Ancient City Discovered in Peru

On January 10th, the last day we were in Peru, it was announced that the lost Inca city of Paititi may have been found. Legend has it that the Inca hero Inkarri, who founded Cusco, built the city after retreating from the Spanish. Follow the link below to read the National Geographic article online.

Ancient "Lost City" Discovered in Peru

Reflection on Digital Media in the Classroom

Traveling is a luxury not everyone can enjoy, especially when it comes to traveling internationally. Few students in public education have had the opportunity to travel and learn abroad. However, the ever changing world of technology is making it possible to bring travel to the classroom environment. Students can experience and learn from the journey of hundreds of other people that share their experiences online. Educators can also share their own journeys or the journeys of their peers or other students. Large internet corporations, like Google, provide programs such as Google Earth which allows users to visit anywhere in the world at the click of a mouse button. However, the question that presents itself is, “How can we, as educators, use all of this technological information effectively in the classroom?” I began to question this myself as the date for our iStory Tour drew closer.

In my bags for the trip to Peru, I packed an array of technology geared towards producing digital media. My laptop’s hardware was recently cleaned and several new programs, such as iTunes and Audacity, were installed. My digital camera battery was fully charged, four fresh gigs of compact memory were taken out of their plastic casings, and I finally invested in a table sized tripod. I had just ordered and received an Olympus digital voice recorder specifically with a PC connection cable and audio software, but I had never used a digital voice recorder before. All I could think of when viewing all this technology was how much extra weight it was adding to my carry-on and how long it would take me to get through airport security. Would 25 pounds of electronic carry-on matter to anyone besides the TSA? Is it worth the chiropractor visits I would need when I returned? I would be in Peru for less than twenty-four hours before I would find out.

The first night in Peru I posted to my online blog an initial reaction to being in the city of Lima. On the bus ride to the hotel, I took a few photos to give readers an idea of where I had arrived. By the next morning, I already had three comments on my blog. That is all it took to get me excited about sharing my experience. On my best day, I averaged seven comments and twenty-six readers. For the most part, I had family, friends, and co-workers reading and posting comments, questions, and requests for photographs. I saw my blog and my experience as a way to educate everyone about the trip. Later, I would find out that the popularity of my blog would increase more than I expected. My friends shared it with their friends, my family shared it with their neighbors, and my co-workers shared it with our business clients. Even elementary students, fellow teachers, and school administrators were reading my entries by the time I arrived home. In all, I estimate that over one-hundred and fifty people of all ages shared my experience. It was when I made this realization that I truly understood the power of technology in education.

Initially, the asynchronous communicative ability of maintaining a blog intrigued me more than any of the other technology I had on hand. Each time I posted an entry, individuals throughout the World Wide Web had the ability to read my entry within minutes, hours, or days. Those wishing to subscribe to my blog had the ability to do so through an RSS feeder. This feature is particularly important to those individuals who may choose to incorporate the progress of a trip in the classroom environment. Currently in the United States, one hundred percent of classrooms have access to the Internet. However, Internet access can be limited to those traveling abroad. As a result, it is important that educators familiarize themselves with feeders. With an RSS feeder, an individual can be contacted through email when a blog post is made. This can be useful with such digital media as Podcasts, which also provide links to feeders for notification purposes. In an educational setting, feeders can aid educators in maintaining their time on task. Student interest can be heightened through the anticipation of receiving notification that a communicative digital media has been updated with additional information for their use in the classroom.

After visiting several locations in Peru and making great use of my digital camera, I was able to upload images to my online album. In essence, by posting the pictures online, individuals are provided with a virtual fieldtrip. While I am sure this was a wonderful experience for my friends and family, I can just imagine how fascinating it is for students. I began by photographing items that interested me which usually includes creative angles of architectural or design elements throughout the area. However, I received requests to photograph the people, their homes, the fauna, the food, and everything in-between which forced me to be more creative and develop an educational eye. I began this process by organizing my photos by city. I had a web album for Lima, Cusco, and Machu Picchu. I later added one for food, one for fauna, and one for the environmental images I took during water testing. There was the potential to add additional organizational folders, but tags can provide an easy organizational solution as well. While images can be organized into album folders, I can also tag my digital media with searchable key words. Through this, I am able to link my photos and blog entries to those of fellow student iStory travelers, world travelers, and any individual who uses a similar keyword. When using keywords in the classroom environment, educators must be careful to preview the results before using them in lessons. Those creating a tag can publish inappropriate content with tag words that may not pertain to the image. When tags are accurate, educators are presented with a unique perspective of just about anything they are wishing to present to their class. Educators can also contact other individuals through their images or link together tags to create discussion groups about the images or blog entries.

Perhaps the one piece of electronic equipment that I believed I would rarely use was the digital voice recorder. How quickly my opinion changed once I downloaded my first batch of recordings. I have a long way to go in learning how to correctly use the recorder to capture clean sounds with limited distortion. I have definitely learned an individual must be comfortable with the digital media at hand, especially if bringing it back into the classroom. In order to maintain time management and discipline, the individual must know how to troubleshoot on the spot and not stress if they are unable to persuade the digital media to work. There should always be a back-up plan behind the technology or at least good software. Olympus provided me with the basics to download and listen to my recorded sounds, but an open source software program called Audacity provided me with the ability to correct, edit, and splice my recordings together. Not only was I able to provide blog viewers with a written story and visual representation of Peru, but I was now able to provide complete multi-sensory stimulation through the sounds of Peru. I found myself recording the tour guides, the musicians, the waterfall in the lobby of our hotel that prevented me from napping, and most importantly, fellow iStory travelers. When I arrived home, it was a unique experience to listen to the voices of individuals I may never interact with again. I was able to share their voices and experience with blog readers who now became listeners. By the end of the trip, the only piece missing was the ability to share the pungent odor of the rivers or the flavor of our gourmet meals.

