LAKE TITICACA

                                             A High Altitude City

  Puno, located on the Andean plateau is dominated by Lake Titicaca, sacred place of the Incas and home to natural and artificial islands. Titi means puma and caca means stone.   The Incas thought Lake Titicaca was shaped somewhat like a puma, but after looking at a map, I thought that took a lot of imagination. The highest navigable lake in the world is 100 miles long and covers 3200 square miles. The depth ranges from 15-20 to 900-feet deep with the northern end of the lake  the deepest. The altitude and hot sun cause a tremendous amount of evaporation.  Titicaca, located between Peru and Bolivia, is the largest lake in South America.

     Spanish founded Puno in 1668 because of its closeness to the colonial silver mine of Laykakota. The altitude is 12,565-feet above sea level and the greater  area population is 102,800. Its inhabitants are proud of their Quechua and Aymara past. Many inhabitants, especially women, daily wear colorful traditional dress

    Puno is a small port city where the main industry is tourism.  Agriculture and cattle raising are important and the area is well known for its herds of llamas and alpacas. The main crops are potato, quinoa  and other tubers, but limited access to fertilizers and seeds means low yields allowing only for subsistence farming.

    Smoke from unvented fires wafts through Puno’s streets, along with edgy waves of traffic with constant  honking horns including taxis and three-wheeled cycles that urge pedestrians to the narrow slivers of sidewalks. It is not a pedestrian friendly city.  Puno’s churches are characterized by their distinctive colonial architecture. Several plazas provide shops and restaurants.

    Rural population struggles with poverty where surviving is the main priority, illiteracy is high at 22% and higher among females than males. Health and malnutrition are related to extreme poverty, lack of clean water and sanitation infrastructure..

    The big attraction for tourists visiting Puno is the Eros people and their floating islands which were once their homes. More about them on another day

A SCARY ARRIVAL

                                                  Scary Arrival

     Most flights to Central and South America arrive in the evening which means one usually arrives in the dark. Before I went to Peru I read that violent crime was very low but in major cities pickpockets and slash-and-run activities were rampant.

    Although securing a taxi inside the Lima airport  was more expensive than outside, it was highly recommended because of safety and reliability factors. Approaching the taxi counter I confirmed the price from the airport to the suburb of Miraflores.

     Our driver clad in a suit and tie spoke almost no English, so I showed him the name of the hotel and address printed on a piece of paper.  Yes, yes he understood.

     Like many places I’ve been, driving Lima is like playing a game of .chicken.  Honking horns are a constant, and thank goodness the cab had good brakes!  Traffic lights were few and everyone ignored the few stop signs.  I had noticed the cab had no dents which was a plus and a bit of a comfort.

     On the edge of the city we rode through barrios where disheveled people, mostly men, stood in groups on street corners smoking and drinking.  I said a silent prayer for no vehicle mishap, an accident or flat tire.

     It was a relief to leave the barrios, but then we were on a paved two lane winding road that appeared to be following the coastline or a body of water.  There were no street lights or any sign of buildings, and it was very dark.

     Were we on the right road?  Would we be robbed, ambushed or worse?  Would we be dumped with no idea where we were and unable to speak the language beyond a little pidgin Spanish?  All kinds of scenarios flashed across my mind.  I was nervous and very quiet on that ride, as was my son in the front seat.

     Suddenly the bright lights of Miraflores appeared.  The area of neat homes and well-kept yards was a welcome sight. A sigh of relief escaped my lips when I spotted our hotel. While I was paying the driver, my son off loaded the luggage and before I could turn around, hotel staff had whisked our luggage inside.

     In retrospect, it was probably a very pretty ride in daylight, but in total darkness it was very scary indeed!

AEROBIC EXERCISE

                                   AEROBIC SURPRISE

     Flying over the Andes Mountains on a clear sunny day provided a bird’s eye view of the many Inca roads/ trials  traversing the mountain range.

     After deplaning the jet in Cusco, Peru, it only took about 100 yards before, as if on cue, everyone slowed their pace and realized we were at an altitude of 12,500 feet. Little did I know then that breathing was about to become an aerobic exercise 24/7 for the next two weeks.

     Entering the air terminal we heard local musicians playing haunting Peruvian  melodies, which often feature the pan flute. Standing still slowly the labored breathing returned pretty much to normal.

     Our Cusco hotel, located less than a kilometer from the plaza,  was a short walk, but it was all uphill and still at 12,500-feet.  About a third of the way up the narrow alley, called a road in these parts, I’d start gasping for air.  Generally we walked in the middle of the street, so my son and I could walk side by side. The alternative was to walk single file on the narrow stepped sidewalk at the road’s edge.  Traffic was not a problem.

     The incline necessitated short steps.  After two or three gasps my son asked, “Mom, should we stop to rest?”

     Between gulps of air I always uttered, “No,  just one step in front of the other and we’ll make it.” Day after day we slowly trudged up the hill to the hotel where I stumbled through the door.  Two steps inside I leaned against the wall huffing for each breath.

     Concerned hotel staff routinely asked, “Are you OK.?  Can I get you anything?”

     Nodding my head I croaked, “I’m OK. Just give me a minute to catch my breath.”

Standing still, slowly my breathing returned to some semblance of normal, and then I had the energy to climb the dozen steps up to our room.  I kept telling myself that all this was preparation for the four-day trek on the Old Inca Road.  Little did I know!

