Inca Ruins, Pisco Sours & Spanish Immersion

Wow, wow and wow! What an amazing day! I had arranged for Renato to take me to several local Incan ruins today. Once again, he offered me tidbits of information about Peruvian life. Apparently Peruvians eat a lot of chicken and fish here and don't believe in freezing their food since they have such a array of food available to them- fish from the coast, beans and 4000 (!) varieties of potatoes from inland, and fruits from the jungle. Apparently people in Lima don't eat cuy (guinea pig!) because they say it'd be like eating their own dog, but the Indigenous people in the Andes do. As we were driving down the freeway, people were casually crossing the multi-lane highway like it was nothing. As we drove past a favella (shanty town) I wanted to take a picture. Renato fully stopped the car and told me I could get out (at the side of a busy highway, may I remind you!) and take a picture. I decided I kind of liked all of my limbs securely attached to my body and wanted to keep them that way so I just snapped a few shots from safely inside of the car. The favellas are pretty interesting though. People 'invade' certain areas, primarily mountains it seems, and set up homes. They have no water or sewage, but eventually the government gives them titles in order to earn taxes from them.

Our first stop was Pachacamac, an archaelogical site made up of adobe and stone palaces and temple pyramids, and considered to be the vatican of the Andes. The most fascinating part for me is that not only was it inhabited by the Incas, but also by the Lima beginning about 100 AD, then the Waris, followed by the Ichsma. The Incas didn't arrive until about 1450. Their textiles and artifacts were beautifully preserved due to the dry climate. I walked upon the Templeo del Sol where they used to sacrifice llamas, textiles and even virgins during difficult times. I was also overwhelmed by sadness for the cultures of the Lima, Waris, Ichsma and Inca... we will never know their culture in depth, or hear their language spoken, or learn anything much about these people simply because another culture, the Spanish, decided that their way of life was superior. Thankfully, though, some of these sites still exist today, helping us to learn a little about these amazing ancient civilizations. How absolutely amazing it was to be able to marvel at something again!

Next site was Huaca Pucllana, a restored adobe ceremonial centre from the Limas dating back to AD 400. The 'bookshelf' technique that they used to build their adobe brick structures has held up to centuries of earthquakes that has caused devastation to modern day structures. The Limas who utilized this cathedral/government palace worshipped the sea and saw sharks as sacred. They sacrificed women, as only the best was given to their Goddess. The sad thing about many Peruvian archaelogical sites is that a number of them have been built over. Huaca Pucllana, for example, was a motor track smack in the middle of the city until it's excavation a mere 30 years ago. Kudos to the archaelogists who spent years excavating this site, brick by brick, to preserve Peru's amazing history. How amazing is it that so much fascinating history exists right in Lima, or, even more amazing, that I walked on the same pathways as some of the most interesting civilizations to inhabit this earth. It's mind blowing, really.

I went on this tour with a group of maybe 10-12 other people of various ages. Many of the only older folk couldn't manage the walk to the top of the temple, which was by far the highlight of the tour. After hearing so many people tell me to wait until retirement to travel, this very moment made me happy that I decided to embark upon my adventures now. Afterall, if you can't participate in the key experiences, what's the point? Not to say that old people shouldn't travel, I just choose not to wait until my limbs and my sense of adventure are no longer on par. Anyway, I also had the chance to see some llamas, alpacas, and examples of flora and fauna that would have existed during the time of the Lima.

My last ruin was a much smaller one called Huaca Huallamarca, which dates back to AD 200-500. As I climbed the steep ramp solo as onlookers watched me from below, I silently wondered how the heck I would get back down. Roll?! Luckily for me, after appreciating the gorgeous views from atop, I safely walked down to the base of the adobe pyramid.

After a lovely day at the ruins of Lima, I had Renato drop me off at the Incan Markets where my Spanish finally got a run for it's money. I wheeled and dealed and ended up with a gorgeous charm for my travel charm bracelet and a coca leaf pendant! After that I walked through the streets of Lima and snacked on a torjalla (sp?). Gross, don't bother trying it! I had two bites and was then asked by a lovely gentlemen to join him for dinner. The safe, responsible Jessica said run for the hills and don't look back. The other, adventurous Jessica told me to go for it. So I did. And we ended up having a lovely dinner with full Spanish conversation. It was challenging and absolutely amazing! Having had planted my farewell excuse well ahead of time (I had an amigo - not amiga- that I had to meet in an hour), I bid him goodnight and continued on with my night. During another Starbucks catch up with the family, I met a fellow English teacher from Cajamarca that had been evacuated from her school due to protests and road blocks that had turned violent. This makes me a bit worried about moving to Talara which is a few hours north of there, but we'll see. Anyway, exhausted from a full day walking in the sun, I started to make my way home. As I passed the lively clubbing district, I was a little sad that I hadn't had the opportunity to check out their nightlife. As if on queue, a guy came up and starting chatting with me and asked if I wanted to grab a drink. As tired as I was, I figured what the heck. How often am I in Lima with absolutely no responsibilities or places to be. We had a few drinks, danced a bit and then he respectfully walked me to my hotel and continued onto his own neighbourhood. The men here seem to be pretty respectful. They'll show their appreciation by a simple smile, or tell you that you're beautiful (tu eres bonita!) or inquire about your background. So far, nothing uncomfortable or disrespectful.

Overall, it has been an absolutely amazing day. From interesting Incan ruins to wonderfully challenging Spanish conversation with locals, I'm having a terrific time. It'll be sad to say goodbye to Lima tomorrow. I have no idea what Talara has in store for me. Guess I'll soon find out!