Upon returning home, the blogging process has not ended for me. I am still finding material to share. In my own daily interactions with digital media, I have been coming across publications which relate back to our iStory tour. With people still viewing, reading, and listening to my blog, I feel a responsibility to continue sharing information pertaining to the trip. In the classroom, this is important as well. The Internet is a rich source for research material and informational sources. It also opens up a whole new resource for student and educator collaborative work. Students can interact with other students around the world. Educators can share information and discuss techniques with fellow educators whether they are in California, New Jersey, or Peru. In addition to the asynchronous communication discussed earlier, there is also the ability for synchronous communication. Through video chats, students can interview or talk with individuals abroad. For example, consider the work Elaine Wrenn accomplished with our travel group. Using a video chat, she was able to synchronize a time to speak with a classroom of students at her school about the data she collected for them from the rivers throughout areas of Peru. Students were able to begin the project in their classroom in California with asynchronous communication through Ms. Wrenn’s blog and email. After reviewing this information, students could develop questions and present them to her while she was still onsite in Peru.

Digital media supports new, unique, and creative approaches to lessons within the classroom. However, one of the most important abilities I see within the use of digital media relates to one of my favorite educational theorists, Howard Gardner. Gardner’s theory discusses multiple intelligences. He believes in utilizing an individual’s strongest form of intelligence to develop abilities in other areas. Some students learn through visualization, others through reading, while others through listening or participating hands on. Digital media allows all aspects of intelligence to be explored and allows the student to learn through an individually-centered curriculum previously not easily obtainable in the traditional classroom setting.

A Week at Home

My thoughts at work and home have consistently been wandering to my experiences in Peru. It is extremely hard for me to be back and involved in the day to day of my New Jersey life. I miss the pace of Peruvian life. People work hard attempting to sell their crafts, sweeping the streets, sowing the fields, and building their houses. There’s a peacefulness that settles over their towns that we do not have here. I remember being on the train to Machu Picchu and as the train passed by within feet of the mud brick homes in Cuzco, mothers stopped hanging their laundry, kids stopped playing, dogs stopped chasing each other, and men stopped farming to watch. The train must pass their homes several times a day and yet they take a minute out of their day to watch. The train passes through at the foot of the Andes, past villages and fields, where people just stop. I remember a farmer stood up in his potato field, wiped his brow, and watched as we passed. One man and a boy, possibly home from school on summer vacation, stopped the plow and watched the train. Some of them were possibly in awe of this great beast chugging through their farmland. They watch in amazement and with open arms, maybe the way the Inca welcomed the Spanish conquistadors.

One thing that amazes me is that people are still reading my blog. I really appreciate all of the readers and especially everyone who has been commenting and leaving questions for me. I would like to address a couple of these questions here.

Tyler from the school asked: "Was the hike (on Mt. Machu Picchu) very steep on your long, long, long way down? Did you have a fun time in Machu Picchu?"

Thanks for asking Tyler. Yes, the hike was very steep. I was glad that I had brought an adjustable walking stick from home with me. Even though I walk and hike on a weekly basis, I was not prepared for the hike down Machu Picchu. What's really amazing is that most native people can complete a downhill hike like that in under 30-minutes. I had a lot of fun at Machu Picchu, especially as a photographer. Every hour brought a different type of weather element, lighting situation, and unexpected natural elements like rainbows. Did you know that there are caves at Machu Picchu too? It was fun to discover them as we walked through the ruins.

Emma from the school asked: "Was it fun to collect water samples? How long did it take? Machu Picchu sounds really beautiful. Would you visit it again if you could?"

Thank you for posting Emma. My favorite experience on the trip was having the opportunity to help collect the water samples. I'm just glad I didn't have to put my own hands in the water. I was able to see a side of Peru that as a tourist you would not have the opportunity to see. Just about every water source took us through real neighborhoods and even some people's backyards. It only took about 15-20 minutes to collect water at each source. However, I know Elaine and Diana spent several hours doing further testing back at the hotel at the end of the day.

Machu Picchu was very beautiful. It is one of my favorite places in the world. Someday I hope I can go back and try climbing another mountain or maybe even hike the Inca Trail which brings you right into Machu Picchu by foot instead of by train. It's funny you should ask this question because I asked a similar question of the group before I left. I asked, "Would you return to Peru again or was this a once in a lifetime trip? If you did return, what would you want to see and why?" If you would like to listen to individual responses from our group, please click on the title of this blog entry (A Week at Home) and it will bring you to the recording.

Cuy as Big as a Bull in South America?

While reading the New York Times on my lunch break today, I came across the following Associated Press article. It really made me think twice about my decision in Peru to partake in a lunch of cuy, or to us here in North America, the rodent and pet better known as a guinea pig. Imagine a guinea pig so large that it weighed between 1,700 and 3,000 pounds. That could feed an entire Inca army! I remember while we were on the bus on the way to Ollaytantambo there was a mother with her son standing in a doorway. She had a large woven bag draped over her shoulder that appeared to be moving and in her hands she held up two of the largest guinea pigs I had ever seen. They most likely weighed between 9 and 12 pounds. If you are interested in the pre-historic version of cuy, please take a look at the article below by clicking on the title.

Long Ago, a Rodent as Big as a Bull Lurked in South America

Far from Home

It is now Saturday and I have officially been home in New Jersey for twenty-four hours. The past forty-eight hours have been an emotional roller coaster though. I never expected to feel the way I do now that I am home. The past week has felt like an eternity. From the moment we began our journey to Cusco, I knew Peru would always hold onto a part of me. Just a week before I was in Peru, I was in Florida, and although I enjoyed Florida thoroughly, I missed aspects of New Jersey. In Peru, once outside of Lima, I forgot New Jersey existed. The stress of reality was lifted and once I was over the altitude, my breathing and overall physical state improved. If I look tired in the pictures (which I know I do) it's only because Edwin, our tour guide, insisted we get up no later than 5:00 a.m. every morning and my body insisted on staying up and taking it all in until 2:00 a.m. I never felt tired... until today. I'm happy to be home with my family, but I miss everyone already.

