Peruvian Diary

… We love to travel and grab any chance that comes our way to see and learn about this marvelous world while we are still alive. So, to be quite honest, the Peruvian dream came from a post card of the New List of 7 World Wonders which was casually passed to our hands during our previous trip. It was during a bus journey to see Chichén Itzá, the intricate structure of Mayan ruins on Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula. In that list, we saw the breathtakingly beautiful Machu Piccu, which I only came to know at that moment, was located in the country of Peru (pardon my ignorance..). Universe conspired to make the dream happen and the rest is history…

… As usual, we were doing our pre-travel preparations. We found that unlike other tourist destinations, the ticket booking process was not very well-organized through the internet. It was quite a difficult process to get the confirmations. It was our first experience to book through whatsapp (technology, you guys!). Spanish is the main language and English is “Latin” in Peru. So, they translate everything we type to Spanish, then translate their answer back to English and send us. Long story short, we had some fun in the process… And why did we choose to travel just weeks before our l’il one’s 2^nd birthday? (Go figure!)

Finally, after a 11 hours long flight, we landed in the continent of South America for the first time (I know, it might sound silly while reading, but it was quite a fulfilling moment…). It was night already in Lima, the capital city of Peru. Having an action-packed 7 days planned in front of us, we went directly to the hotel and slept. The first day, we decided to be obedient tourists and took a half day sight-seeing tour of the charming Lima city (You know, you become less adventurous after having a baby, OR is it relatively speaking more adventurous?). We were beginning to hear about the Incan civilization and the Spaniards conquering the Incans, which happened in the 1500’s. The Inca civilization originated in Peru sometime in the early 13th century and is one of the few ancient civilizations, the ruins of which are still preserved (FYI - one among them is Indus Valley Civilization originated in India). We saw the majestic Presidential Palace (in fact, we stayed couple of blocks away from the royal Palace of the Peruvian President!). We saw the incredibly beautiful Basilica Cathedral of Lima. Its colonial structure and façade was unbelievable. Fortunate enough, we could experience the Sunday mass of the magnificent church built in the 1500’s. We saw the historical center of the charming Lima city and proceeded to Huaca Huallamarca. Quechuan is the original language of the Incan Empire and “Huaca” in Quechuan means a monument. We could see many “Huacas” throughout Peru, which basically was ruins preserved from the Incan times. Each one of them took us some 500 to 1000 years back in time! We learned that the pyramids built in pre-Incan time was solid ones unlike the Egyptian pyramids which were hollow and had rooms to preserve the mummies. Also, they were flat at the top and was mainly used as a platform for the kings and priests. Later, mummies were preserved by digging rooms in the pyramids. We saw a handful of real mummies – with real hair and muscles still preserved – we could even see their facial expressions (Creepy?!). And the interesting thing was that they believed that since we came to this world in the fetal position, we should go to the afterworld also in the same fetal position. Hence, all the mummies we saw were in fetal position! (There is something for you to digest for a while!)

We proceeded to Museo Rafael Larco (Yes, they built a museum for our son!). The Museum was built over a 7th-century pre-Columbian pyramid and it contained a huge collection of pre-Columbian art which is really a must-see. The interesting part was the Erotic gallery, which contained an unbelievable collection of archaeological pottery representing different sexual states (Thank Goodness our son was only 2!). The outside of the museum was completely adorned with different kinds of bougainvillea which was a treat to the eyes. We had dinner under the roof made of the beautiful flowers and leaves and roots.

We went to the city of Paracas. From there, we took a boat ride to the Ballestas Island. How do I describe this? The Island was a natural wildlife sanctuary which was home to numerous species of sea birds (some of them were endangered), sea lions and most importantly, the endangered Humboldt Penguins. We saw them, a lot of them, colonies of them doing their “Happy Feet” dance and we were also on happy feet seeing them in their natural habitat. We saw seals, pelicans, many rare and stunning species of birds and sea spiders. It was not only the variety of species that kept our jaws open, but the quantity of them. It was like endless number of birds, undisturbed in their natural habitat far far away from man. On the way, we could see the huge, mysterious geoglyph carved into the face of a cliff over 1000 years ago. It had the shape of a chandelier from one side and a cactus plant from the other. The purpose of why it was carved is still unknown. The boat had driven way past it and I realized that my neck was completely twisted trying not to lose sight of it!

