads. We got on the Expressway but it was not very impressive.
Traffic was terrible. But as long as I was not driving, it didn’t bother me at all. Traffic at home is much scarier because it’s fast. Here, you can hardly move. We didn’t go above forty miles an hour on the whole trip, even outside the city. We spent most of the trip trying to wedge ourselves into some tiny opening in the flow of traffic. It took 90 minutes to travel 20 miles south of the port. I doubt if anyone could get up the speed to ram us.
The archeological site we visited today was a precursor to the Incas. We saw a section of the famous Inca road. Unfortunately, much of the area was covered with squatters who built houses and shacks on it before the government decided to protect it.
We saw armed guards at all the important historical sites. In the city center yesterday there were rows of Policia in full riot gear.
In 1945, a medical doctor started the excavation of this site with his own money because no one else was interested. It has proceeded in fits and starts since then.
Like the other sites, it is a work in progress. The most restored site was the Women’s House. Visitors are no longer allowed inside because of vandalism. It resembles a two story apartment building with a square in the center. Women lived here while waiting to be honored with either marriage to a nobleman or a sacrificial death. It was probably much of the same in some cases.
A big part of their life involved bathing. There are three levels of water on the site. One is for the women’s hygiene, one for drinking water and one for ceremonies.
Our guide said they began by sacrificing animals. Over time, they sacrificed their enemies, then moved on to women. If a woman didn’t want to go along with this program, her whole village was expelled from the community.
The Temple of the Moon or Huaca de la Luna in Peru was part of the Moche capital. It was also a murder factory. Several centuries ago, the people built a temple to the sun and the moon. The priests told them they had to massacre 100 people a day or the sun would not rise the next day. At first they captured enemies and sacrificed them. After a while they ran out of enemies and were reduced to murdering women and children. They were afraid to stop because, you know, the sun might not come up. Then they started killing a few more people each day to assure a good crop yield. Fear is never ending.
This is a tile created by an artist of "The Decapitor"--the symbol that is everywhere in the Temple of the Moon. He represents the parade of death that occurred here every day.
(On a side note, we would have never made it up there without the help of several people. Bill and I were struggling along with his walker. I was trying to help him up the hill. An able bodied man came over and pulled his walker from the front and someone else took his other arm and we got him up the hill.)
Unlike their bloody neighbors to the north, butchery was not involved in their sacrificial ceremonies. Instead, the victims were given an overdose of drugs such as mescaline and allowed to die peacefully. This preserved their good looks. Then, their bodies were opened up and stuffed with cotton. Their skin was rubbed with ointments for mummification. I don’t know what they did with the mummies. Some were buried around the Temple of the Sun.
There are beautiful views of the ocean from the Temple of the Sun. I wonder how many sites in Central and South America are called the Temple of the Sun or Moon? We have seen three already.
On the way there, we saw a chicken farm with a nice view of the beach. The local Chinese call it the Chicken Resort, according to our guide.
On the way back, we started looking for lunch. Our guide took us to a very nice restaurant but we didn’t stay. It was $23 a person which seemed high to us. We decided to eat when we got back to the ship. The exchange rate is about three to one. So, the lunch would have cost the equivalent of $90. Pretty steep, even for rich gringos. I assume that she was promised a kickback for delivering us to the
their establishment.
Our last stop was the Indian Market in Mira Flores. It was filled with Peruvian arts and crafts and the prices were great. The problem is that we can’t carry much home in our suitcases. So, we bought a few toys for the kids and a Christmas tree ornament. I tried some Peruvian chocolate but didn’t think much of it. It was milk chocolate with and I like dark.
On the way back, we started looking for lunch. Our guide took us to a very nice restaurant but we didn’t stay. It was $23 a person which seemed high to us. We decided to eat when we got back to the ship. The exchange rate is about three to one. So, the lunch would have cost the equivalent of $90. Pretty steep, even for rich gringos. I assume that she was promised a kickback for delivering us to the
their establishment.
Our last stop was the Indian Market in Mira Flores. It was filled with Peruvian arts and crafts and the prices were great. The problem is that we can’t carry much home in our suitcases. So, we bought a few toys for the kids and a Christmas tree ornament. I tried some Peruvian chocolate but didn’t think much of it. It was milk chocolate with and I like dark.