INCA CULTURE continued

                                     Inca Lifestyle

      At lower altitudes in more temperate and subtropical valleys bananas, coffee, beans, yucca, avocado, plus a variety of fruits and vegetables are grown. Such crops are rotated with corn, wheat, and alfalfa. There are special rituals that accompany the planting of corn where the men plow, but the women do the planting.

      Water symbolizes eternity, and where there is water, there is life. Sources of water are sacred; springs are regarded as entrances to the inner earth.  Immersion in water is a healing practice.  Ceremonial baths have been found in all ancient Inca ruins. Mineral waters and hot springs are found in the mountains surrounding Cuzco and Machu Picchu.  Mayu means river.

       Quechua women dress in vibrant bright colors. Traditional dress of Quechua women is a combination of pre-Spanish and Spanish colonial. Skirts are full and gathered, and worn in layers giving the hips a broad dimension. Hats may be a Panama-type woven from palm fibers, but the most common hat we

Always willing to pose!

saw was a brown woolen rounded top-hat type that sat on top of the woman’s head. I tried in vain to figure out how they kept these hats on. Women wear their dark hair long in two braids fastened in back with a ribbon. The women are short (generally a little less than 5’) and physically small. Babies and supplies are carried on their back held by a large colorful  woven cloth.

Men wear traditional western clothing including a vest and brimmed hat. Footwear is either leather sandals or ones made from tire rubber. Men carry small woven pouches to hold coca leaves. Coca leaves are an integral part of Quechua life. The leaves are often chewed as a digestive aid or as an appetite suppressant, and of course to brew tea.

     It takes about six months to spin, dye, and weave the ponchos that are distinctive in color and design which identify the wearer’s village/district.

     Young girls weave a multi colored scarf, called a chilina. She works on it in her spare time. At a festival or celebration when she sees a young man she wishes to have a serious relationship with, she gives him the chilina and once it is accepted, they go off to consummate their relationship.

      Young boys learn songs and how to play an instrument, often a mandolin or flute. At a festival, if he sees a certain girl he desires, he’ll serenade her. If she also desires, they go off to consummate the relationship.

 But whatever the custom, after the commitment, the couple visits her parents, who in turn call his parents. Parents exchange coca leaves. The young couple moves in with one of the families, and helps where needed. Pregnancy soon follows. The child is accepted by both families and after living together two years the law gives the same rights to women and children as by any formal ceremony.

       The Incas had no written language, but intricate patterns woven into their fabrics told a story. Fabrics were crucial to the culture. Awa is the Quechua word for weaving, and is considered the highest of the Quechua skills. One of the first things girls learn is how to use a drop spindle to spin alpaca or llama wool into thread.

     The alpaca is domesticated and raised almost exclusively for its wool, which is finer than sheep’s wool. The alpaca is sheared every two years.

      In one form of Awa a portable backstrap loom attached to a belt is braced around the weaver’s waist, the other end is anchored to a stake in the ground or around a tree. This ancient art, threatened by modernization, is being revived. The fabrics woven by the Quechua are beautiful. They make many things from these cloths and sell them for very small prices.

A BIT ABOUT INCA CULTURE

             The Culture Continues Today

      Ama Sua, Ama Quella, Ama Lulla, an Inca credo translates to: Don’t steal, don’t be lazy, don’t lie. The name Inca originally referred only to the royal family, in particular the emperors, but today it describes the people as a whole. The Incas spoke Quechua, and called their empire Tawantinsuyo.

 The Andes Mountain Range runs down the entire western coast of South America, and boasts some of the most accessible and beautiful scenery on the continent. The range is geographically unstable, earthquakes are common, and volcanoes are located in the southern Andes.

         But it is here that Quechua (keth-uwa) farmers live in isolated areas throughout the Andes. Their communities are called ayllukunas, and it is in these Andean villages where an age-old culture has survived. Ayni is the Quechua word meaning one works and helps wherever needed; all work is shared and each benefits from helping others. It implies an interconnectedness and interdependence.

          The Inca civilization is the best known and most studied of the pre-Columbian cultures of South America. Before 1430, Incas who believed their Emperor was descended from the sun, ruled over the Cuzco valley. A unity of purpose allowed the Incas to support a vast conquering army while simultaneous expanding their cultural influence. The Inca dynasty is estimated to have lasted from 1000-1572. Although they had no written language, history, traditions, and spirituality were passed down orally for generations.

        Story telling was a big part of Inca life. The llama was sacred in many of their stories. Singing and dancing were also very prominent in their lives. The Andean mandolin and flute were favored instruments. They believed that dancing brought the body and mind in perfect harmony, and cleared and aligned the energy fields. Nature becomes part of the dancer and the dancer becomes part of nature. The Incas in their worship of nature found huaca (spiritual power) in the heavens, hills, and stones.

       Mother Earth directed their life---- if one lives in harmony with her, feeds and nourishes her, you receive gifts of life. Rocks have always been considered sacred, and all ruins were built on or around unusual rock formations. Andean people understand rocks have special energy.

      The Incas had an advanced system of astronomy, and a unique ability to read annual cycles of the sun. The Inca calendar was essential to agricultural cycles. Hail, snow, and lightening were considered three brothers whose deeds were malicious and spiteful, capable of destroying crops.

The Quechua way of life incorporates spirituality in all aspects of living. They live an earthy textured lifestyle, and their love of the earth is profound. Over 100 varieties of potatoes and grains are grown high in the Andes. Each family has an area in which to raise guinea pigs. These animals are clean and quiet, and are a special treat for families and guests.  Also served on special occasions, we were told that when roasted and cooked fresh it tastes much like poultry.

     Continued next time.