There are different kinds of journeys in life. Some are by jet or train to foreign lands. Some are road trips over the hills and through the woods to grandma’s house. Still other journeys take us deep inside to a place we know little about – ourselves.
I’ve felt empty for a long time, my spirit drained from a parade of failed relationships, a stressful job that is merely a paycheck and the constant roadblocks I encounter on my career path as a writer and artist. With no real support system, no family or close friends who have my back, I’ve trudged onward alone.
In the last couple of years, things have come to a head, especially in the past few months. I know I can’t continue on the path I’ve been on. Something, maybe everything, has to change.
One more thing, and I hesitate to say this as it doesn’t quite seem real, my ophthalmologist tells me there’s a good chance I’ll go blind from a condition he made me aware of about a dozen years ago, myopic degeneration. And yes, I am seeing the changes of things that may come to pass. That’s a different kind of journey, indeed. The prospect makes me work harder toward my creative goals and toward seeing as much of the world as I can while I can.
Machu Picchu in Peru has been on my bucket list for years. Peru, the land of the Incas, is well-known for its spirituality. In fact, many people make spiritual pilgrimages to this beautiful land to reconnect with themselves and Mother Earth. So, when a Gate 1 Travel tour to Machu Picchu and Cusco came into my email inbox, I knew I needed to do this trip to help me change course. Certainly, I didn’t expect it to be a panacea, but maybe it would help me see myself in another light.
The tour originated from Miami, so I had to fly from Los Angeles to Miami, to Lima and finally to Cusco. It was a long trip. By the time I stepped out of the jet in Cusco, my body ached, and my patience was thin.
Unfortunately, one can never make a first impression twice, and I made a bad one. I’m far from perfect (I guess that makes me human). I brought a lot of bad energy with me from LA and unleashed it at the Cusco airport when I couldn’t locate my luggage.
The rest of the tour group had already gone to the bus as I searched for my lost luggage. I felt I was on my own and was going to be left behind. I let our guide, Adriel, know that my luggage was missing, but he was distracted. How could he not be? He was busy rounding up the other tourists. I’m embarrassed to admit that I was angry and rude, even after I found out that the porters had taken our group’s luggage to the bus before it ever made it onto the baggage carousel – and my luggage was there at the bus. Lesson learned. Later on, I apologized to Adriel in private, but… you can never make a first impression twice.
Animator and entertainment mogul Walt Disney said a lot of sage things like, “Keep moving forward.” So, I took his advice. I moved forward from this and told myself to relax and trust. Once again, a thousand apologies to Adriel.
As my emotions began to settle down, our bus lumbered up the cobbled, winding streets of a rustic little town outside of Cusco. My attention was drawn to the landscape of shabby, mud brick houses with terracotta tile roofs and the tangle of electrical wiring that connected them. I wondered if the arrangement was safe.
Many of the houses were unfinished. The roofs sagged. Dogs wandered about everywhere. People sat in front of their houses, gathered in family groups and happy friendships.
As we left the town, the mountains that had served as backdrop to homes now took center stage. Through the bus window, I snapped some photos of the monumental peaks that dominated the topography. They were our steady companions on our journey to the Urubamba Sacred Valley, more than an hour’s drive away.
Although Lima, with a population of nearly 8.5 million people, is Peru’s largest city, the country is a mostly rural culture. Our tour bus wound through the mountains past fields of corn and potatoes, sheep, cattle, pigs and llamas. Rustic homes nestled into the foothills, diminished by the dramatic landscape. Mountain folk, some dressed in traditional colonial attire, worked in the fields.
En route, I began to notice a throbbing headache and my stomach became queasy, the apparent symptoms of altitude sickness, although I was taking Acetazolamide to prevent it. The city of Cusco stands at 11,000 feet above sea level. Our journey to the Urubamba Sacred Valley would take us to a lower altitude, but still much higher than most of us are accustomed, around 8,000 feet above sea level. I hoped that a good night’s sleep would help me feel better, but we still had a full day ahead of us.
Our first stop was not our hotel, but rather, a restaurant in the Urubamba Sacred Valley where we had a taste of Peruvian cuisine. This delightful, nutritious and sometimes mysterious fare is derived from the indigenous Inca civilization and influenced greatly by native dishes of Spain, Germany, China, Japan, Africa and Italy. When immigrants from these countries came to Peru, many of the ingredients they used in their traditional recipes were not available. They adapted their recipes with whatever was available in Peru.
Potatoes, corn, and chili peppers are main staples of the Peruvian diet, as well as quinoa, kiwicha, maca, lupine beans, tubers such as yucca, guinea pig, and alpaca. The Spanish introduced rice, wheat, chicken, beef, and pork into Peruvian diets. Peru also grows about 20 different varieties of fruit, some of which are only found in that country.
Guinea pig is a common dish on Andean tables and provides an inexpensive form of protein. I did not notice any guinea pig as part of the buffet at our first lunch. Although I wanted to try it, my stomach was pretty upset from the altitude. None of the foods at the buffet were labeled, so I chose some quinoa soup and small portions of just a few of the other dishes. When you’re suffering from altitude sickness (and lack of sleep), it’s best to eat light and stay hydrated.
