Travel Journal
PERU: A World Within Worlds
Part II
June 2021
Editor's Note: As many of our readers know, Sandra Bertrand is also an accomplished painter. We couldn't resist including her piece "Sun Gate at Machu Picchu" as part of this installment of Travel Journal. See if you can find the photo that inspired this piece in the article below.
Sun Gate at Machu Picchu
Oil: 24 X 18 inches
© Sandra Bertrand
Oil: 24 X 18 inches
© Sandra Bertrand
At the end of Part I, readers were left wondering what happened to Sandra and Joanne after their autobus was forced to navigate an alternative route through a smoke-filled tunnel due to their path being blocked by large boulders dislodged after an earthquake.
By Sandra Bertrand
Emerging from the dust-filled tunnel, the air still clouded from the morning’s landslides, we greedily gulp for air. Elfar rolls down the windows of the autobus, throwing us a good-hearted belly laugh. “Didn’t I promise you a good adventure?”
We must admit, our tour guide delivered. We head down the canyon, marveling at the emerald hillsides of the Colca valley - a wonderland of agricultural terraces pre-dating the Incas still in use, ringed by snow-peaked volcanoes. Thanks to Elfar, we had gazed upon the same spots considered closest to the apus (mountain gods).
We must admit, our tour guide delivered. We head down the canyon, marveling at the emerald hillsides of the Colca valley - a wonderland of agricultural terraces pre-dating the Incas still in use, ringed by snow-peaked volcanoes. Thanks to Elfar, we had gazed upon the same spots considered closest to the apus (mountain gods).
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It was time for lunch, and Chivay is the ground zero market town for Colca canyon, a friendly hubbub with its folkloric music, calming our heart rates considerably after last night’s quake. Lots of vegetables and grilled Alpaca line the buffet, though simple hunger takes precedence over taste buds. Joining rows of picnic table diners, we are entertained by a guitarist and a young flute player in Andean costume, though his knit cap looks like a last-minute affair purchased from Baby Gap.
Returning to Arequipa, our last days demand a visit to the Museo Santuarios Andinos to see the Ice Princess Juanita. Imagine a thirteen-year-old girl in perfectly preserved condition buried for over five centuries, found by a local expedition in 1995. (A nearby eruption had temporarily melted the ice encasing her.) |
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We enter a sanctuary where she can be viewed under glass. A funereal mood prevails, strict temperature-controlled conditions in place, no photography allowed. Juanita was the sacrificial victim to the volcano gods, heavily sedated before the crushing blow to her skull. Though there are ample mummies on view, Juanita is not one of them, her organs still intact. Having traveled all the way to Johns Hopkins University and back home again, her DNA meticulously analyzed, she lives forever. Perhaps in this way, she has joined the gods after all. Cusco The ten-hour and fifteen-minute overnight bus trip to Cusco on Peru Hop is top-notch—the reclining bed seats, the generosity of the stewardesses with every amenity. Thick curtains are drawn over the windows to induce sleep, preventing a peek into the black abyss. Within minutes, Joanne is happily snoring away, while I bump and sway to every lurch in our serpentine ascent. |
A Toast to Pisco! (Un Brindis Por el Pisco!) Pisco is the grape brandy and the main ingredient for Pisco Sours, the frothy national cocktail of Peru. Pisco dates to the colonial era, brought by the Spaniards in the 16th century. Recipe: 3 oz. pisco, 1 oz. simple syrup, 1 oz. key lime juice, ½ raw egg white, ice, Angostura bitters (garnish) Place all ingredients (except Angostura bitters) in a cocktail shaker. Shake vigorously until drink becomes frothy. Strain and pour into a chilled 8 oz. cocktail glass. Garnish with 3 drops of Angostura bitters. |
There’s a reason why travelers are forewarned against plane-hopping from Lima to Cusco for the trek to Machu Picchu. To go from sea level to over 11,000 feet can be a shock to the hardiest constitution, so gradual acclimation, with an extended stopover in Arequipa at 7,661 feet, is recommended. I entertain such statistics until the light of dawn seeps into our cabin.
