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Published: August 8th 2012
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Cusco 10 Things we learned about the Incan Empire:
1.) The main railway, Peru Rail, to get to Machu Picchu was supported by financing from the International Finance Group (“IFC”) – Good job Maria!
2.) The people of the Incan empire were known as Quechuans and their language was Quechua. “Inca” was in reference to the ruling family and the government, not the people.
3.) A German businessman in the late 1800s was probably the first non-local to discover Machu Picchu, but a well-known American historian, Hiram Bingham, brought significant attention, restoration, and mystique to the intact cultural site.
4.) The Incas combine several astrological ideas with physics to create some really interesting effects. One example is the Intihuantana Stone.
5.) The Incan Empire spanned what is now Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and Chile. Within these areas, there were several tribes which were all part of the Incan empire, but sometimes the associates were weaker than others. The roots of the civil war were always there and the Conquistadors took advantage of this by teaming with one faction, then defeating the entire area, and then turning on the faction with which they
originally partnered.
6.) The Incan period lasted from 1438 to 1533
7.) The estimated population was somewhere between 5-40 million, but Small Pox killed well over half of the people of the Incan empire during the early 1500s
8.) The main point of worship was the Inti or the Sun God. The king or leader was known as the Child of the Sun.
9.) Machu Picchu was not meant to be a residence or city. People came to mainly learn and worship.
10.) Cusco was considered the capital.
11.)(I know we said 10, but we’re overachievers) One interesting thing our guide pointed out was the comparisons of a Condor to aspects of Machu Picchu. First the entire site, if you look at it just right, it is in the shape of a condor. Furthermore, there are other rock formations that could also be construed to be in the shape of condors.
12.)One of the rock formations is said to be pointing to true North, but I’m not so sure the Quechuans had it right. I pulled out my Iphone with a compass and it was a
good 20 degrees off. Was that the difference between true north and magnetic north? Did the magnetic polls change in the last 500 years? Or were they just not that exact?
Altitude and Coca Leaves – Reading about high altitude sickness can be insightful and scary, so walking out of the plane, Maria was prepared to lose consciousness or have a deadly brain swelling. None of that happened. I also did a few exercises and was really impressed with how out of breath I got after just 20 push-ups. I also saw another guest of the hotel on pure oxygen. 12’000’ is no joke – it can affect you regardless of health.
Now, about coca – coca tea, leaves, candies, jelly, etc. are everywhere in Cusco. You are advised to drink about 2 cups of coca tea when you arrive to fight the altitude sickness. Just to be on the safe side, Maria has 4 cups at the day of arrival. Coca seems to be a big part of the cultural legacy dating from inca times and we saw some people including our guide carrying dry coca leaves in a little over the neck embroidered bag (that they
chew). While it has to do with a drug, coca leaves have to be processed to become one. When locals take them, they take them for health and energy reasons. While we haven't tried it, coca leaves are supposedly help to fight hunger and boost your energy and immune system. Why aren't we all chewing coca leaves instead of drinking red bull?
Casa Andina (Hotel) – For all the typical hotel reviews, you should check out tripadvisor.com. Now for a rant. Hotels are trading comfort for electricity conservatism by requiring the room key to be inserted to activate the electricity. At 12,000’ (3,500M) this means your room is freezing.
Guinea Pig – In Peru, they eat their pets for celebrations and major events. While in Cusco, it was my birthday on March 11, so we sacrificed a Guinea pig and ate it for dinner. We went to a great local restaurant (Chicholino) and while we wished we made a reservation, an hour wait paid off. We tasted chicken, pork, and then guilt – because I’m eating Guinea Pig. See pictures.
A few things about Alpaca – Maria wanted an alpaca sweater for a long time. She told
me she really did not think she ever touched anything as soft as alpaca wool. An alpaca (which is a South American camelid) gives what can just be the most prestigious fibre in the world - it is warmer than wool, but has a soft feel like silk. Apparently, you can pick among the many natural colors (52 natural colors as classified in Peru) when you’re choosing handicrafts for yourself or as gifts to others.
It would be wrong, however, to think of all alpaca as one thing. There are at least three major types of camelids: alpacas, vicuña, and llama. Alpaca and vicuña produce the highest quality wool, but alpaca fiber is far more common than vicuña fiber. And it costs much much less…… Maria found that out when browsing the collection of some 200 dollar sweaters. She WANTED to have this one carpet until she was told that this little vicuña marvel would cost her some USD 400,000. Whether or not this was the true price and was indeed made of vicuña I don’t know, but what it shows the exclusivity of this kind of fibre……. a top quality Vicuña shawl should indeed run thousands of dollars.
Sol Alpaca – See pictures. Maria wanted an Alpaca sweater for herself and the very first sweater I saw (Matt here) was perfect for her, but if you’re a woman where is the fun in buying the first thing you see? Missing out on the hunt? What if there is the elusive perfect sweater just waiting to be discovered? We went to every store in Lima and Cusco to make sure the first sweater I found her was the perfect one. Ohh yeah, Matt got a great sweater too, but who cares?
Salami do’s and dont’s. 1. Do eat salami with bread and cheese – it’s a vacation staple for western cultures
2. Do not eat too much red meat
3. Do eat salami from airtight prepackaged containers from supermarkets
4. Do not eat deli sliced salami from small markets who do not hygienically prepare their equipment or you will get stomach poisoning and spend much of your vacation time in the bathroom. Not good times…
Stray Dogs - In Cusco, stray dogs were everywhere, especially as we moved outside of the city center. No touch, no talk, no eye contact. Truly wild
creatures!
Shanty Towns – Just two quick interesting facts: 1.) Taxes are levied on finished housing – so if it’s unfinished - you don’t pay the tax. The incentive is thus to live in unfinished housing and that makes no sense, but you see a lot of it just slightly outside Cusco. 2.) Cusco is a Unesco World Heritage site and with this comes the responsibility to preserve the city through rules, regulations, and codes. Because the preservation (maintenance of the old buildings) is the responsibility of the owners who really do not have that much money - instead of making repairs, upgrades, and renovations, buildings fall into disrepair. What’s the solution?
Cusco’s Square – Every non-American city seems to have the main square and Cusco is no different. Its main ceremonial cathedral is located on the square mixed up with shops and restaurants. The views, though, are truly stunning. At night, you can walk out and you see thousands of lights around and on top of the hills. They all come from houses as Cusco is a city of almost 1 million, but it really looks like a star-lit sky.
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