After lunch, we continued on to nearby Pisac Village where the whole town has been converted into a marketplace to sell their handicrafts. Adriel walked us into the maze of stalls with various souvenirs and trinkets, most of which did not interest me, and let us wander on our own for a bit. This place was very touristy, and I was put off by the fairly aggressive salespeople.
Many of the women and children were dressed in traditional costume. Some carried adorable little lambs. The scene begged for tourists to take pictures. But if you did, the subjects expected you to pay for their pose.
Although the official currency in Peru is the Nuevo Sol, Peruvians will accept small denominations of American dollars, as long as they are in new condition. They expect to be tipped, so I brought a sizable stack of singles and fives with me for that purpose.
After about 30 minutes of wandering, we boarded our bus for our final journey of the day to our lodging in Urubamba. By the time we arrived, it was dusk. As we gathered in the lobby, some of our group drank Coca tea, which helps with altitude sickness. I was not aware of this until the next day. I was not aware of much that day. I just wanted to go to bed and shake off my malaise.
Our welcome dinner was quick and quiet. We were all exhausted and anxious to get some sleep. In my lovely, rustic room, I took a heavenly shower. Then I hit the pillow and slept like a stone. We had an early call the next morning, as we needed to be on the bus by 5:30 am to catch the train to Machu Picchu.
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After a short night’s sleep at the lovely Inkallpa Valle Sagrado Hotel in Urubamba, I arose at 4:45 a.m. and found my sense of humor. It was in my suitcase. Good thing I remembered to pack it.
Today was a new day. I felt so much better than I had the night before, and my normal self — the one that’s actually fun to be around — had returned. Following a quick breakfast, my amigos and I stumbled sleepy-eyed onto our tour bus, and we were soon off on a journey to our dream destination, the iconic Lost City of the Incas in Machu Picchu.
It was a short drive to the Ollanta Station in Ollantaytambo where we would board Expedition, the Inca Rail tourist train. Ollantaytambo is located along the Patakancha River near the confluence of the Willkanuta River, part of the Urubamba River. The Urubamba River (a headwater of the Amazon River) is known as Willkamayu River in the Incan language, Quechua. It translates as “sacred river” in English. Upstream, the Urubamba River is known by its Aymara name Willkanuta River, and that translates as “house of the sun.” The Aymaras were an indigenous tribe who lived in the region for many centuries before being conquered by the Incas.
Ollantaytambo is an Incan archaeological site and the starting point for a three-day, four-night hike on what is known as the Inca Trail. It’s also our guide Adriel’s hometown. As our bus passed through the narrow streets, Adriel pointed out various landmarks, such as the ancient gate that was the doorway to the long trek to Machu Picchu.
Incan Emperor Pachacuti conquered the region in the late 15th century and rebuilt Ollantaytambo, which became his royal estate and provided lavish accommodations for nobility. It contains some of the oldest continuously occupied homes in South America. Emperor Pachacuti developed agricultural terracing and irrigation systems throughout the Urubamba Valley, which you can still see today. These terraces allowed for farming up the nearly vertical slopes on what otherwise would have been unusable land. When the Spanish invaded Peru, the town served as a stronghold for Manco Inca Yupanqui, leader of the Inca resistance against the Spanish conquistadors.
One of the highlights for me was the spectacular narrow-gauge train ride from Ollantaytambo to Aguas Calientes, the closest town to Machu Picchu. I love traveling by train. The steady rock of the car on the rails was comforting. It also provided a unique challenge for anyone who needed to use the car’s restroom. It reminded me of being on one of the tall ships that I sail. The view from the train was stunning. The one-hour, twenty-minute ride followed the raging serpentine Willkanuta River through the Amazon jungle. We were enveloped by misty mountains that rose straight up from the river basin. Several times, the train plunged into short tunnels through the mountains. We caught glimpses of waterfalls that tumbled down sheer cliffs, orchids and bromeliads in the treetops, and a glacier high above the verdant canopy.
Although I was excited about seeing Machu Picchu, the end of our train ride came too soon. We pulled into the station at Aguas Calientes, made our way through an adjacent marketplace, strategically placed to capture tourist dollars, and moved along narrow, cobbled streets to a line of buses. After a bit of a wait, our group finally boarded a bus.
Within a few minutes, our bus crawled up a narrow gravel switchback road on a mountain. The landscape was beyond dramatic, a promise of things to come. We were only inches from sheer cliffs that dropped to the river below. Multiple monolithic mountains rose straight up from the river gorge, seemingly stacked one behind the other. On the other side of the road, water sprang from the rock face and trickled down its sheer facade. The road wound like a snake on its steady climb to the top, so the view changed frequently. Occasionally, we had to pull to the side to allow oncoming buses to pass. 3.7 miles and 30 minutes later, we arrived at Machu Picchu.
The name Machu Picchu means “old pyramid” in the Quechua language, and indeed, the dominant peek in the congregation of mountains that huddle around this Incan city looks like a pyramid. The ancient citadel positioned on a plateau was built by the Incas around 1450 and abandoned a mere 100 years later. Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Machu Picchu was unknown to the civilized world until Hiram Bingham III ventured upon it in 1911.
