Going to Church.

A strong grip – Malevolent forces – Pishtacos – Bloody Illustrations

Sometimes when I read a book it gets a hold on me and I can’t stop thinking about it. About three weeks ago I read “A Death in the Andes“, by Mario Vargas Llosa, and the themes explored by the Peruvian author have had quite an impact on me. The novel is set in 1980’s Peru, at a time when the Sendero Luminoso or Shining Path was active.

The plot revolves around Corporal Lituma, a man from the coastal city of Piura, who has been sent on assignment deep into the Andes. In the Andes Lituma is as much of an outsider as one of us would be and as readers we immediately sympathize with his position. Vargas Llosa’s Andes are mysterious, malevolent, and filled with superstition and danger. Lituma’s vexing problem is the mysterious deaths of three individuals – have they been killed by the Shining Path or is there some other deeper and more malevolent force behind the killings?

Through brief vignettes Vargas Llosa introduces us to the brutality of the Maoists or “terrucos” as they are called in the book. But he also introduces us to the old and superstitious culture of the Andes, a culture of witches and vampires. We learn of Pishtacos, evil beings that kill humans to render their fat, which is then used for various purposes like fine soap and machine oil. It is this latter imagery that is particularly disturbing and troubling; as bad as the terrucos are they can at least be understood as brutal thugs.

In the Andes.

During his trying times in the Andes Lituma’s sole source of escape is a long and detailed love story related to him by his subordinate, Tomasito. To escape the madness of the mountains Lituma hungers for each new episode that Tomasito recounts. The ancient culture of the Andes imbues the mountains with Gods, each demanding his share of human sacrifice, as do the troops of terrucos wandering the countryside. Lituma is surrounded with a world he cannot understand.

After reading this book I have become increasingly revolted by religion and the bloody illustrations it uses to keep the masses faithful. Images of Isaac squealing under Abraham’s knife, San Lorenzo posing with his grill, and Jesus in his hyper-realistic agony all evoke the ancient Andes and its superstitions. They are no longer a quaint custom to be examined with a smile, but a nameless primordial horror.

New additions to the website:
• Slideshow on Minas Gerais, Brazil.

The worst hike – The Colca Canyon – Andean Condor – Reward for diligence.
(Map this!)

You know that you are on the worst hike in the world when

1. You start the off not feeling well and know that you probably shouldn’t be hiking in the first place.
2. Your expectations of an easy hike are unfounded, the hike turns out to be a knee busting downhill schlep over a gravelly path that defies sure footing.
3. You expect to find lunch at the halfway point and are told “No hay comida” (There’s no food).
4. Having started the hike late, you expect to find mules for the way back but all the mules have been booked by tour groups.
5. On the way back you develop diarrhea and realize that you have no toilet paper.
6. Your reward for the hard hike is less than spectacular scenery and the goal is an uninspiring grassy campground with a swimming pool.
7. You get rained on on the way back and it gets dark.
8. Your knees have turned to jelly and you can’t negotiate the stairs to your room when you reach your hotel

Click to see our video of the Andean Condor

I wasn’t impressed by the Colca Canyon. Touted as deeper than the grand canyon, it is neither as impressive nor as spectacular. It isn’t even that deep. A popular hike to the bottom of the canyon is only 3,500ft. I have no idea how they measure it, maybe there’s one small area that’s really deep. Or, maybe they include the mountains surrounding the valley of Colca in their measurement.

At the Cruz del Condor

The Colca canyon is more of a valley and it is pretty. Rustic villages surrounded by a terraced countryside make for a pleasing lansdscape. Entirely missing, however, are the steep, sheer walls that create such a visual impact at the Grand Canyon or at Zion. In contrast, the Colca Canyon is a gentle valley leading to an ordinary canyon.