Up next, we went from the ocean to the sky. This was a major highlight of this journey. We took the small airplane to see the Nazca Lines, a once-in-a-lifetime-opportunity to fly over the Nazca Lines. They are a series of ancient geoglyphs etched into the rocky deserts of Nazca. It is a UNESCO world heritage site. There are about 300 different figures covering nearly 1000 sq km. Some of the figures are 100s of meters wide and kilometers long. They were mostly figures of plants, animals, birds and geometrical figures. They are HUGE. We saw 12 of the most famous ones pretty close which included the hummingbird, monkey, lizard, pelican, whale, spider, tree, hands, astronaut, parrot etc. and so many geometrical figures converging and diverging mysteriously over the horizon. The purpose and origin of these geoglyphs still remains a mystery. Some scholars even associate aliens’ intervention in the creation of these figures. Why and how did humans create them?!

We went to Cusco, the capital of the Inca Empire, the most popular Peruvian city, home to Machu Piccu, the World Wonder. The first thing we noticed after boarding off the flight was that, there was Coca leaves and Coca tea everywhere freely available right from the airport, in the hotel and anywhere we went. Coca tea was free in restaurants (Oh, you din’t get it, these are the leaves from which cocaine is made, now you are reading!). We had read about it that we need to drink coca tree in Cusco to fight altitude sickness. We dint take it very seriously and dismissed it thinking we are never gonna drink anything starting with “coca”. Trust me, altitude sickness is real! Cusco is 11,000 feet (3400 meter) above sea level. We went to further high about 3,800 meters high. For a comparison, Mount Everest is 8,800 meter high. So, Cusco will be a little less than half of Mt Everest. So yes, altitude sickness is real, I was hit by it. The oxygen levels are different, the atmospheric pressure is different, our heartbeat and breath rate changes, it takes at least a day to get acclimatized. I felt as if I was asked to jump out from a 100 story building. Give me some coca tea please, give me one more cup! So we all, including Ralfi sipped coca tea throughout the 3 days in Cusco. It doesn’t make you “high” or anything. It just helps fight the altitude sickness. Cocaine is produces only after chemical processing, but interestingly, we learned that a blood test would show positive for cocaine for all 3 of us, Lol! Those leaves and many varieties of coca candies, chocolates etc were available everywhere. We were warned that taking coca leaves to the US would bring us free pass to the US Jail!! Enough about coca, I think my blood still has it!

We visited the Cathedral of Cusco. Photography was prohibited inside. The architecture and the intricacy of the inside was inconceivable. Of all the churches that I have seen, this one had the most exceptional architecture. It was built in the 1600’s after the Spaniards’ conquest of the South America. Hence the architecture was mostly European. Some of the colonial arts inside the church were really huge (huge as in “you-cannot-see-the-top-of-the-art-if-you-stand-in-front-of-it” kind of huge). And there was an impressive collection of archeological artifacts as well. For the first time, a church reminded us of a temple with grant altars for different deities. Some of the architecture was completely built in gold or silver. It was an Incan temple converted to Cathedral and was some experience!. It is a UNESCO heritage site. The guide explained us about how the Europeans depicted Jesus with head up, less bloody and less dejected; right beside was the Peruvian concept of Jesus, whose head was bowed down, quite miserable and very bloody. It was an interesting info. After that we visited the historic center of Cusco, a beautiful Monastry and the most popular Sun Temple of Cusco. We got so much knowledge on the concept of God of the Incans and how the concept was changed and in fact forced upon the native Peruvians by the Spanish conquest. Currently, approx. 80 % of Peruvians are Catholic Christians. The native Incans considered the Cosmic forces as God. 

We went from Cusco further high around 3,800 meters. We visited Saksaywaman on the outskirts of Cusco. It is a Fortress built around 1100’s. What kept us in awe was the way it was constructed. It is made up of huge stones (largest used in any building at that time), each stone precisely cut in such a way that they interlock each other without any mortar! A single piece of paper will not fit between those giant stones. And the incredible fact is that it is still intact and survived multiple earthquakes. Some things in this world are quite unfathomable – another UNESCO heritage site. Situated on a hilltop overlooking the city of Cusco, it was used for military purpose and other ceremonial functions.