Little is known about this mysterious settlement. Much of the mountainous land surrounding the site above and below is terraced, perhaps to control erosion and to provide land suitable for agriculture. The stone skeletons of what are believed to be structures for worship, food storage and habitation are all that remain on the plateau. It’s an ideal defensive position. From here, the Incas would have had a clear view of enemies approaching from land or the Willkanuta River that carves through the valley far below.
The topography of this place is utterly forbidding. If you go, be prepared to climb rugged, uneven stone steps. The altitude here is 8,000 feet above sea level, so take it slowly. You’ll notice your heart pounding a little faster, even if you’re in great shape. It’s worth taking your time anyway just to enjoy the many beautiful moments in this place. Llamas grazed on some of the terraces above the settlement, where our group climbed initially. I spotted an enchanting iridescent blue butterfly that flitted around us for a few fleeting moments. The climb to the top terrace is well worth the effort. You’ll get a spectacular view of the dominant peaks and the Inca ruins far below, a great place to take those treasured photos.
As I gazed down at this iconic landmark, it was hard for me to believe I was actually there. I had hoped to experience a spiritual connection to the site, to feel the presence of what had been, to be inspired, perhaps even changed in some way. One can hope for these things but never predict or control them. I felt awe, but nothing more. Perhaps I was overwhelmed with it. Perhaps I was still tired from my long journey. Or perhaps I needed some solitude, time for reflection. Although it was off-season, there were still a lot of tourists around, and there was no time to absorb the environment without interruption.
After our photo op from high above, we gradually made our way along the stone steps into the Incan village on the plateau below. Adriel led us around the various stone structures and enlightened us on Incan culture and practices.
The Incas were polytheistic and believed there was a different god for every aspect of the Earth. They also believed that only one god, Viracocha, created the Earth and all its creatures. They worshipped objects in nature, such as rivers, mountains, caves, stones, and natural springs. The astral level, a secondary tier of their religion, involved worshipping gods within the Earth, sun, moon, and stars.
Gold and silver were not viewed as riches but were used to make sacred objects called huacas that were placed in niches, or altars, inside the stone structures. These huacas were used in offering ceremonies to the gods. The Incas also performed sacrifices to the gods, usually with animals such as llamas or guinea pigs, but sometimes they sacrificed women and children. They believed these offerings would create a balance between nature and their society and provide benefits such as successful crop production, happiness, and good health.
Ancestor worship played a central role in Incan theology. They believed in an afterlife and took good care of their dead, whom they embalmed and mummified before placing in a tomb with the decedent’s most prized possessions. Bodies of the dead were considered to be huacas, too. The Incas believed the dead could hear them, so they brought offerings to the tombs to care for those who had passed on to the next life.
Astronomy was a key element in the Incan culture, particularly in relation to agriculture. The most important celestial events involved the rise and set of the sun, moon, and stars and the change of seasons. Incans believed that the planet Venus was a servant of the sun. One of the structures that Adriel showed us contained two small round pools filled with water. It’s believed these were reflecting pools in which one could view the night sky.
As our time in this heavenly place drew to a close, we were washed in a misty rain that spilled over the mountain tops. On our way out, we stamped our passports with a Machu Picchu stamp and then journeyed back down the mountain to attend to more Earthly matters, a quick lunch in the quaint little town of Aguas Calientes. After lunch, we were spirited away by rail back to Ollantaytambo and were soon on our tour bus en route to Cusco.
Along the way, we made two stops. Adriel watched carefully for something along the roadside then signaled for the driver to pull over. He jumped out, scraped something from a clump of prickly pear cactus and brought it aboard the bus to show us. It was a white scale-like substance, dactylopius coccus eggs, a parasitic insect that lives on cacti. The natural cochineal dye derived from this insect and its eggs is used in textiles and food. Adriel crushed an egg between his fingers. It exploded in deep crimson goo.
Our next stop was at a mountain bar. When Incan women and children were sacrificed to the gods, they were given chicha to drink. Chicha is a thick beer made from fermented corn. This beer is still the most popular alcoholic drink among the Incans today. Chicha is served in bars all over the mountains. It takes three days for the liquid to ferment. When the chicha is ready, a red plastic bottle is placed on the end of a stick and displayed outside the bar door. These bars are not the fancy places we’re used to. They’re rustic rooms, often in a home.
We walked into a small room with a table and a pot of what would become chicha cooking over a wood fire. There was another batch of chicha ready for us to taste. We drank regular chicha and a sweeter one flavored with strawberries. The regular chicha reminded me of Kombucha, a fermented Japanese tea, somewhat reminiscent of apple cider but not as sweet.
After drinking chicha, we peeked into a shed behind the bar in which guinea pigs were being raised for consumption. Then we entered a lovely garden in the back where there was a corn patch. Adriel brought a glass of chicha to make an offering to the gods. After some ceremonial words in his native Incan language, Quechua, he spread chicha in the corn patch to bless the harvest.
From the garden, we moved into a courtyard and played a traditional coin toss game called Sapo, often played while drinking chicha (the loser obliged to buy the next round). An ancient Incan legend tells of a mystical game “El Sapu” (The Frog) that evolved from the sacred Inca lake Titicaca. The Incan royal family would throw gold pieces into the lake hoping to catch a frog’s attention. Frogs were known for their magical powers. If the frog captured the gold piece in his mouth, the creature turned into gold, and the person who tossed the coin was granted a wish.
