Cusco, Peru: City of the Sacred Jaguar

August 2011

To the Incas--the children of the sun---there were three sacred animals:  the condor (representing the heavens), the puma or jaguar (representing the earth), and the snake (representing the underworld).  They say Cusco*, the ancient capital of the great Inca empire, was designed in the shape of the puma.  It must have been an amazing city.  Situated high in the majestic Andes (over 10,000 ft or  3,000 meters), the walls of the glittering temple to the sun god Inti were covered in 700 sheets of gold, studded with emeralds and turquoise.

Cusco's ancient streets were paved; there were sophisticated water systems; and the buildings were constructed of perfectly fit stones without mortar.  From Qosqo, as they called it in the ancient Quechua language, the Incas ruled an empire that stretched north to Colombia and south to Chile and Argentina--  until the Spanish conquistadores arrived in 1533, hungry for gold and eager to impose their rule and religion.

As our van climbed nearly 10,000 ft. to return to Cusco from our rainforest adventures in Manu (see PE Manu posts on sidebar), a chilly wind began to blow. We hurried  back on those narrow dirt/gravel roads to reach  the highway outside Cusco before dark.  By then, not only had my prized DSLR camera stopped working, but I had an error message on my secondary camera that kept shutting it down.  Arriving in Cusco, we were surprised to be dropped off in the cold and dark at the main square far from our hotel, but our faithful guide, Nefi, took us back in a cab.

However, my chill did not subside when we returned to the hotel.  Despite several warm blankets, I spent a restless night, shivering and trying to quench my thirst with bottled water.  By dawn, I realized this was  not altitude sickness.  On my fifth day in Peru, I was sick--feverish from an intestinal bug (not the food)--and without a working camera.  Discouraged, I told the others to go on the excursions, and I spent the day in bed  (or in the bathroom).

By evening, I was somewhat better (ate toast and crackers) and was still determined to go to Machu Picchu the next day with a working camera.  With the assistance of a bilingual hotel employee and one of my friends, we took a cab at 9 p.m. to a camera shop where I bought a decent camera for twice what it costs on a good deal in the US.  But what else would you expect for a desperate, sick, non-Spanish speaking customer just before closing?

All this to say that in the next several posts, I will rely on the comments and photos of my traveling companions for those sights I did not see or photograph.  Fortunately, I had come prepared with Immodium and the prescription medicine Cipro, just in case of such an emergency illness.  It still took a few days before I fully recovered, but at least I was able to continue my journey.

While Cusco no longer glitters with gold, the Incan stones still form the foundations of many buildings and churches and provide contrast for the brilliantly colored wraps and clothes of its mostly indigenous population.  Despite uneven stone pavements, the tall curbs, and steep inclines, I found the streets of Cusco fascinating as the residents conducted their daily business.  When we needed to exchange money, our travel agent, Elvis, led us to a corner where a seemingly reputable person gave us Peruvian sols for US dollars out of his pocket at a good rate with no receipts or identification required.  But exchange shops didn't ask for ID or give receipts either.  It was just how they did business.

In Cusco, we were joined by our friends, Jan and Dale.  Jan had arrived in Peru a week earlier in order to attend Spanish language classes in Cusco.  Although she had spoken Spanish in her mission in South America for the LDS (Mormon) Church many years before, she wanted to refresh her skills.  She enjoyed her extended stay in Cusco and was an invaluable translator for us as we made our way around Peru.  One afternoon, we explored a colorful local market together.

We found Peruvian food delicious and easy to adapt to.  While sick, I stayed with soups, breads, and chicken dishes, but later enjoyed the abundance of vegetables  and fruits ( we were careful to have them cooked or peeled).  They have identified 2,000 varieties of potatoes and 600 types of corn in Peru, and recently the rest of the world has "discovered" the amazing nutritional benefits of the quinoa grain that has grown in the high Andes since Incan days.  We enjoyed quinoa vegetable soup and flavorful quinoa-rice combinations.  Often at meals, they would bring a dish of large, multi-colored, boiled or crispy corn kernels as a tasty appetizer.