Next, we went to see Moray, an archeological site in the village of Maras. It is a mind blowing ruin of the Inca civilization with series of enormous concentric terraces. This needs some explanation! I know, I am using a lot of superlative adjectives, but trust me, it was mostly a superlative journey… Moray is said to be the agricultural experimentation station of the ancient Incas with its own sophisticated irrigation system. Each of those giant terrace and depression is designed and oriented in such a way that the climate slightly varies between the terraces. A temperature difference of 15˚C between top and bottom terrace! This man-made micro climate was utilized by the Incans to experiment various crops at one humongous site. (That, there, is technology without any gadgets…). I should mention this, climbing the steps up and down the site of the ruin with a backpack of toddler emergencies and holding a hyperactive toddler + altitude sickness still lingering was super adventurous. At some point, we both were panting heavily, involuntarily with mouth wide open, resembling a dog!

Up Next, we went to Salinas de Maras, another wow site of pre-Incan period. It was along the slopes of Qaqawinay Mountain in the Urubamba Valley of Peru. It is mainly salt evaporation ponds designed in the 1400’s to obtain Salt, which used to be and still is a huge source of the local revenue. It is mainly the amazingly clever design of the site that wowed us. No, it is not the usual sea salt. Since pre-Incan times, salt was obtained from mountain streams rich in salts and minerals. The site was on top of a plateau which basically consisted of nearly 3000 polygon shaped mini ponds (about 4 sq meter), again designed with a terrace – depression model. The main mountain stream rich in salts and minerals (Oh my, I tasted the water, it was saltier than sea water!) is directed so wisely and carefully in such a way that the water flows in branches and mini branches bringing water to each and every one of these ancient mini ponds which hold the water. The flow to each pond can be individually controlled by blocking the flow to it. The water is evaporated by sun and the salt collected. The color of the salt varies from white to reddish brown depending on the purity and the minerals. This is one source of the famous pink salt (next time you visit our home, blame that weird taste of the curry to the salt J). The surprising fact is that these entire system was built during the pre-Incan times and is still in use commercially. This site produces several thousands of tons of salt annually. An interesting story was the origin of the word salary. Sal means Salt in Latin, during those times, wage was given as a sack of salt, since salt was a “currency” of great value in the barter system. The modern word salary was derived from that (imagine checking the bank account and seeing “Great job, one bag of salt credited”… ).

In between, we took a stop to visit a small native Cusco weaving market place where some native women demonstrated how they produced different colors for textiles out of natural plants and vegetables. They weaved and colored right in front of us and welcomed us with coco tea served in earthen cups. We felt as if we visited an Incan home. We felt good and purchased some nice textiles from them.

Next, we went to our dream place, Machu Piccu, which inspired this entire trip. Since I am running out of adjectives, I might struggle to describe this. It is true that some places and experiences cannot be described in words or captured in photography. It should be breathed into. Machu Piccu is one such place. It should be lived and felt. We took a 4 hour scenic train ride to and from MP. The train was a Vistadome which was designed so that we can see the entire mountain range from any angle, the roof was mostly glass and the sides also had big glass windows. With the traditional Peruvian music playing in the background; mountains, valleys, streams, flowers passing by; it felt like a surreal train journey. Finally, after a series of van-train-bus rides, and adventurous climbing of several steep steps holding a ready-to-run toddler (when there is a dream, there is a will!), voila – we are breathing Machu Piccu! MP is an Incan fortress built by the 9^th Incan King (the main one). It sits high in the Andes Mountain of Peru above the Sacred Valley, surrounded on all sides by gigantic mountains, which makes it hard for invaders to spot. It was also built with the same sophistication of huge stones interlocked without the use of mortar. It is a mini village with places of dwelling, worship, irrigation, farming etc. it must have been an independent society on its own on the top of a Mountain with no means of transportation at the time of its use. Agricultural land is separated from urban land. The buildings have intriguing design with astronomical alignments and panoramic views, seasons could be predicted from sunlight radiating to different windows. And the backdrop of MP has the shape of side-view of the face of a brave king with different mountains forming the head, nose, lips and chin of the king. W-O-W!! We experienced some breathtaking views of the Sacred Valley with a backdrop of Amazon rainforests. The closer we approached the fortress, the more it fascinated us, giving us the feel of how well-planned it is and how enormous the entire structure is. Thanks to the American historian who brought this abandoned jewel to the attention of the world in early 1900’s. No wonder it is one of the New List of 7 Wonders of the World and a UNESCO Heritage site. The exact original use of MP is still a mystery. Let it always remain a mystery…

