CUZCO, PERU

                                  A High Andean City

     Flying over the Andes, old Inca roads were easily visible and seemed to be all over the mountains. After deplaning we all walked to the terminal at our normal pace when suddenly everyone noticeably slowed down.  Ah, the altitude! (11,444-feet) While we waited for luggage to be unloaded some Peruvian musicians entertained us, and that gave us a chance to catch our breath.

     The cobblestone streets in Cuzco are hilly, very narrow and one way. Most streets had narrow stepped sidewalks. Because of the elevation it is not uncommon for visitors to suffer a bit of altitude sickness, known as soroche. We were greeted at the hotel and immediately offered a cup of mate de coca or coca tea which tasted like most any other herbal tea. We drank a lot of it while in country and had no problem with the altitude.

     Cuzco was originally laid out roughly in the shape of a puma (jaguar). Originally the city was named Saca Huma or head of puma. Founded in the 11^th century its age-old culture was very different from the way of life in the 20th century. Cuzco is now the hub of South American travel.  It’s difficult to get lost in Cuzco, as the city spirals out like wheel spokes from the Plaza de Armas, but it is very easy to get tired, because of the altitude and the steep streets. I never could make it uphill to the hotel without really gasping for air and taking baby steps!  It is here that Inca royals buried earth from every region they ruled as a way of symbolically uniting their Empire.

     The cobblestone city was once the center of the Inca Empire. Nestled in the Andes, the city has a sophisticated water system and miles and miles of roads.  The Incas believed Cuzco was the source of all life.  Inca myth says children of the Gods settled here to provide light and culture to a dark world. Cuzco remained the supreme city of the Inca Empire for over 200 years. It is the archaeological capitol of South America, a cultural treasure of humanity.

    Cuzco has inter-mingled the cultures of native Quechua Indian, conquering colonial Spanish, and modern Mestizo. Most of the city’s 330,000 people are Quechua. Cuzco, rich in history, tradition, and legend, is the continent’s oldest continually inhabited city.

    After settling into our hotel we walked down to the Plaza de Armas—most Latin and South American cities have such a place that serves the same purpose as our Texas courthouse squares. The plaza showcases a church in many Spanish cities. We enjoyed a cup of tea on a balcony overlooking the plaza. There was some sort of a celebration going on so we had a great viewing spot to watch the parade. Later on the plaza

Church on Plaza (Square)

we enjoyed a conversation with some 11-12 year old shoe shine boys who wanted to practice their English. At a store near the plaza I found some commercially packaged coca tea bags which I bought home to share with friends.

    The plaza seems to be a magnet for hawkers, in this case many of them were children and some were very insistent. The plaza, half the size today that it was in Inca times, is framed by the Cathedral and the La Compania, two of the city’s several colonial churches. Construction of the cathedral began in 1550 and took nearly a hundred years to complete. In the center of the Plaza flies the red and white Peruvian flag and beside it the rainbow flag of the Incas. Festivals take place in the Plaza.

     The walkable but hilly city has several museums. Although days are warm and sunny, the temperature really drops about 5:00 PM when the sun starts to go down.

Cuzco is a fascinating city. We visited on each end of our trail hike and thouroughly enjoyed our stays in this charming city.

PUNO, PERU

                                A High Altitude City

         Puno, located at the southeastern highlands on the shores of Lake Titicaca, turned out to be a rather uninteresting town, although the population is 80,000. The business part of the city is on level ground, albeit at 12,500-feet. The residential areas run up the hillsides all the way around the town. Puno, capitol of the province of the same name, is folklore capitol of Peru. Inhabitants call themselves children of the sacred lake.

     Titi means puma, and caca means stone. The Incas thought the lake was shaped somewhat like a puma. Lake Titicaca, located between Peru and Bolivia is the largest lake in South America, and the world, over 2000-meters (6500’). Needless to say the air is clear, and the lake water is a deep blue. The sunlight shining on the altiplano is luminescent, and the horizon seems endless.

      Puno, the major port on the Peru side of the lake, was founded in 1668 near the now defunct silver mine called Layakota. Except for the cathedral, there are few colonial buildings. The sun is very strong by day, and nights are very cold.

At the waterfront we boarded a small boat to get out to the floating islands. There were 8 life jackets, and 12 of us. But that was no concern to anyone, the driver just gave out the 8 jackets and then quit. On the way back we never even saw a lifejacket! Rules are a little lax at this altitude.

We slowly motored through a lot a bright green algae, and through a cut in the reeds on the calm mirror-like lake to the pickup point for the guide.

The major attraction in Puno is the Uros people and their Floating Islands which are 5-15 miles off shore. Even though it is a bit over commercialized, it is popular because it is different from anything else in the world.

Because of intermarriage with Aymara-speaking Indians, there are no pure blooded Uros left. The original language is lost and they now speak Aymara. Always a small tribe, the Uros began their unusual floating existence centuries ago to isolate themselves from the Collas and Incas. There are only 160 people living on the islands today, with 1600 more living in Puno. The attractions of shore life beckons the young.   

      Heavy rains caused some arthritic-like problems, so now the Uros people arrive on the islands early morning with their wares and leave for Puno about 4:00 PM. It is all a commercial venture, but a very different life style. Only 3-4 people actually stay on the islands at night.

The lives of the Uros are totally interwoven with the totora reeds that grow in the shallow waters of Lake Titicaca. The floating islands are made of many layers of reeds. As the reeds on the bottom rot, new reeds are added to the top layer, so the islands are a bit soft and spongy.  Walking on the islands was sort of like walking on a waterbed. The biggest of the islands contains several buildings including a school. Another island had a small one-room museum.

       The totora reeds are also used to build a canoe–type boat. These picturesque boats last a family about six months for transportation and fishing. We rode in one of the boats between two islands. I’m sure the boats are more stable than we thought, but tippy like a canoe, we sat very still during the passage, as none of us wanted to land in the cold water. These boats have been built since 1445.

      It was an interesting day with new adventures and insight to a very different culture.

See posts Jan 25,2012 Taquile Island  & Aug 19  2012 Puno.