During the bloody conquest (see upcoming posts about the Sacred Valley) and colonial period, the Spanish attempted to suppress the native worship and replaced the Inca temples with cathedrals.

The Cusco Cathedral was built on the Inca Tahuantinsuyo--the square representing the center of their empire--which was once covered in white sand mixed with tiny shells and bits of gold, silver and coral.  As we visited on a Sunday, we were able to enter the cathedral at no cost to observe the services and view the silver altar and religious paintings completed by the renown 17th century School of Cusco that combined European and native elements.

Under the Spanish, this square became known as the Plaza de Armas, and it was here that Tupac Amaru II was executed after the  Inca rebellion in 1781.  The Jesuits built their church (La Compania de Jesus) on the same square which is considered the "most beautiful" church in the city.   Today the square has a public park and is surrounded by covered arcades and shops.

The Dominicans  built their convent and church (Iglesia Santo Domingo) on  the foundations of the gold-covered temple of the sun, Koricancha.   Inside, one finds stone rooms that have been uncovered from the Inca temple, but none of the Inca  life-size gold or silver statues that were taken and melted down by the Spanish.  Still, there is a lovely courtyard and Spanish paintings. In the great earthquake in 1650, the grey stone Inca foundations survived, but many of the Spanish buildings collapsed in Cusco.

Despite Spanish persecution, the religion of many of the native people became a blend, much like this church, of Inca and Catholic Christian beliefs and practices.  They worshiped both Mary, the Mother of Christ, and Pachamama, the mother earth figure.  So, it was not surprising to also find in this museum-church modern paintings representing the Seqe system of towns and outposts radiating out of Cusco (all roads led to Cusco, not Rome) and a portrayal of the Inca astronomical beliefs regarding the Milky Way.

In the early 20th century, Peru (and Cusco) became more aware and proud of their ancient history.  Since then, the Quechua language has been revived, streets have been renamed after Inca sites and rulers, museums and archaeological sites have increased, and ancient rites have resurfaced.

Every year,  Cusco holds both a grand procession for Corpus Christi and then later (June 24), the Festival of the Sun (Inti Raymi) where participants follow an Inca procession from Koricancha (Santo Dominigo) to the Plaza de Armas up to the ruins of Sacsayhuaman  (upcoming Sacred Valley post).  As we were there in the month for celebrating the Pachamama (August), we saw offerings prepared for her.  The ancient ways have not been forgotten.

Click below for slideshow:
Cusco--Capital of the Incas

Music:   Allpa, Karunan, Machu Pichu


* Spellings vary in different texts.  Cuzco was the Spanish spelling; more recently Peruvians use Cusco.    As the sign welcoming us to the city used Cusco, that's what I used.  Likewise, the Inca names of places may be spelled with a Q, C, or K interchangeably.

Additional Information:
Insight Guides, Peru
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cusco

Oxbow Lakes and Blue-Headed Parrots in the Peruvian Rainforest: Manu National Park

Having successfully "walked the plank" on our arrival at the Erika Lodge on the Madre de Dios River (see sidebar for Manu Rafting and Riverboats), we left our packs in our cabin rooms, put on our loaned jungle boots, and headed out for our first expedition.  As the three of us had added our excursion to the jungle after our core trip was planned, we were only able to fit in a 3-day journey.  Not having really understood how much time it would take to travel to Erika Lodge and back, I would now recommend the usual 4-day trip.  As it was, we had to miss another  hike in the rainforest  and to choose whether to go on the  zip line through the tree canopy or go see wildlife on an oxbow lake.  The four-day itinerary includes all those activities.

While one companion chose to go on the zip line (and found it thrilling after a strenuous hike), Teddie and I chose the more sedate rafting on an oxbow lake.  Oxbow lakes are formed the same way as Louisiana bayous and Australian billabongs.  On curving lowland rivers, silt begins to build up where it loops and eventually that loop is cut off from the main river and becomes a  narrow lake.   They tend to be shallow and marshy and are a great place to find birds, reptiles, and small mammals.  We waded out to our river boat at Erika and headed downstream until we reached an opening in the thick jungle vegetation.