The Colca is famous for sightings of the Andean condor. The condor is a huge bird, one meter tall, with a three meter wing span. The sight of this bird, with its black and white wings spread out perfectly to ride the uprising thermals, its white collared neck streched out looking for food, is a spectacular sight. Especially when seen in a flock of five to six birds, rising up in evergrowing circles, out of the highest mountains surrounding the canyon, until they are a speck against the blue skies.

Terrace Farming

You have to be incredibly lucky to see this spectacle. More often than not you see a lone bird, rising far in the distance, and have to be satisfied that you saw a condor. Well, this is wildlife, you say. You cannot guarantee it. But without a sighting of the condors the Colca Canyon is just another pretty but uninspiring spot.

We visited the Cruz del Condor three times. Our diligence was finally rewarded when the third day dawned bright, clear and hot, and we could see about ten condors gliding close by, up, up and out of the canyon on their search for their daily bread. (On that day the condors left their nests early, however. A lot of tour groups, arriving after 8:15am, never saw even one.)

New additions to the website:
• Slideshow on Manu Biosphere Reserve.
• Slideshow on Santa Catalina Monastery, Arequipa.
• Review of Garmin 60csx GPS

At Santa Catalina

Gang aft agley – Drug Policy – Not adding to the tally – Perturbations

I am very happy that my parents were able to visit us here in Peru. But as I write this we are not with them – they are in the flatlands of the Peruvian coastal desert and we are in the heights of the Colca Canyon. As much as they would like to come to the Colca, they cannot, because in Daddy’s opinion he is suffering from the effects of altitude. Hence they have fled, for now, to sea level for “personal reasons”. Not a drastic situation, but an example of the best laid plans gang aft agley…

A view of Cusco

As the political situation in Bolivia continues to be tense we have made the decision to not visit the Andean country during this trip. Unsurprisingly, the U.S seems to be a subject of ire, mainly for its drug policies that mandate an elimination of coca cultivation. Our friend from Bolivia, Arnie Lopez, advised that no U.S passport holder visit for the time being and since the situation is not likely to improve anytime soon we will have to leave Bolivia for another day.

Bolivia has so much to offer the tourist – La Paz the highest capital city in the world, the mining town of Potosi, colonial Sucre, Jesuit Missions of the east, and the amazing salt flats of Salar de Uyuni. It was a deep disappointment that we could not go, but driving around in a large conspicuous automobile among a rioting populace did not seem like a prudent course of action. It is best to avoid riots altogether, but in the unfortunate event that one finds oneself in one, it is best not to standout. Having seen several riots up close and personal, I do not feel a need to add to that tally.

Uros

I really dislike having to change my plans, especially after I have spent so much time developing them. I usually charge ahead, come hell or high water, and do my best to achieve the goal that is the result of such careful planning. Most of the time this approach has worked for me, but on occasion I have paid the price for such bullheadedness and not having taken into account changing conditions. When conditions change the plan needs to be revised, or altered, or scrapped altogether, based on how big the change is.

Relaxed

As far as perturbations go this is a small one – Bolivia can easily bypassed by going further down Chile, to San Pedro de Atacama, and then to the city of Salta in Argentina. But there seems to be more turbulence coming our way, mainly in the form of the failing world economy. What changes in plans will we have to make to accommodate this new uncertainty? Will we have to wrap up the trip as soon as possible and come back to the US to prepare for the coming storm? Or do we stay in a low cost part of the world such as where we are now to ride out the economic waves and cycles that seem to be headed our way?

Right now it seems like an overreaction to panic to abandon our trip and come home; maybe if we give it a few months things will sort themselves out. If they don’t… well… our next address could be Barichara, Colombia…

Suhas Taskar

Paucartambo – Cock of the rock – Manu Biosphere Reserve – Macaw clay lick – Hardship

Starting from Cusco we passed through the Andes, stopping at the village of Paucartambo where we made a brief stop to view the display of statues made of bronze. Each statue signifies a role played by the participants in a festival held in July of every year.We proceeded to the cloud forest to view the gorgeous display of male cock-of-the rock; pretty birds with bright crimson colored body and crest.