The modern version of the game involves tossing coins onto a game table to try and get a coin into the frog’s mouth or into one of the slots. Each slot represented so many points. The most points are awarded to one who gets a coin into the frog’s mouth. Though I didn’t toss a coin into the frog’s mouth, I did toss coins into enough holes to give me 5000 points and win the game. I think the chicha helped.
As we continued on to Cusco, we rode in silence, satisfied but exhausted from a day filled with joy and intoxicating discoveries. I was quickly falling in love with this culture, this land, this Peru.
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Modern cultures are beginning to understand that wholesome food is important in maintaining the body’s wellbeing and promoting a healthy spirit. Indeed, there are those who say dining on haute cuisine is a spiritual experience. Some even believe one’s body is their spiritual temple, so it’s important to nourish it with food that raises one’s spiritual vibration.
Part of getting to know another culture is sampling the local food. If you find it delicious, you might feel you’ve gone to food heaven. When it comes to Peruvian food, the ingredients are fresh, flavorful, healthful, and I think, inherently good for the soul. As a spiritual tourist in Peru, one might say that exploring the traditional cuisine of the Incas is part of their spiritual journey, a soul food experience.
On day one of my Peru odyssey, a mild case of altitude sickness made my stomach queasy, so I was careful to eat light and not be too adventurous with the Peruvian food. What I had experienced so far with the local cuisine was delightful. I looked forward to tasting more of it, particularly the things that are unique to this culture, like cuy. Cuy is Spanish for guinea pig, an inexpensive form of protein that’s often served at the Peruvian dinner table and as street food fried on a stick.
By day two, my stomach began to settle, but when we returned to Cusco that evening and the 11,000-foot elevation, my queasiness returned. Our hotel offered coca tea in the lobby, a common practice in Andean hotels. This tea, known locally as mate de coca, contains a mild stimulant similar to caffeine which helps to counter the effects of altitude sickness and has a delicious mushroom flavor that reminded me of a tea I drank while in Beijing.
The infusion is prepared with one gram of coca leaves that contains approximately 4 mg of organic coca alkaloid, the same substance that is used as a base for making cocaine. Although the amount of alkaloid in the infusion is far less than the 20-30 mg typically found in a line of cocaine, if you drink even one cup of this tea and are given a drug test afterwards, you’ll likely test positive for cocaine. Coca tea is legal in Peru, Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, and Ecuador. However, it’s illegal in the United States unless the coca alkaloid has been removed. In addition to the tea, coca leaves are used by Incan shamans in their spiritual ceremonies.
There were certain things we were warned not to eat in Peru, such as street food, ceviche (“cebiche” in Spanish), raw salads, unpeeled fruits, etc. There’s nothing wrong with these foods, but since we were visitors, we were not accustomed to or had not built up antibodies for certain pathogens that might be found in this fare.
On our first evening in Cusco, we headed across the street from the hotel to Valentina’s, a restaurant that our guide Adriel recommended. This place caters to tourists, but the menu was mostly traditional, and there was a wonderful band that played Peruvian instruments, such as the ethereal pan flute. I ordered a salad that featured potatoes and avocados, and an exquisite quinoa soup, which turned out to be the best of the three quinoa soups I tasted while in Peru. Quinoa is a grain that is indigenous to the Andean regions of Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, and Colombia. It’s high in protein and fairly available for purchase in the United States.
The Pisco Sour is the national alcoholic drink of Peru. Every restaurant we dined at served us complimentary Pisco Sours as a welcome drink. It’s a delicious cocktail made with South American limes (known as “Peruvian lemons”), egg white, sugar and pisco, a grape brandy produced in the winemaking regions of Peru and Chile.
As I mentioned previously, Peruvian cuisine is derived from the indigenous Inca civilization and influenced by native dishes of Spain, Germany, China, Japan, Africa and Italy. Staples include potatoes, corn and chili peppers, though I didn’t find the food overly spicy.
During our first full day in Cusco, we were fortunate to visit the largest marketplace in the city, Mercado Central de San Pedro, where locals shop for food and sundries. Near the San Pedro rail station, this colorful open-air warehouse stretches three blocks long and one block wide and is filled with row after row of fresh produce, meat products that included every part of the animal (cow heads, pig snouts, etc.), fish and fish roe, fresh bread, hand-crafted cheeses, fresh wild herbs, flowers, grains, lentils and legumes, handmade garments, and souvenirs for tourists. I spied a huge cooked guinea pig displayed on top of a large, raw chicken and puzzled over whether this was sanitary.
Potatoes are a main ingredient in Peruvian soups. We stopped at a booth where a woman minced potatoes and packaged them for purchase. These prepared potatoes would save a cook a great deal of prep time. The speed with which this woman sliced potatoes was truly impressive. She gave me the knife to try my hand at it. It was not as easy as it looked.
Americans are accustomed to seeing perfect-looking fruit in their grocery stores, with no blemishes or bruises. Although our fruit may look perfect, it’s often flavorless and has lost vitamin value from sitting around too long.