Fortunately, there was a path cut through for us, though I did try to imagine what early explorers must have dealt with as they first tried to find their way through the jungle.  Most plants were 2-3x the size of a man, often thick enough to block the sun.  We walked on dry stalks and through slippery, sticky mud, as we passed trees with unusual roots, delicate flowers, hanging banana bunches, and tangled vines.  A group that came after ours saw spider monkeys.  We heard unusual bird and insect calls and stayed away from the large battle ants.  After crossing a rickety bridge over a marsh, we came to the small oxbow lake with mirrored reflections of blue sky and lush vegetation.

For this excursion, we had joined a rather loud and fun-loving group of Germans, but once they had pulled away in their rafts, the setting was very peaceful and still, with only the sounds of nature to be heard.   Our balsa wood rafts were quite different from the modern rubber ones we used on the river.  About six long balsa logs were nailed together with short cross logs, then a shorter long log,  and ending with other cross logs which were the  "seats."  As seen in the photo, the navigator stood on the longest logs which were covered with water and steered using a pole.  The inside of the raft was nearly as full of water as the outside, so I was glad I had my waterproof jungle boots.  Unfortunately, Teddie needed a special support in her shoes and couldn't use the boots, so she had to sit with wet shoes.

As there were a number of people on the lake that afternoon, we got the last raft, which was in need of repair.  Nefi, one of our great guides, was our navigator.  I was on the back seat whose nails had come out, so I was constantly trying to steady myself on the wobbly log while taking photos of moving wildlife.  As I leaned back for one great shot, my "seat" rolled out from under me and off the rotted log.   I ended up flat on my back in the mucky water where Nefi stood.  The startled bird flew away, and I was wet, but not hurt!


I realize these wildlife photos will not win me a prize or position at National Geographic.  I will
blame the lack of clear focus on my wobbly seat, the birds and animals who insisted on moving, and the oncoming dusk.  Nevertheless, I hope you can envision the wonder and beauty of this place.  We almost immediately saw a capybara on shore--the world's largest rodents.  They are giant cousins to the guinea pig and can grow to 3-4 feet long (107-134 cm) and weigh 77-150 lb. (77-105 kg). Ours was around 2 feet.  They are gentle, semi-aquatic herbivores and are native to much of South America, but are starting to show up other places where they have been purchased as pets and then abandoned.

Prominent in this oxbow lake was a tree covered by the hanging basket nests of the yellow-rumped cacique (most birds are in the slideshow).  These black-headed birds with their yellow backs were constantly and quickly slipping into their nests, then flying away, then returning.  We also saw the social flycatcher with yellow on the breast.  And focusing on yellow:  a fasciated tiger heron with its brown-black back and yellow stripes on its face was looking for dinner.  We also saw the beautiful purple gallinule and a wattled jaucana, wading in the marsh looking for food.  It almost became dinner for what appeared to be some kind of large water snake or small caiman that moved quickly, but never showed itself above water.

We saw several small red, white, and blue red-capped cardinals and listened to the calls of the russet-backed oropendola.  But the most unusual bird was the hoatzin. With their crests and blue faces, they reminded me of creatures from Dr. Seuss.  It was dusk when we finished, so we had to go back through the jungle by flashlight to reach our boat.  That evening we were greeted at the cabins by a nearly 3" (using a kleenex measuring tool) beautiful metallic-colored beetle.What an amazing place!

The next morning we were off on our boat before dawn.  The mists rose as dawn approached, shrouding the trees and mountains in mystery.  At times, we could not even see what was ahead.  As the sky lightened, we disembarked at a palm covered station where we could watch parrots arrive at the clay licks.  To keep from disturbing these endangered parrots, we had to watch them from across the river using binoculars and telescopes.  We saw their silhouettes in the sky above, flying to the licks.  From what I've read, parrots go to the clay licks for needed minerals and sodium which also reduces the toxicity from the seeds of fruits they eat (see bottom link).  But they seemed to be flying back and forth from the trees rather than settling in for a sustained meal that day.