Paucartambo	Cock-of-the-rock

Continuing the next day by bus and then by motorized canoe we sailed through the turbulent river “Alto Madre de Dios” to Boca Manu. Here we changed course to the Manu river entering the Reserved Zone of Manu Biosphere Reserve. This area had a wealth of colorful birds, caiman and different species of monkey. At the crack of dawn we were awakened by howler monkeys that made us aware that we were now in their territory. Along with them were birds – oropendolas making a sound as if someone were pouring water into a jug. We could sometimes see as many as ten hanging nests of oropendolas in one tree.

Red and green macaws

The most impressive part of the Manu trip was seeing literally hundreds of parrots, parakeets and macaws eating clay. The clay has a detoxifying effect on some of the seeds they eat. There is a distinct sequence of events that occurs during this ritual. At first, parrots show up in large numbers followed by parakeets. Once they leave and the ground is clear, macaws descend from the trees and start eating the clay. There is a special platform built to observe this incredible event. Interestingly, all these birds move in groups in great harmony.

Gina lodge

Everything so far sounds very exciting. However, there is no fun without some hardship. Most of the lodges there had no electricity or hot water and had shared bathrooms. We had to leave the camping area by 5am. On the last day during our return our bus broke down in the middle of the journey and we had to wait four hours in the dark to get a ride back. All in all it was an experience of a lifetime that makes you feel humble and appreciate the wonders of nature.

Manu National Park

Aggressive trees – Egrets, Caiman and butterflies – Hot monkeys – Insects everywhere – Impact of tourism and accessibility. (Map this!)

With gigantic roots like sails, the kapok tree stands upright by reaching very far but not deep to search for nutrients in the top layer of the earth.

Buttress Roots

The strangler fig embraces its host tree for support until its own roots are strong enough, then eventually strangles it. The “walking tree” has stilt like roots that actually allow it to move a few feet in search of precious nutrients. Some palms grow spines on their trunk to fend off animals while their fruit develop. These fall off later when the fruit are ripe and the tree is ready for pollination. Other trees host fire ants for protection and woe betide anyone who comes within (ant) jumping distance of the tree!

This is the Manu rain forest, a most remote area in Peru. It took us three days of traveling to get to the reserved zone open to tourists.

Gasoline at Boca Manu

The only way in is via the Manu river. Here egrets, herons, macaws, vultures and other birds put on a display to delight any birder. The occasional capybara and caiman sightings add spice to the boat journey. Tranquil oxbow lakes in the reserved zone host odd birds like the colorful agami heron, the archaic looking hoatzin, the snail eating limpkin. When we bank the boat, dozens of butterflies rise into the air in a colorful display. Manu is also a butterfly watcher’s paradise.

Caterpillar on trail

Walks through the forest lead to encounters with woolly monkeys, red howlers, white capuchin and spider monkeys. What are the woolly monkeys doing in the hot rain forest? They must be so hot! They entertain themselves by rattling branches and throwing fruit down at us. We also invariably run into ants. Army ants forming a line two inches thick, fire ants protecting their host tree and the gigantic cobra ant from whom we keep a safe distance.

Wolf Spider

Night walks yield a hidden world. Wolf spiders hide in leaves ready to spring on their prey, a tarantula hurriedly scurries away in the dark as our flashlights illuminate it, we find stick insects copulating and katydids molting. Of course, we get our share of bites, sand flies who are undeterred by 100% Deet, mosquitoes and other biting flies lurk when we shower or change clothes. We live in fear of the botfly, who sneaks in her eggs through a biting fly which then develop under the skin.

Most of Manu is not open for tourism, only a small section is. Services in that section are rustic, although some extremely expensive and fancy lodges do exist. Lodges are few and far between, one has to travel a minimum 5-6 hours a day by river to get to the next lodge. Flush toilets, hot water and 24 hour electricity are frowned upon, although most lodges offer one or more of these services. Manu is an eco touring destination which is trying hard to minimize impact by tourism.

