Huaca Pucllana is located right in the centre of Lima. In fact part of the site was destroyed by modern construction before archeologists realized its significance. This magnificent adobe bricks pyramid was built between 200-700 AD. We were the only ones on the English night tour. How perfect to be exploring this special place virtually on our own on our last night in Lima.
See you all very soon. You Are Always in My Prayers. Love Mom.
This morning we travelled by boat to the Uros Islands. Seventeen people lived on the island we visited. The floating Islands are made from reeds and anchored In Lake Titicaca. The main-man (sort of like the chief or president of the island) taught us how to make an island out of reeds. I'm not sure this is a skill that I will ever need in North Perth, but it was really cool. They are constantly maintaining their Islands by covering the surface with new reeds once or twice a month. It is a lot of hard work. The chief's wife Rosa invited us into her home so we could see how they live. It is also made of of reeds. They have a small TV that they run on solar power. Even though the house was small it was very colourfully decorated and you could tell that Rosa was proud of her home. Of course Dad found more happy children to play with! A wonderful day. You Are Always in My Prayers. love Mom. Today we had the absolute privilege of visiting the Virgin of Fatima Elementary School in Quiquijana Peru. The Gate1 foundation has made a significant investment in improving the leaning conditions for the students. We were able to do just a tiny bit to help by delivering the school supplies donated by our blogging buddy classes from the AMDSB. They were really great kids and they appreciated everything. The soccer ball was a big hit, but surprisingly the pump was the biggest hit of all. They had a bunch of old balls but no pump to inflate them....so one Nike pump and one ball turned into a whole pile of balls that the kids could use. What a blessing to watch them so happy. Of course Dad had to get in on a game. Can you see the Canada ball in the background?
Great day. You Are Always in My Prayers. Love Mom. You know we do about a million different things a day while travelling so it is impossible to share everything. I'm going to let you in on a couple of things we did today that were quite different than our other adventures so far.
First thing this morning we met with a Quechua Shaman or holy man that they call a P'Aqo. The P'Aqo reveres the Pachamama or Mother Earth. He prepared a blessing for safe travel for our group. Although my faith is Christian it was still a very peaceful way to reflect early in the day. After he was finished he wrapped it up and was going to take it to the highlands to burn. Also different was our visit this afternoon was to the Cusco Cathedral. When the Spaniards introduced Catholicism to the Incas they adopted small cultural traditions of the Inca to make it more attractive to converts. In the Cathedral hangs a very large painting of the last supper. Da Vinci's painting of The Last Super, which we are more familiar with, shows bread, wine, fish and orange slices on the table. The local artist in the Cusco's painting includes Peruvian fruits, corn, and a platter of roasted guinea pig. Oh, and rumour has it that the face of Judas resembles Pizarro, who conquered the Incas. Heading off to dinner. Will chat tomorrow. You Are Always in My Prayers. Love Mom. I thought the ruins yesterday were spectacular so I suppose I can only describe Machu Picchu as sublime--above anything I've seen. When we arrived this morning there were just enough clouds to add to the mystery. No one is quite sure of the purpose of Machu Picchu, but it is likely that it was a place for the Inca King to get away for some recreation. It has over two hundred structures including terraces, homes, store houses, and a temple to the sun god. Another thing it has is location--it is set in the jungle on the edge of the Peruvian Andes. They say that if this world UNESCO site isn't maintained that it would be covered with juggle growth again within three years. Machu Picchu was abandoned in the 1500's. It is not clear whether the Spanish invaders influenced its demise, a small pox epidemic wiped out the inhabitants, or the king just moved on a whim. However, it is clear that what we have been left with is an absolute treasure. Of course, the really cute llamas a nice touch too! You Are Always in My Prayers. Love Mom. Today was our first day of two full days of Inca Ruins. Ollantaytambo and the Pisac Ruins are both from around the 1400's. Also, both include many terraces that would have been designed for agriculture. It is interesting to see that the Quechua still use terraced farming and hand tools to work their crops.
Tomorrow is the biggy--Machu Picchu. We hope for good weather. The Quechua have a superstition that if you are born in the dry season (just two seasons here--not four) you can blow the moist clouds away. I hope everyone born from May-October gets out there and does some serious huffing so that we can have a perfect Inca Day #2. You Are Always in My Prayers. Love Mom. The sacred valley is a beautiful place to spend Mother's Day.
Dad finally got to try cuy (the livestock breed of you know what) at a local indigenous farm. He didn't like it at all. He said it had a really funny taste--hard to describe--and lots of little bones. I know this seems like an unusual thing to eat, but before you judge, remember that there are folks in this world that wouldn't be too happy to find out we are mowing down on Angus beef. You Are Always in My Prayers. Love Mom. Today we are in Lima Peru we celebrated both ancient and modern cultures.
This afternoon we visited the Larco Museum. The Gold and Silver Gallery showcases the largest collection of jewelry used by rulers of pre-Columbian Peru. The museum holds the only known complete set of gold Chimu funerary clothing. It looks really heavy to wear, especially the ear plugs. Our guide said it was made really thin, so I suppose that helps. Then in the evening we ventured into Kennedy Park. It was cool to be part of the excitement of a Saturday night in Lima. The music was blasting and young and old were just breaking out dancing. Then we had the real excitement of the night. We headed out to Lima's Magic Water Fountains. In the evening they provide a music and light show with over 15 fountains. You can walk right through some of them--they are just like a maze of water spouts. It is really spectacular and high-tech. I couldn't stop smiling--And of course we were pretty proud that we took Uber safely over to the park. Yes, they even have Uber in Lima. It was a great day. So much fun and lots of street food for Dad. You Are Always in My Prayers. Love Mom. |
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Ray & Diane Homewood
Sharing the Blessing of Travel Archives
August 2017
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