It was far away for my zoom lens, but I did get some fuzzy images of the endangered blue-headed parrots (with green bodies).  On a photo I took through the telescope (in the slideshow), you might see some green spots feeding on the clay lick.  It's the best I could do.  After a pancake breakfast and surrendering my friendly boots, the three of us joined the German group for the long ride back to Cuzco while  the rest of our group headed off to the zip-line.  I would have liked more time in the jungle, but was glad to be returning to hot showers.

Click below for slideshow:
Rainforest Adventures

Music:  Tito la Rosa, Espiritu del Aqua, Lo Mejor de Tito la Rosa: Meditacion
Further Information:
http://www.manuadventures.com/photo_gallery/erika/gallery_ourlodge_erika.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxbow_lake
http://vtpb-www2.cvm.tamu.edu/brightsmith/Real%20dirt%20on%20clay%20licks.htm

Rafting and Jungle River Boats in Manu's Rainforest, Peru

August 2011

After a day and a half of travel on the treacherous (but beautiful) mountain roads descending through the cloud forest (bosque nublado) of Manu National Park (see sidebar Manu posts), we arrived in the town of  Pilcopata.  We stopped at a general store that handled everything from treats and bathrooms to rafting trips.  Leaving everything in the van (except for a friend's disposable water-proof camera),  we put on our life jackets and followed our strong men as they carried our rubber raft to the nearby Koshnipata River.  We fortunately had a competent Chilean rafting guide with us who assigned us our spots on the raft and taught us how to paddle together to move in the right direction.  He took the back steering position and shouted out directions as we moved along.

We headed up the river into a few Category I and II rapids which added some thrill and made us all wet.  However,  most of the way was calm and beautiful.  The rocks along the banks had interesting angles of stratification, leading us to conclude that there must have been quite a disturbance at some time to turn them on their sides.  It was a beautiful day on the river:   blue sky, light breeze, comfortable temperature.  At one point we stopped, and several chose to take a quick refreshing dip in the river.  It was remarkable to see our guide then help lift them out of the water by their lifejackets, as he had shown us how to do if anyone went overboard by accident.

We followed the river through the Koneq Canyon with its tall rock walls and lush vegetation.  We saw fasciated herons (dark birds with yellow on their faces) and snowy egrets fishing along the shores as well as swallows and yellow-breasted social flycatchers in the air above.  Of course, there are no pictures of the wildlife, as we only had the disposable water camera that the instructor used to take pictures of us.  It was a delightful hour and a half on the water and a welcome change from bumpy roads.  The Koshnipata River river flows into the larger Madre de Dios River at a small town called Atalaya.  We landed there, getting our sandals/crocs/feet stuck in thick mud as we climbed out of the raft.  We went up a few stairs to meet the van and claim our luggage where we were greeted by some curious children and spotted ducks.

We then loaded up our motorized, covered "jungle boat" for our 40 minute boat trip down the swift moving Rio Madre de Dios to reach our camp, Erika.  The Madre de Dios is one of the larger rivers that meanders through this part of the Amazon basin.  It widens as more tributaries from the Andes flow into it and becomes known as the Beni River as it makes the journey through Bolivia and ultimately joins the Amazon River in the north before emptying into the Atlantic in Belen, Brazil.  It is a journey of 3375 miles (5430 km) from Atalaya to Belen.  Being from the other side of the equator, I am used to rivers going south.

The river is the major means of transportation in this area, and most tourist lodges and hiking trails are not far from it.  Peru is recognized for its efforts to preserve large tracks of virgin jungle and forests (see sidebar Manu posts) and eco-tourism is the standard for this area.  It seems to be mostly a win-win situation:  tourists can see amazing places and wildlife with minimal impact on the environment and provide funds for its preservation.    However, I'm not sure the old motors on the boats would get "energy star"  ratings.  We would speed along for a while, then they would turn the motor off for a bit--I'm not sure if it was to give the motor a rest or allow us some quiet, slow time on the river.  We passed pebbly sandbars with black cormorants and hilly banks covered with thick vegetation.  Click for video clip of river:  Rio Madre de Dios video