Since we could not actually go to the Amazon, we compensated it by going to a grand Zoo in Lima. It had several species of all sorts of animals and birds found in the South American Amazon jungles. We saw Anaconda, rare varieties of monkeys, parrots, tortoise and many other animals. Being a curious monkey, Ralfi really enjoyed it… We were nearing the end of the trip. We decided to give some rest to the body. We went to Parque de la Reserva, a park famous for its 13 distinct and unusual water fountains and is the largest fountain complex in the world. In the night, we saw the Water show in the Magic Fountain, which literally kept me standing in awe. It was a 4D laser show projected to a huge fountain which was dancing to the tune of the music and the laser and with mist of water falling onto us. The show took us through the history of Peru, the Incans, the architecture, the places and gave us the feeling of Peru in quite a dramatic way. We liked it so much that we waited and saw the same exact show a second time. Being interested in experiencing the local culture and folk performing arts, we went to have a lovely Peruvian dinner with a large group of local artists performing different varieties of Peruvian and Spanish dance on a huge stage in front of us within the restaurant itself. The energy and passion was so high, we could sense the enthusiasm in the air. In between every show, they played energetic music for the guests to come and dance. You guessed it right, Sharif and I looked at each other, he held Ralfi in his arms and invited me to dance. We 3 went to the dance floor and danced to the tune of some lovely Peruvian music (as if no one is watching us), and yes we were the only crazy ones to dance with a baby.

Here we are, on our last day of the trip. We 3 dressed up in formal attire and was ready to visit the inside of the Presidential Palace of Peru. Interesting things started to unfold on this last day. I wore a traditional Indian Salwar and Sharif did a complementing formal shirt. While we were inside the palace, a local visitor asked us if she can take a picture with both of us. Thinking that she must have found our attire interesting, we allowed and happily posed for her. At the end of the visit, she again wanted another picture just with me, I posed again with a big smile, but it kept us wondering (You will understand this later). All the visitors to the Palace on that day were Spanish speaking, so we were kept waiting. Staff at the reception spoke only Spanish and we were struggling to explain. A personal staff of the President passed by and seeing us, he came forward and helped us communicate. He seemed very pleased to see us and said that he will personally guide us throughout the Palace. We got a private guided tour of the Presidential Palace by one of the personal staff of the President! He also took snaps for us in different rooms (Again, you will understand later). After the visit, we took a stroll through the streets of Lima. An elderly person, a young boy, a police, and a few locals asked us which country we are from and we answered that we are originally from India. Then it struck us. We recollected a conversation that we had with a local guide in the beginning of the trip – he told us that Bollywood movies are a huge hit in Peru. There is even a Peruvian channel which regularly streams Bollywood movies. He clearly pronounced the names of Shah Rukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai, Maduri Dixit, Amitabh Bachchan and all the main actors. He told us that he grew up seeing those movies and still eagerly waits for the movies. He has even seen the latest ones which we haven’t! We saw the big poster of SRK in the streets of Lima. And Peru was one place where we did not see much Indian tourists, only a couple of them in the whole trip. So when we wore the traditional Indian dress, they felt so happy to see us and talk to us. Then we learned that Peruvians love India, its culture and its movies. A young local girl came to us with her lil sister and talked to us for more than an hour or so, she wanted to know everything about India. She said, her parents, she and now her lil sister - everybody loves India. We could see generations of love for India there. Three young Peruvians told us at different occasions that it is their life’s dream to visit India and they are saving for it. It was a pleasant experience. We saw the changing of the guard in front of the Palace and enjoyed the tourists dancing to the tune.

We culminated the trip by going to the Love Park (Parque del Amor) which was a beautiful park overlooking the Pacific with some stunning ocean panoramic views and boardwalk. We could see many heads turning when we walked through the Park because of our Indian attire. We felt special indeed!

Honestly we did not expect Peru to be such a great journey. We learned a lot. Peru elevated our respect for our human ancestors and their workmanship. The geography gave us a divine sensation in many of the places. People were generally pleasant and humble. It is journeys like these that I like to call a Pilgrimage. With tired muscles and curious minds, we landed back home, sweet home !