In the San Pedro market, the fruit was blemished, but was fresh and huge. The grapes were the largest I’ve ever seen. Peru grows about 20 different varieties of fruit, some of which are only found in Peru. Adriel took us to a trusted fruit vendor, who prepared drinks for us made with exotic fruits and local beer. It was delicious. Then he broke open several fruits unique to Peru for us to taste.
Lucuma, a native Peruvian fruit known as “gold of the Incas,” is sweet like caramel custard and used as an ingredient in ice cream and other desserts. The pepino, which Adriel called a cucumber, is indigenous to the more temperate Andean regions of Peru. It tastes nothing like the cucumber we Americans know, its yellow flesh more like the flavor and texture of a honeydew melon. A native of the Andes, the heart-shaped cherimoya with its soft, custard-like flesh, is popularly known in English as the Custard Apple and is used in pies, mousses, and sauces served over fish. Its sweet flavor reminded me of a blend of bananas and peaches.
One of the rows in the marketplace was stacked with fresh bread. Some of the loaves looked like wide-brimmed hats. Adriel purchased a loaf of chuta bread for us to taste. This delicious Andean bread is characterized by its sweet, anise flavor and a large, disk-like shape.
Mercado Central de San Pedro is open every day. We were there on a Sunday, so it was not too crowded. Tourists should watch for pickpockets, particularly when it’s crowded. There are lots of photo opportunities in this colorful place with all of the beautiful produce, unique items and the mountain folk who come here to sell their wares.
Because we were in Peru for only four days, there were many traditional dishes that I didn’t have the opportunity to sample. But I did my best to try as much as possible, including some of the more exotic foods like yucca, a starchy tuber that tastes a bit like potato, and Alpaca steak, which was mild in flavor, but tough. I tried guinea pig, too. It reminded me of pork, but a little sweeter and was very greasy. They served the animal intact, with red chili peppers turned upside down over its ears. They looked like party hats. I suppose that makes it more palatable for us tourists.
At the Inka House Restaurant, a young chef gave us a cooking demonstration. He prepared Causa, a popular cold dish made of mashed potato, shredded chicken, Peruvian lime juice, red onion, chili pepper, olives, and avocado. There are many variations on this recipe, which include tuna and sometimes shellfish. It’s a delicious dish that would be nice to serve at a luncheon with a crisp, white wine.
On our second night in Cusco, over 20 of us dined at a local Peruvian family’s home. This was a unique and fun experience. The hostess had three beautiful children who also joined us for dinner. Since I was seated at the children’s end of the table, one of the first things I got to do was pour glasses of Chicha Morada for them. This is NOT the alcoholic chicha I told you about earlier. It’s a non-fermented drink made from purple maize, powdered cloves, cinnamon, and sugar, reminiscent of grape juice but not as sweet. The Peruvian national beverage, Inka Kola, is much sweeter. It tastes a lot like bubble gum.
We tried lupine beans, a traditional legume that is primarily eaten as a snack food. These beans are poisonous unless prepared properly. The flavor was mild and the texture somewhat crunchy like a nut.
Rice pudding (arroz con leche) is a popular dessert in Peru, made with cooked rice, cinnamon or nutmeg, raisins, and milk. I had several versions of this in Peru, but my favorite was the one served at this family dinner. It had the distinct flavor of freshly grated nutmeg.
At the end of the meal, the hostess passed around a plant pot containing live mint. We each broke off a sprig and dropped it in a teacup. She filled our cups with hot water, and we enjoyed a delightfully fresh cup of mint tea.
Food and friendship go hand in hand. The children, who were learning English, tried their best to chat with us. We, in turn, stumbled over our broken Spanish and managed to communicate in spite of our shortcomings. Our laughter, the nourishing, delicious food, and warm spirit of companionship made this a special evening in Cusco. And who knows, maybe it raised our spiritual vibration.
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Lake Titicaca, the home of sun god Inti, is the sacred birthplace of the Incan Empire. Incans viewed Cusco, Peru as the belly button of the universe. According to Incan legend, Inti sent his children, Manco Capac and Mama Ocllo, on a journey to spread civilization and religion to the primitive people and establish the Incan Empire in Cusco. Ancient Sapa Inca Pachacuti is credited with transforming the small kingdom of Cusco into a vast empire.
Cusco was built on layers of ancient structures that date back to the indigenous Killke people, who inhabited the region from 900 to 1200 AD. Now designated as the Historic Capital of Peru by the Constitution of Peru, Cusco became the capital of the Incan Empire dating from the 13th century to 1533 when Spanish explorers invaded the city. It’s the oldest continuously inhabited city in the western hemisphere, and in 1983, was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
As we visited the numerous Incan sacred sites around Cusco, our tour group witnessed the battle scars and learned about the loss of what was, at one time, a great people. The stories are not so different than the ones we Americans have heard about our own North American indigenous peoples.
Cusco became the center of Spanish colonization from which they spread Christianity throughout the Andean culture. The Spanish intentionally desecrated Incan holy sites to force the Incas to submit to Spanish rule. Inca temples were turned into Catholic churches, and the surviving Incas were obliged to become Roman Catholics.