When we finally pulled into a little cove near our lodge, we carried our limited luggage (back pack and a small overnight bag) over a make-shift wooden plank to reach the shore.  The guides just walked in through the water to help with the luggage and assist us on the plank.  Arriving at camp, we were issued my favorite companion for  my jungle excursions--a pair of remarkably comfortable and totally water-proof high boots (like English wellies) so we could walk through the water to get in and out of the boats  and not get stuck on muddy paths.  I was ready for my jungle adventure! (see upcoming post for  our Manu explorations)



Click below for slideshow:
Rafting and River Boats in Manu

Music:  Inca Son, Kullakita, Peru--Musical Journey

Descent Through the Cloud Forest in Manu National Park, Peru

August 2011

Before preparing for my trip, I was only aware of the rain forest in  the northern areas of Peru where the Amazon begins its eastward journey to the Atlantic Ocean.  But the greater part of Peru (60%) consists of east-of-the-Andes lowland forests and jungles where countless streams and rivers form the headwaters of the Amazon.  This area is protected from development by the government and is sparsely populated, primarily by native peoples.

I had not heard before of the Parque National del Manu in the southeastern Amazon basin, but perhaps its obscurity has aided its preservation.  The park has nearly 4.5 million acres and is not only one of the largest rain forest preserves in South America, but is considered one of the most important and bio-diverse tropical parks in the world.  The park has more types of birds than the USA and Canada combined (800+); more butterfly types than all of Europe (1200 to 400); 13 species of monkeys; and more than 20,000 plant species.  In short, it is a remarkable place on earth!  It is recommended in Patricia Schultz's 1,000 Places to See Before You Die with this apt description:   "Admittedly, Manu is difficult to get to:  tours involve limited and rustic accommodations....and reputable, experienced guides are a must.  Manu is not for the unadventurous, but what an adventure it is!"  Spot on, as the Brits say.

One of  the reasons Manu is so diverse is that it starts high in the Andes and descends through a "cloud forest" before it reaches the lowland basin.   Near the entrance to the park (permits must be obtained) stands a monument to Dr. Sven Ericsson who did much to preserve the Madre de Dios (Manu) area. During our descent,  the roads became even more narrow and treacherous (see prior Crossing Andes post) due to beautiful cascading waterfalls whose water made the dirt and gravel roads  muddy and  slippery.  Several times the van became stuck in watery ruts, and we had to get out of the van to lighten it.

On those and other occasions, we proceeded on foot for a while to enjoy the beauty of the  forest.   The vegetation had changed from scrub brush to giant ferns and umbrella trees.  Our knowledgeable guides from Manu Adventures listened for bird calls of exotic birds and helped us spot them.  Unfortunately, the birds often darted out of sight or moved before the camera could be readied, making it hard to get a focused photo.

But we saw large red-throated caracaras soaring over the mountain clouds and an immature solitary eagle who posed for us in a tree before taking flight over the misty valley.  We spotted the green jay (slideshow)  and the white-collared jay as well as the crimson-mantled woodpecker (slideshow), social flycatcher, blue banded toucanet, and a number of camera-shy toucans.  The most remarkable bird, though, was the brilliant red-orange Andean Cock-of-the-Rock, the national bird of Peru.  The male's face is almost covered in its orange feathers, so the beak is almost indistinguishable and only the small eyes show through.  We also noticed an ocelot track, but the only cats we actually saw were the domestic ones at the lodge.


At the end of our first day's journey from Cuzco, we settled in at the Orquideas de San Pedro Lodge.  There were wooden sleeping quarters and beds with mosquito netting (with some holes), but the walls separating the rooms did not go to the ceiling or roof--including the outside walls--allowing noise and insects free access (probably allows summer ventilation).  Electricity was only available  from 6-9 pm, so we hurried to the separate bathroom building after a satisfying supper and then to our wooden-slat beds and blankets (it was a cool winter night) before lights went out.  In the morning, Teddie was sure we had had constant rain all night, but we were delighted to find it was just a beautiful river that ran alongside our building.  One of the showers thought it was a waterfall, spewing water with no knob, but few of us wanted a cold shower that cold morning.  Certainly, not me.