Black skimmer	Capybara	Clearwing	Insect or flower?

These efforts are generally lauded by everyone. I definitely prefer seeing animals and birds in their natural setting from afar than in highly developed tourist areas where they can be seen artificially close. A cenote is nicer to bathe in than a swimming pool, a hummingbird visiting its flower delights more than one attracted to a feeder. This time however, traveling with my older in-laws, I realized how less developed areas can be inaccessible to many people. Only the younger and/or fitter people can see these natural wonders. Restricting development also restricts accessibility, shouldn’t everyone be able to delight in these wonderful places?

Manu river	Our transport

For more pictures of Manu, click here.

Nazca Desert

Desolate lands – Dutch lieutenant – Peace Keepers – Destiny – Freedom

On the way to Nasca we traveled with a Dutch couple from the eastern part of the Netherlands. We traversed some of the most desolate lands in Peru. This arid region sees very little rainfall and is home to some of the strangest monuments on earth. Fantastical creatures are etched in the pampa and a huge candelabra has been drawn in a mountainside that is best seen from the sea. The landscape of mystery and the desolation provides a great stage for conversation and debate.

What is it?

Robert was a lieutenant in the Dutch army and his partner a social worker who aided the unemployed with expanding their skillset to become employable again. We talked about many things but the topic of Srebrenica has been on my mind since then. One of the lowest points of humanity in the past twenty years, it still has an effect on the Dutch psyche because of the role they played in it.

The Dutch force of several hundred was posted in Srebrenica as peace keepers. Maybe their presence under the auspices of the United Nations gave the inhabitants some measure of security that the Serbian method of ethnic cleansing would not come to pass in their neighborhood. As the large and highly organized Serb army approached the safe zone the Dutch commander called for airstrikes in their positions, a request that was denied, the explanation being that such an action would exceed the scope of the mission. When the army arrived in the town the Dutch were given a choice: die fighting or comply with Serb orders. Armed with small arms against tanks and artillery pieces the Dutch commander chose the latter over certain death.

Guano Cormorants

The Serbs decided that some of the population needed to be relocated and demamded that the Dutch help in the process. Thousands of Bosnian residents were gathered up and loaded onto buses to be transported out of the area. The Dutch, convinced that this was the only option, complied with the orders. The order to transport turned out to be a lie, of all the deportees only women and children survived, the men were taken away and systematically massacred. After discovering the horror that they had been a party to, ten Dutch soldiers commited suicide. The commander was transferred to a dead-end post in the United States, and the world learned the true meaning of ethnic cleansing.

Now if we believe in destiny and that everyone has a role to fulfill, as our current President frequently states, then we should not be troubled much by Srebrenica . It was preordained and scripted to the last detail, with Serb villians, Bosnian victims, and unwitting Dutch accomplices. Given that none had any freewill in the matter is impossible to pass any kind of value judgement on either of the parties – they are not good or bad, just fulfilling a role set before them by destiny. Believing in destiny can also be remarkably freeing as well – if everything is preordained then may as well act any way you wish…

Paracas Peninsula

So there is the conflict – freewill or destiny. I somehow do not think everything is preordained. A huge script that goes exactly according to plan strikes me as a little boring, things have to be a bit more interesting than that. I believe that we all have free choice at any give instant of existence, everything is wonderfully unscripted and our freedom limitless. Of course we have no proof either way, and either world view is consistent and self-sustaining.

Llamacorral

The paradigm of the “normal” – Defeated by the “normal” – Lessons learned – Dick Wurm – The Santa Cruz trek.
(Map this!)

“Normal.”Usual”. “Average”. I do not like these words. They imply conformity, exerting a gentle pressure on those of us that do not (or cannot) conform. It is epitomized by the “American Dream” – normally, people of our age have a five bedroom house with three cars and two kids. And everyone’s dream is to surpass the “normal”.