It’s a glorious sun-spattered morning to be alive. At least that’s my mindset until our cabbie dumps us in the small plaza of San Blas, high above the city’s center. We had chosen this artsy barrio for its celebrated charm, but our rental is situated beyond a muddy construction site only navigable by foot. It appears that ancient irrigation gullies no longer function as the Inca rulers had once intended. With a bit of sleep-deprived grumbling on my part, we haul our wheeled baggage up the steep incline to our new home.
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Cusco is a time-traveler’s dream. For over 3,000 years, it has existed as the oldest living city in the Americas, the “naval” capital of the Inca Empire from the 13th to 16th century. Then Pizarro and his ragtag Spanish legions crushed it. Now a UNESCO World Heritage site, two million tourists a year mingle in their modern dress with Inca offspring dressed in their traditional Quechua costumes. On our descent to the Plaza de Armas, I’m both light-headed and dazzled by the ochre hillsides and red-tiled roofs. The Plaza itself, dominated by La Catedral, is a repository of colonial splendor. Yet it’s the stone masonry of the city’s original walls, exquisitely carved without mortar to withstand earthquakes, that fascinates. In a flash, a persistent young self-appointed guide finds us, leading us into an alleyway where more stones represent the shape of a puma—the basis for the city’s original layout. We part company eventually, eight soles poorer, squeezing past a tall portly Peruvian in the full regalia of an Inca emperor. |
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The Archbishop’s Palace, otherwise known as the Museo de Arte Religioso, offers a cool retreat. It was once the residence of Inca Roca (one of twelve emperors down through the centuries). Most memorable are the portraits of Saint Jerome and a royal carriage in exquisite condition. Most curious are twelve landscapes adorned with zodiacal signs. The artisans knew such astrological iconography was one way to persuade the newly converted of a deity that shared their views.
Another standout for historical art-gazing is the Museo de Arte Precolombino (MAP). Dating from 1250 B.C., the visitor will find hundreds of artifacts, further enhancing the vast collection we found at Museo Larco in Lima.
There’s an ample array of places to watch the world go by off the main plaza. But what warms the spirits (pun intended) are those you discover before your legs turn rubbery from the day’s agenda. Baco is the best wine bar to be found, serving gourmet pizzas and plenty of nouvelle Andean cuisine.
There’s an ample array of places to watch the world go by off the main plaza. But what warms the spirits (pun intended) are those you discover before your legs turn rubbery from the day’s agenda. Baco is the best wine bar to be found, serving gourmet pizzas and plenty of nouvelle Andean cuisine.
On one chilly star-strewn night, we are confronted by a convocation of canines of every size and breed, an occasional ribcage poking out of the mix. What looks like a shiatsu catches my eye, its scruffy little body covered in a dirty sweater. There isn’t a dogwalker or owner to be found. Apparently homeless, after quickly sniffing us out, the band are on their way for better prospects.
With the lateness of the hour, we pick up our pace, grateful enough to curl up in front of the space heater our landlady provided.
If you do take in the charms of San Blas, its tiny plaza boasts a perfect quinta or open-air restaurant, a convenient wood-fired oven in the courtyard. Pachapapa’s grilled cuy fish with Huacatay mint will help you while away an afternoon with no regrets. You can also get a taste of home at Jack’s Café Bar. It’s a gringo hangout but pancakes, surrounded by smiling nortamericano faces, won’t disappoint.
With the lateness of the hour, we pick up our pace, grateful enough to curl up in front of the space heater our landlady provided.
If you do take in the charms of San Blas, its tiny plaza boasts a perfect quinta or open-air restaurant, a convenient wood-fired oven in the courtyard. Pachapapa’s grilled cuy fish with Huacatay mint will help you while away an afternoon with no regrets. You can also get a taste of home at Jack’s Café Bar. It’s a gringo hangout but pancakes, surrounded by smiling nortamericano faces, won’t disappoint.