Just as we were leaving,  our guide spotted something moving up the road: monkeys.  We spent the next 15 minutes entertained by a troop of brown capuchin monkeys.  They were at first cautious, but then moved right in front of us to eat their breakfast.  It was a photographer's dream, but then my nightmare started.  My wonderful DSLR camera that has reliably served me for years started to falter.   I fumbled through my backpack for my small alternate camera and was ready to shoot again about the time the monkeys were ready to move on.  I was devastated.  Fortunately, Teddie generously has allowed me to use some of her photos (including panoramics) to fill in my gaps through our trip (a mutual agreement).  The monkeys were amazing.  They say that capuchins are the most intelligent of the monkey groups in South America--showing use of tools, learning through observation, and "reasoning."

Continuing down to the Amazon basin, we stopped in a small town to see them make the wonderful round rolls we loved to eat.  There was a typical cluster of guinea pigs in this rural kitchen that might someday be a dinner delicacy when they tired of chicken (pollo), their most frequent meat.  We then headed to the town of Pilcopata where we put on our life jackets for rafting down the Koshnipata River (van had the luggage) after which we boarded our "jungle boat" to reach Erika, our camp on the Rio Madre de Dios.  Come back in a few days for our river journey.

Click below for slideshow:
Through the Cloud Forest

Music:  Inca Son, Rio Amazones, Peru-A Musical Journey
More Information:
http://www.manuadventures.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manú_National_Park
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capuchin_monkey
Insight Guides: Peru, APA Publications
Patricia Schultz, 1,000 Places to See Before You Die

Journey to the Peruvian Rainforest: Crossing the Andes to Manu

August 2011

Peru--the land of golden treasures, mighty kingdoms, tangled jungles, mystic mountains, floating islands, and unexplained lines in the desert.  This  mysterious land has always intrigued me, so after being inspired by a Peruvian friend and the reports of other friends who have traveled there, several of us decided we would make the journey this summer.   My friend, Teddie, worked with our Peruvian friend in the US (in English) who communicated with her patient travel agent in Peru (in Spanish) as we made numerous and complicated changes to an ever-expanding  itinerary, changing a 10 day journey into 3 weeks.

In the end, there were three of us for the entire journey, joined by a couple we knew for two of the weeks.  Fortunately, one of them spoke Spanish better than I did despite my tapes and mini-courses.
We traveled individually to Lima--meeting the first night at the Ramada Costa del Sol Hotel in Lima across the street from the Jorges Chavez Airport terminal.  As Lima is a sprawling city with terrible traffic, it was worth the added cost to stay by the airport because we had a flight the next morning to Cuzco, the ancient capital of the Incas.  We were early to the airport, but ended up with an extra hour delay.  However, we became quick friends with a Japanese family, using gestures and Japanese-Spanish and Spanish-English dictionaries.  One of them gave us each neck and back massages while the little girl made and shared origami birds.  We were almost sad when the plane arrived.  Imagine our surprise when we all ended up at the same out-of-the-way (but very good) restaurant later that afternoon in Cuzco.

We took time to adjust to the altitude by wandering around Cuzco that afternoon.  Cuzco is 10,800 ft or 3,300 m in altitude, and I live at sea level.   That raised the question --to medicate or not?  I had decided with my physician to bring Diamox (acetazolamide) to prevent altitude sickness (she had needed it on her trip to Peru).  Those in our group who regularly lived in the mountains were ok without it, but we all drank lots of water and the cocoa tea that was available at all the restaurants and hotels.  It is a weak non-narcotic drink made from the leaves of the cocoa plant (which is an ingredient in producing cocaine) to prevent altitude sickness.  It seemed to help, and we never had any "strange" effects.  However, you are warned not to try to take any of the leaves or products back to the US.  I was huffing and puffing when we later got to 13,000 ft., but was never sick from the altitude.