The group from left to right standing: Erin, Rosa, Frank, Ann, Tim, Diana, Jen, Karina, Mike, Priscilla, Marilyn, and Kathy.

From left to right sitting: Elaine, Giseth, Colleen, Rebeca, Nikki, and Myself.

Rebeca, Erin, and Jen - breakfast on my couch will not compare to our table at the hotels every morning. I have no one to share my homeopathic medicine cabinet with anymore and there certainly is not an ounce of fresh pineapple juice in the fridge this morning.

Frank - I wish we could all relive your birthday everyday. I promise I was not on my computer at all yesterday and this should be one of only a handful of times I am on today. Thank you for your bartering strategies and I hope I was able to help you blog your way through Peru.

Nikki, Giseth, Rosa, and Karina - thank you for keeping me laughing. It was wonderful to spend time with all of you on the trip. Karina and Rosa, I'm really glad you tried the horseback riding. Now, I just hope no one smuggled back our guinea pig head.

Colleen - you are always such a positive person. Everything we did, you always carried such a wonderful and contagious smile. Keep smiling.

Priscilla - I'll never forget your dogs. It was fun speaking with you about our organic food choices. If I ever find another shirt with thumb holes, I'll be sure to point you to where it is.

Marilyn - You're the best person I could have had as a roommate. I hope my late nights blogging didn't affect the few hours Edwin gave us to sleep. Thank you for everything, but especially for your support. I'll never forget the quote you gave me, it is definitely one I needed at this time. I'm still going through tissues.

Elaine - Thank you for showing us how effective technology can be in the classroom. Peru will be a topic of conversation for your students for many weeks to come. This is one of those experiences that as adults we remember from our childhood when we reflect on our own time as students in the classroom. Your work may pave the path to a student's future career decision. Also, I was really excited I could be the official river photographer. More than anything, it showed me a side of Peru that opened my eyes to the reality of the people who live there. Thank you for keeping me laughing. I'll never forget shopping for swim wear in Machu Picchu or Cusco paraphernalia. Thank you for being my clothing guinea pig. I'm sorry I made all of us go swimming in that cold pool in Lima, especially after the fact that I found out where the hot tub was on the plane ride home. By the way, don't be jealous that I've been chatting online ... all day. Besides, we both know I'm training to become a cage fighter.

Diana - I'm lucky I have you on the East Coast. You had said it best and I agree. There will always be a part of my soul in Peru as well. There is a small part in Cusco, another in Chinchero with the weavers, and there's even a little bit at each of the rivers, but the largest part is on the summit of the mountain Machu Picchu. It watches the sun rise and set, it spies the rams on the mountain peaks, it greets those that follow in our footsteps, and it is no longer afraid of heights. Thank you for being there for me on the plane ride home. How ironic that we would have been seated next to each other on that particular flight. I didn't get to say goodbye to you at the airport, but we will be in contact soon.


Myself, Elaine, and Diana at Lima airport before coming home

Mountain Machu Picchu Blooper Video

I like to call this our "blooper" video. However, my fear of heights was very real at the time. I think I scared Diana when I blurted this statement out; apparently, certain people felt I was the brave one on the trip.

Mountain Machu Picchu

A video I put together of Diana, a fellow student and adventurer, and my climb to the top of the mountain of Machu Picchu. Thank you to Diana for taping this video footage of our experience.

An Exploration of Water Quality

For those who may not have already known, Elaine Wrenn, a Technology Coordinator from Echo Horizon School in Culver City, CA, was invited to join our group by Dr. Michael Searson, the professor from Kean University leading this trip, in order to complete water quality testing for students at Echo Horizon School while communicating abroad using Web 2.0 technology. Since I am currently attending Kean University to complete my certification in Secondary English, at first I was not extremely interested in the project. However, after overhearing about the first water collection experience in Lima, I became extremely interested and was happy to assist by providing photographic documentation of the water supplies collected. Santos, a friend of our tour guide in the Cuzco area, escorted Elaine, Diana (a fellow student), and myself in a taxi around Cuzco. I was horrified and intrigued by what I saw. All of the water supplies around the Cuzco area are completely littered with trash and canine feces. Dead animals, chemical bottles, and rubber tires or sneakers lie in the water while people and dogs rummage through the trash along the river banks. The stench emanating from the water and the trash is almost unbearable. It was amazing to me that Diana could put her hands in the water in order to collect samples while still maintaining her composure and sometimes even a smile on her face. At night, back at the hotel, the bar became Elaine and Diana's science lab while information, such as oxygen levels, could be collected and recorded for further testing and comparison by the students at Echo Horizon School when Elaine returns. The pictures below depict the conditions of the water supply. I have officially changed my mind about the cleanliness of the sites we have been visiting in Peru. For further information on Elaine's work, please visit her website.



The following is a video of the Urubamba River at the base of Machu Picchu.It was taken by Professor Marilyn White from Kean University. The video displays the immense power of the river during the rain season. The river becomes calmer once it reaches the Sacred Valley of the Inca.