The Sacred Valley and Ollantaytambo
The Sacred Valley lives up to its name with its cobalt blue skies and green fields lining the Urubamba River. Dating from the 15th century, Ollantaytambo with its formidable ruins became the hidden stronghold of the first emperor Manco Inca, following his defeat at Sacsayhuama (another unmissable fortress atop San Blas).
The Sacred Valley lives up to its name with its cobalt blue skies and green fields lining the Urubamba River. Dating from the 15th century, Ollantaytambo with its formidable ruins became the hidden stronghold of the first emperor Manco Inca, following his defeat at Sacsayhuama (another unmissable fortress atop San Blas).
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Our guide makes requisite stops to admire local handiwork. We witness the art of transforming clumps of dirty Alpaca wool into the most exquisite examples of Andean weaving. Under a thatched roof, a girl no more than six or seven, under her father’s gaze, supervises iron pots for boiling the wool with special cleaning herbs, then adds various plant substances for color. That day I found my own Biblical “Joseph’s coat of many colors,” a sweater that exceeded all my expectations for a ridiculously cheap price. Hostal Iskay affords a spectacular bird’s eye view of the ruins. In the Old Town, called “Ollanta” by the natives, each cobbled passageway is lined with canals, still delivering the same water the Incas had enjoyed. I expected at any moment to hear ancient drumbeats from the mountain spirits. Before dark set in, we found Café Mayu at the train tracks. In a cavernous candle-lit interior we enjoyed grilled trout with mashed potatoes. (Note: Potatoes are the food staple of Peru. So if you like your fries crisp and skinny, you’ve come to the wrong country.) |
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The likelihood of another earthquake on the agenda was dimming with each sip of wine. I wake with a Pan-like spirit but without the goat-footed agility to keep up with the youngest of the lot. No worries. We eventually make the 200-step climb to view the most auspicious ruins—an elegant trapezoidal door jamb for picture-posing, the Temple of Ten Niches and the unfinished pink granite Temple of the Sun. Most memorable is a breathtaking view of the town below. On Sunday, a great festival is underway in the town plaza. Buses of tourists and outlying villagers in a blinding array of costumes fill the square. Later, we find a restaurant for a window view of the proceedings, surrounded by a smattering of Japanese women who manage to devour multiple courses without touching a grain of rice. |
Festival Tribe (Ollantaytambo)
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Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu "The Lost City"
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After unloading our bags from a three-wheeled taxi, we board the train from Ollanta to Agua Calientes. Ninety minutes later, we are squarely back in the 21st century. This frontier-like town is mainly an outpost for beer-guzzling backpackers and everyone else taking the 6 1/4-mile switchback bus ride up to the fabled ruins. If you want a river view with your wood-fired pizza, Toto’s House is a good choice, but don’t expect to find Dorothy.
Immediately upon our arrival at the site, Sonia graciously introduces herself. Sporting a well-worn straw hat, small in stature, she is the perfect tour guide for a perfect morning of viewing. Once Machu Pichu and Huayna Picchu—the dramatic backdrop to its sister peak—came into view, the Lost City cradled below, we fell silent. Sweeping her arms over the vast landscape, she explains just how fortuitous the morning is. Typically swathed in a thick cloud cover, the sky is washed clean for virgin sightings. For the next three and a half hours, we follow her through the architectural maze, in awe at the alignment of structures, such as the Temple of Three Windows, where we gaze across neighboring slopes where llamas graze, unperturbed by our presence. We put our palms on the Sacred Rock, a huge, sculpted stone believed to hold the spiritual energy of the site. |
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The second day is devoted to our climb to the Sun Gate. (Two stone gates celebrating the winter and summer solstices are the first viewing of Machu Picchu for the hardy trekkers who sign up for the four-day, 27-mile hike from Cusco). Happily, in just under an hour, we manage the climb to share the same magnificent view. Before descending, we devour a protein bar, meeting a young Chilean man who takes our picture. He subsequently offers his hand to me for the rocky walk back that followed.**
Though I miss our hilly abode in San Blas, upon our return to Cusco, we find Casa Andina, a mid-priced hotel with courtyard. It’s a heartbeat away from Qoricancha (the Templo del Sol) in the historic center. This is the best example of the overlay of one culture upon another. Here 4,000 Inca priests were housed in all their glittering finery—the walls, the altars, the statues all solid gold. Here also is where the same contents were ransacked and melted down by the Spaniards to be shipped back to their homeland. And here Pizarro and his legions constructed the 17th century Convent of Santo Domingo but kept the stone walls intact. It was a strange sensation visiting, waiting to feel the presence of a doomed culture. At least in the open bustle of the streets, the stones could breathe again. |
**Note: To fully appreciate the unearthing of such a Peruvian Shangri-la, a little research into Hiram Bingham, the Yale archaeologist and historian who made the discovery, is suggested.