In the heart of Cusco, Qurikancha (Temple of the Sun) was the most important religious site of the Incas. Legend says that its walls and floors were once lined with gold. It featured a golden disc studded with precious jewels that represented Inti, the Inca sun god. The Spanish stripped the temple of its wealth and destroyed much of the complex. On its foundation, they built the Convent of Santo Domingo.
You can visit the partial ruins of the inner temple that remain and study the brilliant Incan architecture. A replica of the golden disc is on display. Though there is no longer any real gold there, the original granite foundation walls are still intact, even after enduring major earthquakes.
Astronomy played a key role in Incan culture. They worshipped many of the heavenly bodies, most importantly the sun. The Incas tracked its movement through the sky, especially during sunrise and sunset, using strategically placed pillars and other structures. You can see an excellent example of this at Qurikancha in a series of aligned windows that capture the sun’s rays.
In 1539, the Spanish built the Iglesia del Triunfo on the foundation of the Palace of Viracocha Inca. It was the first Christian church to be built in Cusco. The adjacent main basilica, Cathedral of Santo Domingo (known as Cusco Cathedral), opened in 1654. It was constructed from the stones of Sacsayhuaman, an Incan holy site and fortress. In 1983, the cathedral was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
In addition to being the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cusco, the cathedral, with its carved wood main altar covered with gold leaf, houses archaeological artifacts and a collection of over 400 paintings by local Colonial artists from the Cusqueña (Cusco) School.
Though today’s Peruvians are largely Roman Catholic, many of the Andean traditions have woven their way into the fabric of local Spanish culture. For example, the art collection in the cathedral features the famous Marcos Zapata painting of The Last Supper in which a guinea pig is displayed on the supper table, surrounded by Jesus and his Disciples. You’ll also see a distinctly Andean portrait of the Virgin Mary in which a river runs along the hem of her mountain-shaped skirt that links her to the Incan goddess Pachamama (Mother Earth).
The cathedral is located on the historic Plaza de Armas, known as “Square of the Warrior.” This is where Spanish leader Francisco Pizarro declared his conquest over Cusco and where Incan resistance leader Tupac Amaru II lost his life.
Before we explored the cathedral, our guide Adriel let us explore the plaza for a while. I sat down on a bench and watched people. Because this is a popular tourist area, there are many vendors who wander about and try to sell trinkets and shoe shine services to the tourists. They were very persistent and reluctant to take no for an answer. I tried to be polite, but I was an easy target on that bench.
I began to notice how one person in my tour group dealt with this constant assault. He waved them away as though he was swatting at flies. Honestly, I thought his dismissive attitude was rude and had to review my own conduct to be sure I wasn’t doing the same. These people were trying to make an honest living and probably having to support families. It’s hard work being on your feet all day and especially difficult dealing with rude tourists.
Although tourism has helped create jobs, unemployment in Peru is high and poverty widespread at a level of 30.2%. Poor education in rural areas, lack of clean water, sanitation and healthcare add to the problem. Recent years have witnessed the growth of tourism in Peru, particularly in pilgrimages to the many Incan holy sites by tourists who are searching for a spiritual awakening. I’m one of those people.
On our first morning in Cusco, a small group of us gathered in a hotel meeting room with Adriel and an Inca shaman from the mountains. He was a small man, under 5 feet tall, dressed in a beige poncho and a colorful Peruvian knit cap. Since he didn’t speak any English, Adriel translated for us and narrated the sacred ritual that we had come to participate in.
The Inca people are the keepers of ancient knowledge. They worship Pachamama (Mother Earth), a goddess who presided over fertility, planting and harvesting, and is now viewed as nature herself. After the Incas were conquered by the Spanish and forced to convert to Catholicism, the Virgin Mary came to be closely associated with Pachamama.
Sacred rituals are held to make offerings to Pachamama and the sacred mountain protectors in hopes of restoring balance with the natural forces of our Earth. In ancient times, they also made animal and human sacrifices to this goddess. Shamans still perform these ritual offerings today, though I’m sure no sacrifices take place. During the ceremony, they chew coca leaves and sometimes ingest Ayahuasca, a hallucinogenic plant medicine, to put them in a trance or altered state that gives them access to the spirit world.
To my knowledge, our shaman at the hotel did not ingest any Ayahuasca, but he did chew coca leaves. First, he sat on the floor and laid out a colorful cloth before him. Then he chanted in Quechua, the native Inca language, and placed meaningful items on the cloth. These items were the offerings to Pachamama. Interestingly, there are shaman stores around Cusco where they purchase ritual kits that contain these items.
The shaman gave each of us three coca leaves to hold. My mind started spinning as I wondered if I was supposed to chew them or take them home and try to get them through U.S. Customs. But these leaves were not for us to keep, nor chew. One at a time, we approached the shaman on our knees and gave him our coca leaves. He placed them on the offering cloth and then he blessed each of us.
After the blessing, the shaman wrapped the cloth up in a bundle. Each of us stood before him to be cleansed. As he chanted, he tapped us with the bundle all over our heads and bodies, as though he was dusting a bookshelf. Then we were asked to blow on the bundle three times. He dusted again, said a few more words in Quechua, and gave each of us a warm hug. I could feel his strong energy. It felt good. Adriel, who is also a shaman, followed with hugs. His energy was even stronger. I noticed that something let go in me.