Geocaching

After an unsuccessful attempt at locating the geocache outside of Machu Picchu, it was decided that we would create our own geocache within Cuzco. For those of you that have not heard of geocaching, geocaching.com describes it as, "...an entertaining adventure game for gps users. Participating in a cache hunt is a good way to take advantage of the wonderful features and capability of a gps unit. The basic idea is to have individuals and organizations set up caches all over the world and share the locations of these caches on the internet. GPS users can then use the location coordinates to find the caches. Once found, a cache may provide the visitor with a wide variety of rewards. All the visitor is asked to do is if they get something they should try to leave something for the cache." It was a sad day since this would mean that I would once and for all be saying goodbye to Senor Cedric. From the beginning I knew our time together would be short. He is a traveling gnome. I wrapped him in his little wrap sack along with a note instructing his next owner on how to access his blog. I placed him within a protective Gladware container and dropped it into the pail. I look forward to hearing from him soon. For those of you interested in tracking Senor Cedric, the following is his blog address: http://senorcedric.blogspot.com/

Inca Cave Explorations

For once, luck was not with us today when we left the hotel. On average, there is a sixty-percent chance of rain throughout the Cuzco region on any given day in January. Since Saturday, we had been blessed with little to no rain, except for the occasional shower at Machu Picchu. Today, it was Cuzco’s version of raining cats and dogs, complete with wind and damp temperatures within the sixties. Horseback riding was not on the original agenda, but I remembered there being an option to go Urubamba River rafting (not a fan after my Farmington River tubing incident this past summer) or horseback riding on our free day. After I briefly mentioned it to Edwin, our tour guide, he immediately took control of organizing everything for us and negotiating a good price. For US$30 per person, we were going to be led by a tour guide and several additional ranch aids to several Inca cave sites. I never realized the Inca used so many caves. I remember reading a long time ago about the importance of caves to the Inca. The caves were seen as a portal into the world between life and death. Since the mountain is a deity, the cave is a portal into the other world.

The tour guide, a ranch hand, and driver picked up ten of us at the hotel in the morning and we were driven up by the site of Saqsaywaman to meet our horses. It rained the entire time. We had to trek through one of the muddiest fields I have ever seen in order to reach the horses. In our group, we had at least two people who had never ridden and one that was recovering from a very major throw from a horse. At first, I was a little nervous as to how everyone would recover from this experience, but once I got into the saddle, I knew this was going to be yet another adventure. What was really interesting is that I chose my horse before the ranch hand even chose me. This usually happens with me and horses. It is very important that the rider feel a connection to a horse before getting into the saddle, otherwise the horse will not listen to the rider. When the horse, a dark brown male, came out of the fenced area I immediately knew I wanted to be paired with him. The ranch hand chose me to come up and get saddled and it was a perfect match from then on. Once we made our way through the crowd of riders ascending the mountain, it was very easy for me to take the lead through the paths to the caves. I forgot how much I love riding horses. I have not ridden since 2005 when I was in Las Vegas riding in the Red Rock Canyon. At the top of the mountain we were led by our tour guide on foot to the Temple of the Moon. This particular cave attracts hundreds of visitors with Shamans throughout the year, but particularly around the Winter Solstice. On or about December 21st, the moon will be perfectly aligned with a hole within the cave which reveals the sky. On this particular day, a Shaman led a couple to the top of the cave and he was performing a ceremony outside the entrance. After remounting our horses, we rode for about fifteen minutes before stopping on the opposite side of a road by a large structure of caves. The caves were like a labyrinth. We crept through tight crevices, ducked under boulders supported by gravity, and peered into the darkness of openings few would dare to enter. At some points, the twists and turns came so quickly, I lost site of the majority of the group in front of me and found myself in a maze of openings and closings. As the rain started to pick up again, the few of us stragglers caught up with the group and remounted our horses to begin the descent back down. I heard many of the people say they thoroughly enjoyed the experience, including those who had never ridden before. It made me happy to hear them say they enjoyed it since I had been looking forward to this experience since I first signed up for the trip.

Machu Picchu

There is a quote from an Inca sacrificial victim that reads, "Finish with me now because the celebrations they held for me in Cuzco were enough." It was recorded by the Spanish in the late 1500's. I found it many years ago and have remembered it, but have not thought about it in several months until now. Every day has been a celebration here and at the start of each day, the quote overwhelms me. Each day brings so many new things, new adventures, new growth physically, mentally, and spiritually, and stronger bonds between all of us here. It has been so overwhelming, it is as if my body cannot absorb anymore until the end of the day when I can reflect on my accomplishments and all I have experienced. Machu Picchu is a place that no words can explain. Students from Columbia University have asked us why Machu Picchu deserves to be one of the seven wonders of the world. I am at a loss of words to explain to them the power it holds. Just the fact that almost 8,000 feet above the Urubamba River at the base of the Amazon there lies a place untouched by time should be enough, but there is more than that. There is a peace and an amazement that comes within a person when they first see Machu Picchu. There is nothing you can do to stop the emotions that begin to fill your body and your soul. When you begin to look around you, high in the mountains there is more than just the ruins. There are pathways leading to the summits of each mountain, structures built at 9,000, 10,000, and 11,000 feet. There is a beauty in the plant life, animals, and even the insects. One can be at rest, completely removed from everything they know. This is all I can say. To understand, one must experience it for themselves. I climbed to the top of the mountain of Machu Picchu which stands at 9,500 feet. I stood at the summit above the clouds and looked all around me and I understood everything the Inca accomplished. I thanked the mountain Gods and the Inca for bringing me here and allowing me to experience all that Machu Picchu had to offer and then I descended. Today I am filled with an inner peace I have never felt and I hope to carry it with me for the rest of my life.

Chinchero and Ollantaytambo

Click on the blog title to listen to a story about the Inca Ollantaytambo Rulers.

I am currently writing on the train ride to Machu Picchu. I must say, I am not a fan of Peru Rail, although their trains are nice. In order to go through the mountains, at times we need to go through a series of switchbacks. For those of you not familiar with the term, it’s usually a term used for descending or ascending mountains. The train will get to one point on the mountain and stop. Then we move in reverse and switch to a higher or lower track. We travel for a few minutes, stop, back up, and switch tracks up or down again. The ascent in Cuzco lasted over forty minutes this way. The scenery is beautiful though. By train, we are able to see things you would not be able to see unless you hiked through this region.

