I Live, I Work, I Love



Photo taken by a friend on our tour, Silvia. Andean woman walking
through the cobblestone streetsof Ollantaytambo, a gorgeous Inca town



I think the thing I love the most about Peru is the abundance of history that can be found in every corner. It's like, oh yeah, the hostel you're staying in was an old Inca site and this mural that we found in one of the rooms is hundreds of years old. It's amazing really, and something we're not at all accustomed to in our young country.



Picture taken in the Sacred Valley
by Silvia. Thanks, Silvia!
Doesn't this llama look terrifying?!



We've finally fully acclimatized to the altitude after several days and numerous mugs of coca tea, but I'm beginning to feel like we're running out of time for the Inca Trail. It's quickly approaching and I'm starting to feel a little apprehensive. Not just due to the physical challenge that lies ahead, but also, the thought of going off the grid for four days, the longest in my cellular-ly obsessed youth, is a bit daunting. Can I do it? Can I go without Facebook, email, websurfing and talking to my boyfriend for four whole days?! Well... I won't have a choice, now will I! 



Fortunately for me, I've had little time to allow my apprehension to fester. Dad and I went on a tour of the Sacred Valley today. We drove through amazing little villages nestled in the Andes, stopping off in Pisac, Urubamba, Ollantaytambo and Chinchero, where we market hopped, visited several ruins and took in some breathtaking scenery. This tour, however, reinforced just how disgusted I am with the colonization of the Inca people. There was one site, I believe it was in Chinchero, where the Spaniards tore down an Inca palace and built a church. They also broke down other structures to build their own. Although I didn't have the opportunity to see it, there is also a church in Cuzco that's covered in mirrors. These mirrors were used to attract and subsequently convert curious Quechua people. How disgusting! Seeing this type of disrespect in the name of Jesus really makes me wonder...



The Chakana





On the tour, they explained the significance of the Inca cross, known as the Chakana, which we saw examples of in the ruins of Ollantaytambo, Q'enqo and Sacsayhuaman. It's actually pretty amazing. To give you a quick synopsis, the centre of the Chakana represents Pachamama, which is Mother Earth, a goddess worshipped by the people of the Andes. It can also represent Cuzco, considered to be the centre of the Inca empire. The cross has twelve points, each which represent the following notions and affirmations:

Worlds: The Underworld, the Current World, the Upper World

Spirit Animals: The Snake, the Puma, the Condor

A real life example of a Chakana on the wall of the
Ollantaytambo Ruins

Affirmations: I Live, I Work, I Love

Commandments: Don't Lie, Don't Steal, Don't be Lazy

One half of the cross is representative of males, the other of females. The four main points represented the cardinal points and the four elements, water, air, fire and earth. I absolutely love the significance behind this cross! You know me... I've already purchased a beautifully crafted Chakana made out of shells for my travel charm bracelet and I will be getting a pendant as well. History and shopping... two passions that go oh-so well together!