When I’d gotten up that morning, I had a mild headache and a stiff neck. After the ceremony, I realized that those pains had all but vanished. Another woman in our group had a migraine headache that morning. She said it disappeared during the ceremony. Since then, I’ve felt an emotional clarity I haven’t felt in a long time. Was it a placebo effect? Maybe, but who cares. I felt better.
It’s believed the Incan rituals to Pachamama help participants connect or align themselves with the natural world that sustains them. We need this kind of deep connection in order to be healthy. Modern human society is out of balance, with all the wars, mass shootings and stabbings. We’ve poisoned our soil, air and water, and our Earth — our home — shows alarming signs of decline. The Hopi Indians have a term for this imbalance, koyaanisqatsi, meaning unbalanced life.
There seems to be more urgency now around humans finding balance. Indeed, our very survival as human children of Pachamama depends on restoring the balance with the natural forces of the Earth. It calls for a change, a new way of life.
Although our need for spiritual journeys may be spurred by the end of times theories made popular by the Mayans, the Incans don’t believe in an end of times, but rather, a new beginning. They say that when the glaciers on the Andes melt, the Incan kings will return to save the world. Interestingly, as we drove into Cusco after our return from Machu Picchu, Adriel pointed out the glacier on the mountain top above the city. He observed that it’s melting at an accelerated rate.
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The soul is immortal. This is what the ancient Incas believed. When a person’s body dies, it’s not the end of their life but a new beginning, a transition from one realm of existence to another in a sort of spiritual journey. The Incas believed the dead could hear them, so they took good care of their dead and brought offerings to the tombs, things the dead had loved or valued in life.
Although the Spanish conquered Cusco long ago, today’s Andeans still hold onto many of the Incan customs, including how they deal with their dead. At Cusco’s Almudena Cemetery, built in 1845, Christian precepts and symbols intertwine with ancient Incan practices. Here, as in Christian cemeteries around the world, crosses stand sentry and statues of angels hover over neoclassical marble mausoleums. But Andeans have a unique way of honoring their dead. First of all, they don’t bury bodies under the ground, but inter them above ground in mausoleums. That’s not so unique.
Here’s the unique part. Like their Inca ancestors, Andeans believe the dead still eat and drink as they did in life, so each coffin in a mausoleum has a glass-enclosed compartment in front of it where loved ones of the deceased leave gifts, such as bottles of beer, religious icons, flowers, dolls, photos, miniature cars, food, and other meaningful articles. The cemetery is filled with rows and rows of these windows, each one special, each hinting at the proclivities of the deceased interred there. Their souls are not forgotten. Loved ones visit often to pay tribute to the departed and to show their devotion with new offerings.
This was only one of many things I was beginning to understand about how the ancient Incan culture still influences the people of the Andean region. On our last day in Peru, we traveled to four important sacred sites in the southern Peruvian highlands 1500 feet above Cusco. The drive gave me time to reflect on the things I’d learned about the Incas. I felt humbled, even saddened, by the history of these amazing people.
As our bus wound from the valley up a narrow road, I studied the unfinished mud brick houses that clung to the steep hillside. Their terracotta roofs sagged. By the roadside, stray dogs fed on garbage from torn plastic garbage bags. Masses of tangled electrical wires with dangling ends hinted at a culture that struggled to be part of a modern world.
At the top of the hill, we emerged from the gravity of urban struggle into an ethereal land, a place where Incas had stood proud over their glorious empire and whose spirits still preside over many Andeans. This is where the Inca sun god Inti sent his children to build an empire in these mountains. This was the belly button of the Inca universe.
The Incas believed that natural elements, such as fire and water, were gods. Water was a key factor in Incan worship, and Pariacaca, the Inca water god, was one of their most idolized deities. The Incas were instrumental in creating elaborate water systems to control the flow of water.
Tambomachay, “temple of water”, is an Inca archaeological site nestled in the embrace of a hillside above Cusco. It’s a fascinating complex, powerful in the simplicity of its design and the way it integrates into its natural surroundings. Spring water flows for miles through underground aqueducts deep in the mountains and emerges into the site’s terraced stone canals and fountains. No one knows the water source or how the Incas accomplished this engineering feat, but centuries later, the water still flows.
Little is known about the purpose of this beautiful site. Popularly known as “bath of the Inca” (El Bano del Inca), it may have been a spa resort for elite Incas or a military outpost. More likely, however, it was a place of worship, built to pay tribute to water as a life force. Telltale trapezoidal niches carved into the stone of one of the remaining walls probably served as altars to hold sacred huacas offered to Pariacaca.
The focal point of Tambomachay is two aqueducts that funnel water into a sacred pool where Incas once worshipped the water. It’s still used by shamans today. Our guide Adriel, who is a shaman, comes to this place at night to worship when the moon is full.
The area around these fountains is roped off, because tourists have disrespected the site by playing in the water. Adriel encouraged those of us who wanted to cleanse ourselves in this sacred water to step over the rope and put our hands in the stream. Only two of us did. The water was icy but felt wonderful. I said a silent prayer as the water ran over my forearms. A park official approached. We rushed back to the other side of the rope, but she saw us and scolded Adriel. He explained that we wanted to touch the water for spiritual purposes. She calmed down.