I wanted to make sure I posted a blog about yesterday’s activities before we reached Machu Picchu. Yesterday, we went into the Sacred Valley of the Inca. On the way in we stopped in a town called Chinchero in order to see a demonstration of how the Andean people weave their textiles. The wool from alpaca is only shaved once every two years. After retrieving the alpaca wool, it is washed with the root of a plant that acts as a strong soap, leaving the wool a bright clean color. Afterward, the wool is dyed using a variety of techniques involving plants, bugs, and a natural fixative. The resulting colors are vibrant and permanent. You can follow the demonstration through the slide show I posted yesterday. You can also view a short video from National Geographic through the following link. Chinchero National Geographic Video

During the demonstration, they brought us a cup of coca tea. I believe the coca has been the main source towards curing the side affects I have been having from the altitude. I am no longer shaking, but I do get easily winded when ascending anything at all or over exerting myself. I have found that the altitude is forcing me to slow down, which is a good thing. At the end of the demonstration, we were blessed for the New Year by the demonstrator. He came around to each of us and sprinkled bright yellow confetti on our heads followed by a hug while reaffirming the blessing. The Andean culture is so welcoming to everyone here. It was interesting to me that the demonstration is given for free, they do not ask for a fee. At the end, we are offered the opportunity to tip or purchase their textiles. It is hard to pass up purchasing the textiles after seeing the quality of the material used and the amazing workmanship involved. The quality is one I have yet to see anywhere else. I did pass up the textiles here though because I had in mind a specific item I wanted. However, I did find some authentic pottery which can also be seen in the slide show.

Afterward, we traveled to the Inca ruins of Ollantaytambo. The village surrounding the original structure is built on top of the ruins. The streets were so narrow; at times I did not believe our bus would fit through the buildings. Throughout the town there are water channels which the locals wash their clothing in among other things. Many of the channels are based on the original Inca system. As needed it has been repaired, but it is believed that the water channels in the mountains (where the water is flowing from) is still the original Inca system. To our amazement, we were stuck within the town due to the festivities for the final day of their Christmas holiday. We were able to get off the bus and join the procession. As we watched, there were flute players and trumpet bands, dancers with face masks, members of the clergy, locals, and visitors following a procession of saints which were carried in glass boxes on the shoulders of volunteers. We had the opportunity to take photos and record the music. The following is a compilation of the music and images.

It’s fun to have the opportunity to write this while on the train. For the past fifteen minutes we have been passing Inca terraces and been able to have a wonderful view of temples high in the Andes. On my right side, there are people descending from the mountain with donkeys.

In Ollantaytambo, we climbed the Inca terraces. When we first arrived, there was a light rain, but as we began our ascent the rain eventually dissipated and the clouds provided us with a wonderful lighting for pictures. At the top, a few of us continued to follow a path that went straight up the side of the mountain. While it was steep and a bit on the dangerous side, it was worth all the risk and every penny spent for this trip. At the top we had the perfect view of the valley below and of the layout of the ruins. If I had my choice, I’d never have left. At the top of the ruins of the Temple of the Sun, I finally understood why the Andean people worshipped the mountains. After a morning of snaking through the mountains, viewing how the people truly live, and finding an inner peace among the Inca terraces, I had a feeling of complete calm and understanding.

We had to leave shortly after reaching the top in order to make our lunch reservations. After a Peruvian gourmet buffet, we proceeded to the Indian market at Pisca. It is one of the largest and most diverse markets in the Sacred Valley of the Inca. We only had an hour to spare, but it was enough time to find a few unique items. I have to work on my bargaining strategy though. The prices are often raised as much as 400% over the actual price. Someone might state a price of $75, but the right person can walk away with the item for $13. Luckily, we have a few of the right people on this trip. The night ended over a meal of alpaca steak. It was not my favorite meal, but it was beautifully presented. I found alpaca to be on the tough side and a bit chewy. I am looking forward to Wednesday. I finally decided that when in Peru, eat like the Peruvians. We found a few good restaurants for cuy and a few brave souls willing to eat it. We are about an hour outside Machu Picchu right now. The peaks of the mountains are beginning to be snow peaked and there are waterfalls off the mountains. When I look out the window I am jealous of the people farming the land. They lead such a peaceful and calm life, something I will continue to search for myself.

Images of the Sacred Valley of the Inca

Today was such an amazing day. I attempted to capture as much of the area as I could for everyone so you could experience this area as well. Traveling today, I could finally understand how the Andean people could worship the mountains. There is so much power eminating from them and it comes from every direction as you travel through the valley. We are leaving for Manchu Picchu at 5:30 a.m. so I do not have time to write tonight. I look forward to being able to share my experience with everyone very soon. For now, the pictures can tell the story.

Food in Peru

I have uploaded pictures of the food we have been eating. To view larger images, click on any photo in the slideshow to go to my album.

Peruvian Music

To listen to a sample of music from last night's dinner, please click on the title of this blog "Peruvian Music". This will bring you to my audio file. You can choose to download it or play the file directly from the web. Please excuse the audio quality, I am still learning how to use my digital recorder. That still doesn't stop me from listening anyway, the music is wonderful!