Alpamayo, 19,625ft

This paradigm of the “normal” is not restricted to everyday life. It carries over into maverick activities like mountaineering. The “normal” times for completing a trek, for example, are posted everywhere and people try to beat them. “It was a four hour trek but we did it in three”, is a common boast. And we are impressed, even though the beauty of nature should be enjoyed at leisure and not timed like a workout on a stairmaster.

This need to live up to the “normal” has often defeated me. I am fortunate enough to love activities like skiing and trekking in the mountains, but unfortunate enough to not have a natural aptitude for them. I have never been good at sports, and am a particularly slow learner. And if I try to keep up with Shreesh’s pace of hiking, my heart rate shoots up, so that a stroll for Shreesh is a race for me.

Arhuacocha Lake

In 2001 we attempted to climb Aconcagua. I learned a valuable lesson then, that in spite of being in the best possible shape, I could not keep up with the rest of the group. But I learned an even more valuable lesson, from Dick Wurm.

Dick Wurm appeared to be just another member of our group, except for one thing. He managed to summit Aconcagua without the backbreaking exercise schedule that all of us had gone through. And he performed better than most, Ironman notwithstanding. His secret? Experience and pacing. He would climb at his own pace, ignore the peer pressure that everyone else succumbed to – to do a Bataan death march to the next campsite – and would stroll in twenty to forty minutes later, in great shape.

Taullipampa, 14,025ft

When we heard about the Cordillera Blanca in Peru, it was naturally on our itinerary for the trip. To my dismay all the passes were 15,000ft – 16,000ft, the altitude at which I start cratering. So we tried a regimen of proper acclimatization and pacing. A small acclimatization trek upto 16,000ft convinced me that I could do the Santa Cruz trek.

We started the Santa Cruz hike at an altitude of about 9,000ft, then ascended the Santa Cruz valley to our first campsite of 12,500ft. From here we got our first glimpse of the glaciers on the imposing peaks of Cordillera Blanca. The next day, an easy trek up to a height of almost 14,000ft. The peaks of the Cordillera Blanca were all around us now, the imposing Alpamayo, the grand Taulliraju and its neighbor Rinrihirca and the Paria glacier. Dotted around the countryside, the Andean lagoons from the glacial melt, of an impossible turquoise blue. The next day we tackled the Punta Union pass at 15,675ft.

Trail’s end

I had learned from Dick Wurm. I went slowly and refused to pressured by all the hikers cheerfully passing me by. We reached the pass 20 mins after everyone, without puffing or panting. It was almost as strenuous as walking up Pine street in San Francisco.

Glacier, Cerro Pisco

Not an old friend – Large Seracs – Tough hike – Supine form – Dangerous in many ways. (Map this!)

I have a very different relationship with the mountains than I do with the ocean. Having spent much more time in the mountains I have seen first hand their various moods and I am much more respectful of them than the ocean. I would never call a mountain a comfortable old friend – it is far too tempestuous and moody. Mountains are far more beautiful than the ocean, but more deadly. Maybe it is because I became familiar with the ocean as a child, while I was already a sceptical adult when I got to know the mountains. A child finds fascination and wonder in everything while the adult opinion is tempered by the fear of downside risk.

Puya Rayamondi

The Cordillera Blanca in Peru is home to some of the highest mountains in the world outside the Himalaya. At 6769m (22,208ft) Huascaran is the tallest peak and is indicative of the dual nature of this range. In 1970 an earthquake dislodged a massive serac on its flanks that started tumbling towards the village of Yungay. Picking up speed and debris the mass heated up and melted, sending a wall of mud towards the central square. Yungay was wiped the face of the earth, 20,000 lost their lives. Today a lonely palm tree, the sole survivor of the disaster, marks the location of the former town square.

