Days 9 - 12, Joan, Denis, Lucie & Charles

Wednesday morning the Langlais family and I began our trip to Cusco with a short 55 minute flight that gave us a great view of the lush mountains and valleys that make up the area of Cusco. We were met at the airport by our tour coordinator and made the short drive to our hotel. The temperature was much cooler than in Lima and was a very comfortable 15 degrees. We had been warned that it would likely be raining most of the time we were in the mountains but that was not the case.

Cusco was declared a World Heritage site in 1983 as it was the capital of the Incan Empire that lasted from around 1200 ad to the 1500’s. The altitude in Cusco is over 11,000 feet so there can be some serious side effects for some people who visit the mountains. To counter this problem the hotel offered us coca tea, made from coca leaves, and is a remedy that has been used by the natives for centuries. Altitude affects everyone differently and some of us were quite short of breath as we climbed stairs or did any physical activity. Headaches and nausea are also very common symptoms. By the second day in Cusco we were all feeling much better.

Wednesday’s bus tour took us to the city center, where we had a tour of the Plaza de Armos that is in the city’s center.  Our tour guide was excellent and gave very detailed accounts of the Church of Santo Domingo that was built by the Spanish after they came to Peru and defeated the Incas in the 1500’s.  This Church, with vast amounts of gold and silver, was built atop an Incan Temple that was destroyed by the Spanish. We saw Incan ruins found in what is still the home of the Dominican Fathers. These ruins were preserved because the Spanish built around them and during the next centuries the Spanish foundations crumbled during earthquakes and the Incan foundations did not.

Next we traveled from Cusco to explore 4 major Inca sites. At an altitude of 12,139 feet (3700 m), the fortress of Sacsayhuaman boasts massive walls made from boulders weighing up to 200 tons each. Most of these boulders came from quarries over 6 km away over mountainous terrain. Slave labour was not used to do this difficult work. The Incan people paid their taxes to the government in the form of work terms. Citizens took their turns helping to push and pull the boulders needed to build all of the Temples and monuments built by the Incan people to honour their Gods.  The next stop was Q’engo, a major Incan ceremonial and ritual place. These sites, built to worship the sun, moon, and water were vast in size and were surrounded by the Andes Mountains. The high altitude made climbing to the top of some of these forts very difficult. The Temple built to honour the God of Water had a road small dirt road that reached the top so that climb was much easier than many others.

At every stop that the tour buses made, there were local mountain people selling everything from boiled corn on the cob to wind chimes and local handcrafted items. Some of the vendors had very aggressive sales pitches and it was very difficult to say no to them. I am sure that I have bought many more souvenirs on this trip than on any other that I have made. Apparently their persistence works!  Many of these women were in the local costumes of the Quechua people and they often had their children, also in costume, and lamas and alpacas present to add to the authenticity of the photo. They asked for a small fee, usually a dollar, to take a picture with them. The bright costumes were beautiful. Our stop at the huge market in Pisac was a favourite on all tour busses. This market was large enough to accommodate several tour groups at a time and we were able to watch a jeweler making silver ear rings in one of the stores.

Thursday’s bus tour took us several hours through the twisting mountain roads to reach the Sacred Valley. This valley is inhabited by a large community of people who still farm on terraces built into the mountains. Corn, potatoes, squash, and wheat were some of the crops that we saw growing in the area. The amount of farming that can be done using a terrace system is amazing. The contrast between the lush growth in the Cusco and the desert conditions in Lima was particularly evident in this valley. Our guide explained that the community owns all the surrounding farm land and when a young couple is married, they are given an allotment to farm for the rest of their lives. This land is not passed on to their children but returned to the community when they are no longer able to use the land to produce food. The homes are all low in the valley and the farming is done surprisingly high on the mountain sides.

The Sacred Valley is home to the ruins that were the Temple of the Sun. To reach the top of this site, you had to climb the side steps of a rather steep terraced mountain side. It was beautiful when you reached the top and could see the valleys that surrounded the mountain. There is much rain fall in the mountains and their fresh water, as well as water from springs found high in the Andes, is used for crop irrigation. The ancient ruins had evidence that a complex water system was used by the Incan people to reach high farming lands too.

Friday’s trip to Machu Picchu was, for all of us, the most spectacular part of our trip to Cusco.  The train ride usually takes around 3 ½ hours but our trip was complicated by the need to take a bus for the first part of the journey. A land slide had taken out the train tracks in one area and the train will not run there for some time.

The road snaking up to the historic site is very narrow and would not comfortably accommodate two cars meeting yet there are large tour busses going back and forth in an endless stream. It was quite a relief to reach the park gates.  Our tour began with a rather steep walk up to the fortress that overlooked Machu Picchu Mountain and the ruins of the communities built centuries ago by the Incan people. These ruins are one of the Seven Wonders of the World and the many pictures that are found in travel guides and history books cannot do them justice.

The whole area is surrounded by soaring mountains that are covered with thick jungle layers. It was these layers that protected the sacred city from the Spanish. Years before the Spanish came, the Emperor moved everyone from Machu Picchu to hide and protect the city. This exodus was the reason that the Spanish did not find and destroy this site as they did all the other Incan cities that they found. Indeed, the area was so well hidden that except for a few local farmers, no one knew about the “lost city” until 1911.

Our tour included a trip to the huge sundial atop one of their observatories. This dial was used to measure the passage of time during the year, not the day. They used the sun and the Southern Cross constellation to measure the passage of time. As with the Mayans in Mexico, these ancient people were able to build Temple windows so that the sun would shine on an alter on the exact day of the winter and summer solstice.

The entire experience was like none other. Our day passed far too quickly and if you ever get the chance to tour Machu Picchu, plan to spend more than one day in the area. There is much to see but it is very hard to concentrate on the historical aspect of the tour when you are surrounded by the unparalleled beauty of the Urubamba Valley.

Saturday morning we packed out things and headed back to the airport to fly back to Lima. It was really interesting to hear about the trip that Yvonne and the Sisters made to the jungle area while we were in Cusco. The only scheduled event Saturday was a dinner show that featured traditional Peruvian music and dancing. The costumes were very spectacular but the athletic abilities of the dancers made the show amazing to watch.

Saturday night was very quiet and most of us started to gather our things and pack to go home. The Sunday Mass that we attended was the children’s Mass and featured the youth choir. They were very good singers and the Parish was glad to have them back after their summer vacation. The school year begins here tomorrow. Our very own Charles and Lucie were the gift bearers at Mass.  We had lunch together and then went our separate ways to shop for the last of our souvenirs that we will now try to fit into our suitcases.

The trip has been an experience of a life time but I think all of us are ready to go home tomorrow.  Peru is a country of beautiful landscapes contrasted by the deep poverty on the dusty hills of Manchay and El Agustino.  I often think of Bishop Tomasi’s request as we parted last week when he asked that we not forget his people here in Peru. Already I am thinking ahead to projects at home that could raise money to help the poor here. The many projects that are running here can only be continued through donations from Canada as well as charities and individuals from around the world. The thought that has plagued me throughout this Pilgrimage is that most of those responsible for the projects here and in Canada are not young. Who will carry on their work when they are no longer able to do so?  That I believe is where we should focus our prayers.  Please keep this mission work and all of those who are responsible for it in your prayers.

Thank you for all your prayers and support throughout this Pilgrimage.

Good night and God Bless.   Joan