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Dog in Peruvian Costume (Lima)
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Little wonder our final visit is to Sacsayhuaman. This massive fortress is built of base stones as tall as 11 1/2 feet. It is believed that the military temple represented the head of a puma with its zigzag formation the teeth. We didn’t find the mythical cat, but we did find a clutch of adorable puppies, hidden away in a grassy burrow. Later we saw a sheep dog skirting the grounds, presumably the mother.
A brief return by bus to Lima provides an exploration of colonial Lima with its impressive Plaza Mayor. It’s a congested affair mid-day, possessing a shabby grandeur without the trendiness of the Miraflores and Barranca districts from our first visit. But a pocket of elegance is to be had at Casa de Osambela-Oquendo. As the tallest house in the old part of the city, its mahogany balconies and four levels are a jewel from the past. Our historic hotel off the Plaza seems a sensible choice until we have to change rooms - not once, but three times. Every attempt to plug in a space heater produced a shower of sparks from the walls. Old world charm has its limitations! Little matter. We had breathed the rarified air, however thin, of the gods; and as we promised one another, we would never forget it. |
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CUSCO Places of Interest Oficina de Informacion Turista Mantas 117-A 084 263-176 Museo de Arte Religioso Corner of Hatunrumiyoc and Palacio 084 225-211 Casa Cabrera Plaza de las Nazarenas s/n 084 237 380 Baco Centro Historico Wine Bar Ruinas 465 084 242 808 Pachapapa Plaza de San Blas 120 084 241 318 Jack’s Café Bar Choquechaca 509, San Blas 084 806 960 Casa Andina Classic – Qoricancha Centro Historico San Agustin 371 866 220 4434 |
AREQUIPA & OLLANTAYTAMBO Places of Interest Arequipa Visitor Information Casona de Santa Catalina Santa Catalina 210 054 221 227 Museo Santuarios Andinos La Merced 110 054 200-345 PeruRail 01 612 6700 Cruz del Sur (bus tickets) 01 311 5050 ~~~ Cafe Mayu (Ollantaytambo) Estacio de Tren, Oyante-Tambo 084 204-014 Hostel Iskay Patacalle s/n 084 204 004 Aguas Calientes Toto’s House Av. Imperio de los Incas s/n 084 211 020 |
MACHU PICCHU & LIMA Places of Interest Ticket Purchase for Machu Picchu Machu Picchu Cultural Center Av. Pachacutec s/n 084 211 196 Aguas Calientes General Information on Machu Picchu ~~~ Oficina de Informacion Turistica (Lima) Pasaje Los Escribanos 145 01 427 6080 Casa de Osambela-Oquendo Jr. Conde de Superunda 298 01 428 7919 |
Sandra Bertrand is an award-winning playwright and painter. She is Chief Art Critic for Highbrow Magazine and a contributing writer for GALO Magazine. Sandra was Sanctuary's Featured Artist in May 2019 and is also Sanctuary's columnist for "Travel Journal."