The End of a Long Day

I’ve been sitting here in my hotel room tonight wondering how I could begin to describe today. It’s amazing to think that just this morning I flew into Cuzco. By the end of today, I feel like I have been here for several days. After napping this morning, we headed out to lunch at a local grill. Per Edwin’s advice (our local tour guide), I limited myself to bread and soup in order to aid my acclimating to the altitude. (I would pay for this decision later.) We met our tour guide at the hotel at 2:00 p.m. and headed up into the Andes to go to the Saqsaywaman ruins. It was amazing. The original structure, which housed Inca noble, was partially destroyed after the Spanish Conquest. The rocks were removed from the existing structures and used to build the Cusco Basilica Catedral, among other buildings. Images from these sites are in the slideshow below. Perhaps the most interesting part of the trip to Saqsaywaman was the Shaman I encountered at the top overlooking Cuzco. He was handing out mint leaves which he told me held medicinal values that would aid my acclimating through smelling them. In addition, he was chewing coca leaves which I also chewed with him. I prefer the tea, but the experience was priceless. I can’t exactly describe to you how coca leaves taste. They are somewhat grassy with a bitter aftertaste. Their flavor is weak in tea, but when chewed, the flavor becomes very intense. The flavor reminds me of some green teas I have had. After descending from the ruins, we climbed the remaining stairs on the opposite side. Had I been anywhere else, the stairs would have been a piece of cake. However, the altitude takes your breath away whenever you exert yourself. It is best to take it 5-6 stairs at a time. We also had time to visit with alpaca in the field. There are many alpaca and llama throughout the area. The people here depend on them for their weaving material. Cedric, my traveling gnome, finally made an appearance. He enjoyed lounging in tiny holes he found within the Inca stonework.

After we finished at Saqsaywaman, we headed by bus back down into the center of Cuzco to the Convent de Santo Domingo del Cusco. This is where you begin to see extreme poverty. At the base of the mountains there are crude structures that serve as homes. Sometimes they have the appearance of a rusted box with slanted walls. You know they are occupied because laundry hangs in the wind. The people here depend heavily on tourism derived from Machu Picchu. People stop in Cuzco before making the trip to the ruins. The foundations of many Cuzco structures are pre-existing Inca stonework from previous buildings which existed here. When the Spanish arrived and converted the Inca to Catholicism, they demolished the Inca buildings and used the stones to rebuild Spanish buildings. The convent is built directly on an Inca religious spot. The interior has both Inca and Spanish architecture. Many of the Inca structures are recent reconstructions due to an earthquake which destroyed a large portion of the building in the 1950’s. While touring the convent I think my issues with the early flight, not eating enough, and altitude began. It was not long before I felt extremely queasy and dizzy. For the majority of the afternoon and unfortunately during the tour of the Cusco Basilica Catedral, I suffered from altitude sickness. I was very happy when we went to dinner. After some quinoa soup and spaghetti, the queasiness and dizziness dissipated.

While at dinner, a Peruvian band known as the Rogue Five provided lively entertainment. They played original music from the area which was heavily influenced by the Inca culture and spiritual beliefs. In addition, they played some classic favorites like La Bomba and Jingle Bells, all on wooden flutes and guitars. It was an experience I will keep with me forever. The culture here is very welcoming of tourists, but they can be quite pushy when selling their goods. “No” is not always enough when telling a seller you are not interested. When our bus pulls up outside the hotel, five to six people line up with goods to sell. However, their selling strategies amaze me. When walking to the bus today at the airport, a man was snapping our picture with one of the oldest plastic cameras I have seen since acquiring my Holga. The way he took our picture was almost comical. Often he was not looking through the viewfinder and the camera was moving every which way. This was at 7:00 a.m. At 2:00 p.m., our pictures were printed and pasted onto postcards. Considering my job and what we attempt to do with images, (plus they caught my good side) I had to purchase one. It’s a wonderful souvenir and one of a kind. I also purchased several watercolors depicting Andean street scenes and an oil reproduction of a Spanish style saint. Edwin, our tour guide, recommended purchasing items from his trusted friend Santos. One of the watercolors Santos painted while the other his father painted. I look forward to finding a space for them on the wall. A question was asked about what has been my favorite piece of artwork so far. I would have to say it would be The Last Supper painting at the basilica. Unfortunately we were not allowed to take photos within the basilica. One of the interesting aspects of the painting is that at the center of the table is a cuy. The disciple pictured at the lower right side is much darker than all the other disciples and Jesus. Although he has the same style hair and beard, there is something about him that captures local Andeans. His look is almost one of shock and dismay and from every direction he is looking at the viewer. It is a piece that speaks heavily from the people in this area.

I’m going to try and photograph some flowers and I have been photographing my food starting today. I will continue to do that and post them in slide shows. By the way, five dollars will buy you a lifetime supply of pineapple juice in Peru. People here can live on five nuevos soles a day. That is equivalent to US$1.60. It is now about 10:18 p.m. I told myself I was not going to post tonight, but I love being able to share my experience with everyone and this blog is a wonderful way to capture the memory before I forget the details. I have a few photography goals set out for me tomorrow. I hope to photograph some of the local flowers. Goodnight everyone!

Images of Cuzco

If you would like to view the images in my web album, just click on any image on the slideshow below.

Acclimating in Cuzco

It is 8:00 a.m., but if you asked me I would say it is about 3:00 p.m. We have been traveling since 2:45 a.m. I was lucky enough to have more of that wonderful pineapple juice before leaving this morning. (It really is the best I have ever had!) Getting through the airport was an adventure. When flying domestically, you arrive at the gate and proceed to a passenger bus. After boarding the bus, they drive you to the airplane where you board the aircraft from stairs on the runway. The flight is about an hour long and well worth it. My most recent question was "How do I like it overall?" Before the flight this morning, I would say I liked it a lot, but I wouldn't return to Lima. Now in Cuzco, I love it. I want to experience the flight in again. As you begin to descend through the clouds and look out the window, you can see the tops of mountains beginning to peak through parallel to the plane's wings! You might ask if I was nervous, I'd be lying if I told you no. Suddenly, everywhere around the plane was the Andes in their majestic green beauty. To enter the airport, we completed a 180 degree turn around a mountain and landed successfully. Because of the altitude here in Cuzco, my body must acclimate. I must continue to drink lots of water and I have already had a cup of delicious coca tea which is also rumored to aid acclimazation. I have been shaking slightly since we landed. I'm not sure if it is from the 2 hours of sleep I have had, the altitude, or the need for food.