Walking among the giants of the Cordillera Blanca is a similar experience to being in the Himalaya. Large glaciers flow from the summits forming a landscape of terminal moraines and turquoise glacial lakes. Lago 69, at the foot of Chacarajou, emits an ethereal glow of an impossible blue. Hiking is made difficult by having to pass over the glacial till and the uneven boulder fields of past avalanches. The altitude, at times over 16,000 feet does not help much either.

Lago 68

While hiking through an alpine meadow at 14,900 feet we came across a supine form. Cheerfully addressing the supine form we came to know it was a young woman left behind by her companions who were intent on seeing Lago 69. I suggested to her in a tone that did not imply suggestion that she should come down with us and wait for her ‘friends’ at a lower and safer elevation. The best treatment for altitude sickness is a swift and rapid descent. Although she was severely ataxic, luckily she did not show any significant mental defects, other than mild confusion. Neena and I took turns leading her down the mountain path, since she was lurching to and fro like a drunk person, and part of her field of vision was black. It was surprisingly hard work and I worked up quite a sweat. We kept her engaged in conversation as a way to continually gauge her condition.

Alpine Lakes

Turned out that her name was Mor and she was traveling like many Israelis do after they have served in the army. The guide book had said that this was an ‘easy’ trek and she was surprised that she had had such trouble with it. Her condition improved as we descended 1,500 feet – she no longer lurched and her vision had cleared up. At this point her group caught up to us and she made the decision to continue down with them. I felt a little apprehensive about leaving her with those who had dumped her in the first place but that was her choice. At the trail´s end we met her again and she seemed to be doing well.

Arriero	Camp One	Glacier	Refugio Peru

It is surprising how much everyone underestimates the capacity of high mountains to do harm to the human body. One of our co-climbers on Aconcagua had to be evacuated by helicopter at the same elevation where we found Mor. The mountains are beautiful but they can be dangerous in so many ways…

Hostal Colonial,
Trujillo

First impressions – Peruvian paradise – Peruvian hell – Peruvian aesthetic

Strictly speaking, these are not our first impressions of Peru. We visited the Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu and Nazca in 2005 and we loved it. It is hard not to like Peru, it seems to have the best of everything. The rich rainforests of Manu for the birdwatchers and insect lovers, spectacular Inca ruins, with Machu Picchu being the crowning jewel, the jagged peaks of the Cordillera Blanca for the trekkers and climbers and the amazing Nazca lines for, well, everyone.

Chan Chan

Peru is also the food lovers paradise. To me, it is the Japan of South America, with its ceviches unmatched in any other American country. These then, were the reasons why we liked it so much.

We got a slightly different glimpse of Peru this time around. Although having a car has its advantages, it does increase our liability and makes us a bit paranoid. Driving an obviously expensive car (the FJ Cruiser is much more expensive in Central and South America than in the US) draws people’s attention to us. After Guatemala, Peru is probably the most unsafe place we have been to on this trip. Thankfully it does not have military sanctioned car jackings and kidnappings as in Guatemala, but we do have to be more careful around well known tourist locations.

Huaca de Luna

Of the countries that we have visited, Peru is probably one of the poorer nations. And litter seems to accompany poverty. The beautiful roadside scenery is inevitably marred by rubbish. In Trujillo, Shreesh told off a teenager who threw an empty plastic bottle on to the street. Then we noticed people from all walks of life doing it, sweet wrappers, paper napkins were being thrown out on the street by the clientèle of fancy restaurants. Why is it that educated, well to do people do not understand a garbage can? No wonder the country bumpkin was littering.

Cañon de Pato

Corruption seems to be rampant too; we have already been stopped for a donation by the police, albeit very politely and pleasantly. I have often seen policemen taking bribes, but never begging like they do here.

But, in spite of all this, Peru continues to enchant us. The ruins of Chan Chan near Trujillo, the pyramids of the Moche – all display a pleasing sense of aesthetic particular to Peru. I hope to continue enjoying the pleasures that it offers without too much bribery!