That evening we met with our guides from Manu Adventures and signed a release, not fully appreciating what lay before us.  Very early the next morning, their van pulled up and the three of us joined 6 other adventurous spirits headed to the rain forest.  As would be true for most of our journeys, our world-wide companions were young, vigorous, interesting, and kind.  Spending hours in the van going over bumpy and treacherous roads, we quickly bonded, and they were helpful and patient when some of us older folk needed a hand or extra time.

The Andes mountain range is the world's largest continental range, stretching 7,000 km (14,300 miles) from Venezuela to  Tierra del Fuego on the tip of South America.  It goes through 7 countries with an average height of 4,000 meters (13,000 feet).  It was (and is still being) formed by action on the Pacific Ring of Fire with the sliding continental plates causing volcanic eruptions and frequent earthquakes, especially in Peru and Chile.  We were fortunate not to have any while we were there, but  2 days after we returned home, there was a 7. 0 quake in northern Peru.   The highland Andes in Peru separate the large eastern rain forest basin from the arid coastal desert.  Our flight from Lima to Cuzco took us more than halfway across the Andes, but it was still a full day's journey to our camp.  With the planned stops and walks, it actually took us a day and a half to get there, but only one day to return.

Leaving Cuzco, we traveled on a well- paved and spacious highway past towns just starting to awake at the foot of forested and terraced mountains.  We stopped in the small town where some ate  breakfast.  Walking, bikes, and hand-pulled carts seemed their preferred in-town transportation.  The Incan origins and connections were strong, with ancient terraces on the hills and an Incan warrior watching over their river.

We then climbed through misty, foggy mountain peaks with rocky crags and little vegetation, looking for elusive chinchillas that sadly stayed hidden.  The paved road turned to dirt and gravel and narrowed as we found ourselves on twisting "roads" with no safety rails or  protective shoulders.  It was customary to honk as you rounded a blind corner, but there were numerous times when we would unexpectedly find ourselves confronting a pedestrian, a herd of sheep, a stray cow, or a speeding truck that had not bothered to honk back.  This was a concern, as the roads were barely wide enough for one vehicle, and the alternative was a long drop into a mountain ravine.  Teddie looked up the mortality rates for  accidents in Peru when we got home and was not surprised to find out that in 2009, there were over 3,500 deaths and 50,000 injuries, many of which happened on mountain roads.  Peru has the 3rd highest death rate for traffic accidents in the world, behind Venezuela (1st) and Mexico (2nd).  The History Channel is doing a tv series on the world's deadliest roads, and I understand driving in the Andes will be featured.  However, we did return unharmed with no accidents.

At the time, though, we were too busy enjoying the beautiful play of sunshine and clouds over mountains and trying to get photos of llama and sheep farms while bumping up and down to think much about our danger.   We did, however, stop for a wounded Andean snipe (bird) to allow it to walk safely to the shrubs.

After several hours, we arrived in the charming town of Paucartambo, nestled on the banks of a sparkling river.  It was a quiet town with a small street market and women visiting in their colorful skirts and bright wraps.  However, for three days in July (15-17), thousands come to watch and participate in the Festival of the Virgin of Carmen held in the town.  We were told the festival begins with the entrance of dance groups called comparsas, who are "magnificently masked and costumed."  After festivities,  the crowds climb the hills to Tres Cruces where they watch the sun rise on the distant, green Amazon rain forest.

 The next day, the statue of the Virgin is paraded through the town, after which there are  more festivities.  They say it is a mix of Christian and ancient Incan celebrations with the Virgin, triangulated ( an Incan symbol) by her veil, representing not only the Mother of Christ, but also the more ancient Pachamama or Mother Earth.  In the main town square, we saw bronze statues that are frozen in time in their dancing, and further on, we entered the quiet church to view their revered Virgin.

A little longer on the road and we reached the entrance to Manu National Park and began our descent through the Bosque Nublado  or Cloud Forest to the Amazon Basin.  But that will be the story of my next post with monkeys and eagles and cascading waterfalls.

Click below for slideshow:
Crossing the Andes

Music:  Inca Son, Mi Cambio, Peru: A Musical Journey
Additional Information:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andes
http://archive.livinginperu.com/blogs/travel/283  (Paucartambo)