The art and music in Cuzco is everywhere. After landing at the airport, we walked into the baggage claim area where a group was playing Andean music and selling cd's. It's funny to say this, but I suddenly felt like I was at a booth at the Bethlehem Fair in Connecticut. It's not much different except that the Andes were in view behind them. I recorded some of the music and I hope to post it soon. The artwork is beautiful, but primarily I have been viewing works of Spanish heritage. Even in the hotel lobby there is a painting of a Spaniard riding a horse. There is a giant gold sun mirror which is of Inca heritage. I love the prices of everything here. A taxi cab ride in Cuzco is equivalent to US$1.00. I have yet to attempt to buy anything. Tomorrow we are going to an Indian market in the valley where we can bargain the prices. I have taken some pictures of the hotel room and our view from the fourth floor which I am posting below. Needless to say, I need some sleep. We are meeting at 12:00 p.m. to get some soup and then again at 1:45 p.m. to take a tour of Cuzco. I love that I am getting questions from everyone. Please keep asking questions and if I have not answered a question fully, I plan to try to in future posts. Also, if you would like to see a picture of something I have not yet posted, let me know and I will do my best to capture it for you.

View from the hotel room.














The hotel room.

Today Lima... Tomorrow Cuzco

I should be sleeping right now since we have to wake up at 2:00 a.m. to make our 5:25 a.m. flight to Cuzco. Today was an eventful day as you can see by the images posted in the last entry. Perhaps the best part of the day though was the food. This morning we had several options at the hotel for breakfast. When it comes to fruit and juice, everything is fresh. This morning I had pineapple, mango, and papaya with extremely flavorful eggs and potatoes. With that I had fresh orange juice and pineapple juice. The pineapple juice was amazing (I'm hoping they will serve it with our 2:45 a.m. continental breakfast!). Because of our early flight tomorrow, we decided to complete a large tour this morning, followed by a late lunch/dinner and free evening. While I enjoyed everything Lima has to offer, it is too much like the cities in North America. I am looking forward to Cuzco. For lunch we went for rotisserie chicken. Our meal began with a salad composed of green beans, carrots, beets, and avacado. I believe we were served a beet juice with this. The salad was followed by a platter of rotisserie chicken and fried potatoes (french fries, but better). Along with this we were also given a small alcoholic drink similar to a whiskey sour. Dinner was by far my favorite so far though. I originally set out with two members of the tour group in search of a cafe, but it was not long before we realized we were extremely hungry. I had suggested sushi because the fish here has the potential to be extremely fresh. We were pleasantly surprised. After deciphering our way through the spanish sushi menu, we split two rolls which included platanos (banana). These were the best sushi rolls I have ever had. The fall roll consisted of a white fish with platanos while the other consisted of platanos, cream cheese, and salmon. The roll was lightly fried and had a wonderful sweet flavor from the platanos. I never would have imagined having banana in a sushi roll. I believe I will now be experimenting at home with the sushi kit I received from my cousin this Christmas. The prices here are interesting. It all depends on where you go. My hotel charges US$1.50 for a bottle of water, but earlier today I was able to get the same bottle of water for US$0.30. With dinner tonight, however, that same bottle of water was a little over US$1.00. You have to be very careful when making purchases. Most places accept US dollars and might even give you change back in the same currency, but not always. A meal can be as little as US$2.00 at one restaurant, but as much as US$30.00 less than a block away. I have yet to see any cuye on the menu.

I have had some questions thrown my way. One made me smile, "How tall are people here?" Well, that all depends. Now that you mention it, they are a little on the short side. However, I have been around the Kean group and many tourists. Overall, Peruvians on average are about 5 feet 6 inches, so we see eye to eye.

"How do they dress?" This one depends on where you go. So far in Lima, most people dress like we do in North America. I have seen people in jeans and t-shirts, business attire like suits (on women and men), and dress shirts with slacks. I have seen a few people in the indigenous attire. If you look at the images I posted, there is a photo I snapped of a woman on a park bench outside the San Francisco Monastery. I am assuming I will see more of this style in Cuzco. One thing that is definitely different is how bright everyone's clothing can be. Sometimes it appears almost neon. In the airport yesterday, women selling cell phones were wearing electric blue suits with neon green dress shirts. Some of the textiles have hot pink and neon green in them. It fits the area and especially the feeling the weather invokes.

"Is it as busy as New Jersey?" I'm sure it is, but there is something about this area that doesn't feel as busy to me. Again, it all depends on where you go. We have not experienced a traffic jam, but then again, there's an average of three lanes of traffic everywhere you go. Bus lanes help keep the traffic moving. You can see images of traffic in the images I posted to judge for yourself. One thing is for sure, I would never want to attempt driving here. There's no traffic laws!! One thing I would like to learn while I am here, why are there people either standing in the middle of traffic with a clip board taking notes or on the side of the road? I wish I had been able to take a picture of one of these people. They seem to be monitoring the traffic somehow.

I had mentioned that Lima was very clean which led to the questions, "Does the air smell cleaner too?" Yes it does. However, it is very humid. But it doesn't rain here!! It just drizzles. The air does smell clean to me, but some places have a musty or mildew smell because of the humidity and also probably because of the age of most of the buildings. Many buildings date back to the Spanish Conquest. The ocean is also right here which I am sure helps clean the air.

I hope to be able to post tomorrow. If not, think of me in Cuzco. The altitude in Cuzco is 11,600 feet. That was cruising altitude for the plane on the way into Lima, which is at 5,079 feet.