Our visit to this magical place was way too brief. I wanted to stay longer, as I was beginning to feel a connection, but we had another sacred site to visit, one with a dark history.
The Quechua word Q’enqo means labyrinth, a fitting name for the network of caves where Incas performed ritual sacrifices. When the Spanish came to conquer the Incas, the Incas led the invaders into this labyrinth of caves to be lost forever in its confusing passages. But the Spanish conquistadors kept coming and eventually defeated the Inca. They looted and destroyed much of Q’enqo. What remains are the ruins of semicircular stone terraces thought to have formed an amphitheater for sacred gatherings.
Beyond the amphitheater, one can see the entrance to a cave in which animal (mainly llamas) and sometimes human sacrifices were performed. Inside the narrow passage, the “chamber of the dead” was carved from one gigantic rock. I laid my arms across the carved stone platform on which sacrificial rituals took place. It was cold, even on this hot day.
From this site on Socorro hill, you have a beautiful view of Cusco in the valley below, particularly as you exit the cave on the far end and make your way to the tour bus parking area. As I approached our bus, I spotted a man dressed as an Inca warrior. Although this kind of thing is fun for some tourists, it made me sad, even embarrassed. It didn’t feel authentic, but merely a show for tourists rather than a way to educate us or celebrate the Inca culture.
On our way to the final sacred site, we stopped briefly by the roadside to view the remains of a fortress set at the foot of a hill in a nearby field. Pukapukara means “red fortress” in Quechua, so named because of the red color of the surrounding soil. Located on the road that is the gateway to P’isaq in the Sacred Valley, Pukapukara is thought to have been a military outpost with residential quarters and a food storeroom.
A Peruvian vendor here took advantage of the tourist stop and offered handcrafted items for sale at very reasonable prices. I bought a pretty hand-painted wood game box for just a few dollars.
Qurikancha (Temple of the Sun) in Cusco was the most important religious site of the Incas, but there were many sites dedicated to sun worship in the Inca Empire. Probably the most impressive of these is Sacsayhuaman, located on the northern slope above Cusco. If you’re wondering how to pronounce this Quechua name, it sounds something like “sexy woman.”
Peruvians still use Sacsayhuaman for various festivals, such as Inti Raymi, an annual celebration of the winter solstice and New Year, and Warachikuy, a rite of passage for youths of the nobility. The large field is also used for athletic activities.
Sacsayhuaman was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983. Although it’s often referred to as a fortress, Cusco residents know from their ancestors that this place was the Royal House of the Sun, the former capital of the Inca Empire and a place to worship the sun god Inti. The original city of Cusco was designed in the shape of a Puma, a sacred animal, and Sacsayhuaman was the head of the puma. If you view the site from the air, you’ll see that it’s shaped like a puma’s head. Anthropologists believe the Incas built Sacsayhuaman around 1200 AD on top of existing Killke structures originated in 1100. The plaza, which is now covered with grass, would have been large enough to hold thousands of people.
The site is an architectural and engineering marvel. Enormous boulders form three massive terrace walls that zigzag along one side of the complex. These walls are made of huge blocks of Andesite stone cut to fit together without any mortar. The precision with which they were dry-fitted together in interlocking shapes is impressive. As in many Inca structures, the walls are angled inward in a technique that was believed to make the structure more stable. Perhaps this is why Inca sites have survived numerous earthquakes over the centuries.
Sacsayhuaman’s position above Cusco indicates it may have been a fortress as well as a place of worship. The Spanish conquistadors knew that controlling this site was critical to controlling the region. They laid siege to Sacsayhuaman, slaughtered the Incas, and conquered Cusco. As a final punishment to the surviving Incas, the Spaniards desecrated Sacsayhuaman and took tons of stone from it to construct government and religious buildings in Cusco. Fortunately, many of the stones were so enormous, some weighing over 100 tons, they were impossible to move, so much of the site remains intact.
Thousands of Incas were slaughtered in this field, their bodies left unburied to be eaten by condors. People who have visited the Gettysburg Civil War battle site say they can sense the ghosts of those who died there. They say the feeling isn’t friendly but threatening. Unlike Gettysburg, the feeling I had in Sacsayhuaman was like a warm embrace.
A while back, I watched an episode of “Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown”. Mr. Bourdain commented that, “Sometimes you have to leave home to find your home.” For me, that seems to be true. Although I’m still searching for my home, I find pieces of it in the most unexpected places.
I think I found a piece of home here in Sacsayhuaman. When Adriel asked me what I thought of the place, I said it was powerful. I could feel a deep connection to the souls of those who had lived and died there centuries ago. I mentioned that I have Native American heritage on both sides of my family. To what degree, I don’t know. I have no tribal affiliation and don’t even know to what tribe or tribes I belong. But still, it’s in my blood. I believe that indigenous people around the world are linked together by a common view of life on Earth.
Adriel simply said, “Welcome home.” Tears welled in my eyes. It did feel like home. I had found a piece of the puzzle called home.
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