Images from around Lima

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Lima, Peru

Well, we made it! I am officially in Lima, Peru. The flight was approximately 7 hours and 21 minutes and surprisingly my knees are feeling pretty good right now. (As opposed to how they felt after my 1 hour and 54 minute flight from Orlando last week!) It is quite different than I imagined it. Even at night it is beautiful. The airport is the most beautiful airport (and clean) I have ever seen. It is a very modern building with all glass architecture. The customs and baggage area run smoothly and efficiently. We met up with our tour guide, Edwin, from EF Tours directly outside and made our way to our tour bus. The buses here are amazing. Most of the vehicles here are Mercedes (even the buses) but there are also Toyotas, Kias, and Daewoos. After a bit of a drive, we arrived at our hotel which is approximately 5 minutes from the beaches along the Pacific Ocean. I am hoping we will have time to see it tomorrow before we head out to Cuzco Saturday morning. From the bus window I was surprised to see how much an impact the American culture is here. There are signs everywhere for our movies, including I Am Legend and National Treasure. There are KFC's, Papa John's, Pizza Hut's, and Burger Kings. But then you look around at the buildings and you see the strong influence of Spanish architecture. The Catholic faith is also prominent. There is a large lighted cross right at the edge where the ocean meets the land and crosses dominate much of the architectural elements on doors and gates. The hotel is quite nice. Downstairs in the lobby I had my first glance at Inca artifacts which are even more amazing than the pictures I poured over before leaving. The room is a little on the musty side, but it is much more impressive than some of the rooms I've had in the States as of recently. (Let's just say in America, I'd rather pop up a tent and lay out a sleeping bag.) Plus, you can't beat the free internet. It is 1:00 a.m. now and I have to be up by at least 7:00 a.m. to eat and meet the tour group. Until tomorrow, goodnight.

Me, just happy to be on the ground!

Awaiting My Flight

The day has finally arrived. Currently, I am sitting in Newark Airport. I found a comfortable little sitting area down by baggage claim where I could stay with my things and eat a bagel with cream cheese from the Bagel Spot in Springfield, New Jersey. I spent most of the morning running around grabbing last minute things and checking that I had my passport about a hundred times. My motto is, “If you haven’t packed it by now, you probably didn’t need it in the first place.” I came to the airport 4.5 hours earlier than necessary. If anything, it will be interesting to witness a morning at Newark International Airport. From where I am sitting, I can hear the incessant cries of a cat looking forward to their owner claiming them from baggage claim. I was surprised to see that Continental does not get many flights early in the morning, especially since my return flight next week is coming in about this time. I wanted to share my itinerary with everyone so you could get a sense of where we will be traveling. Tonight, we will be arriving in Peru at about 10:50 p.m. Tomorrow, Friday, we will be taking a guided tour of Lima which will include the San Francisco Monastery (I can’t wait to take pictures). Afterward, we will be visiting the National Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. I was hoping to catch a glimpse of an Inca mummy, but I was not able to check and see if they have them on display at this museum. Saturday we will be taking an early flight over to Cuzco. We will be taken on a guided tour of the city and later we will be exploring the Inca sites of Tambomachay, Kenko, and Puca Pucara. Sunday is perhaps one of my favorite days since we will be visiting the Indian market. I am looking forward to purchasing a few woven textiles. I would especially like to find a piece which represents the Inca key design which was a symbol of nobility. We will also visit the Sacred Valley of the Incas and Ollantaytambo. Monday we will take the train to Machu Picchu. We will actually be staying overnight in the area so on Tuesday we can take a morning tour of the area which is host to some of the most beautiful sunrises in the world. I’m hoping the rain will hold off long enough for us to witness its beauty. In the afternoon, we will be returning by train to Cuzco. Wednesday is a free day for us. I’m hoping it might include either horseback riding or geocaching before returning to Lima and by Friday morning, New Jersey. For those of you not aware, there is an educator from California traveling with us. She is bringing a letter written by students in Language Arts classes at her school. We will be leaving the letter in a geocache box in Peru. I am hoping we find something interesting to bring back to them as well. In addition, I brought my traveling gnome named Cedric. Just a few days ago, Seńor Cedric was just another traveling gnome in a box at Barnes and Noble. That is until I found him. Keep an eye out for him as I am sure he will try to sneak into a few of my photos. He was more than happy to escape my home since he is terrified of cats. Not a good trait for a gnome that was brought into a home with four felines. Hopefully, he won’t want to stay in Peru. He is also a Latin American literature fanatic. I am hoping we will find some interesting literature to share on our travels. Well, that is all for now. At 2:50 p.m. today we will be taking off to a world I have only read about. Be sure to check out some of the links for books I suggested in the top right hand column. Hasta luego.

Itinerary

Day 1: Fly overnight to Peru
Arrive in Lima

Day 2: Lima
Take a guided tour of Lima
-Government Palace
-Plaza Mayor
-Huaca Huallamarca
-San Francisco Monastery

Visit the National Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology

Day 3: Lima to Cuzco
Fly to Cuzco
Take a guided tour of Cuzco:
-Korikancha Temple
-Cathedral
-Sacsayhuaman Fortress

Visit Inca sites of Tambomachay, Kenko, and Puca Pucara

Day 4: Pisac, Ollantaytambo, and Cuzco
Visit the Indian market in Pisac
Visit the Sacred Valley of the Incas
Visit Ollantaytambo

Day 5: Machu Picchu
Travel by train to Machu Picchu
Visit Machu Picchu

Day 6: Machu Picchu to Cuzco
Take a morning walk in Machu Picchu
Return by train to Cuzco

Day 7: Cuzco
Enjoy a free day in Cuzco

Day 8: Cuzco to Lima
Fly to Lima
Depart for home

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