Cusco: Temple of the Sun

20 Oct 2017 Leave a comment

by PhoenixKaio in Architecture, Art, Food, Handicraft, History, Markets, Peru, Religion, Symbolism Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

This morning I let Tom sleep in a bit while I worked to catch up on my blogging. Our hostel only gives us free breakfast until 10:30 AM, so when he didn’t show up by 10:10 I started worrying that he was still cocooned in bed. Just after I packed up my gear and got up to wake the sleepyhead, he emerged up the stairs. Pushing it a little close don’t you think babe? Whew!

After a late start, our first stop was Qorikancha, which means gold enclosure (quri kancha) in Quechua. Quechua is an ancient Incan language that is still the most widely spoken language by the indigenous peoples of the Americas. There are about 8-10 million speakers worldwide and 13% of Peruvians speak Quechua. While our guide the previous day mentioned that it is not a formally taught language in school, it is commonly used at home and parents teach their children who continue to keep the language alive with their children. 

On the foundations of the original Qorikancha now rests the Church of Santo Domingo as the Spanish conquistadores demolished the original Incan building to make way for, you guessed it, more Catholic structures. Interestingly enough some of the original Incan masonry remains intact inside, which allows you to see how artful and intricate their stone working skills were.

The walls of the original temple of the sun were once covered in golden sheets, and the courtyard filled with statues. Unfortunately, the Incans themselves were forced to harvest from this richness when the Spanish demanded a gold ransom for the life of the 13th Incan emperor Atahualpa.

After leaving Qorikancha, we stopped by to visit the Centro de Textiles Tradicionales del Cusco (CTTC) right next door. An organization established in 1996 by Andean weavers, it provides a free museum to the public to educate visitors on how the coat of an alpaca, lama, or sheep etc., is made into yarn and than transformed into a final product in the form of bags, clothing, and accessories. It’s main mission is to preserve cusuqueñan textile traditions and support the indigenous artisans. 


We then roamed through the local San Pedro Market before heading back to the Plaza de Armas to visit the Church of the Society of Jesus, once again a religious church (this time Jesuit) built on the remains of a former Incan temple. It is best known for a painting depicting the wedding of Martín García de Loyola, the nephew of Ignatius Loyola to Beatriz, the great-niece of the Inca ruler Tupac Amaru. (Tom was very grateful that no pictures were allowed).

After a brief reprieve in the hostel, we went to Kion, just off the main square to try some Chaufa, the Peruvian version of fried rice. It was very tasty and filling and we were both happy pandas. 🙂
 

We then took an evening stroll through San Blas and were able to successfully locate the infamous twelve angle stone. The stone is carved from diorite and it is the precision and finishing of the fit that make this rock a national heritage object. A passerby mentioned that it was 2 meters deep (about 6.5 ft) and that the 12 angles actually refer to the 12 Royal Incan families, 6 of which lived on the north side of the wall and 6 which lived on the south side. 

P.S. The Qorikancha had a fourteen angle stone! It was cut such that 3 sides of the stone served as the different faces of a door jamb. 

Lima: Spanish Colonialism

16 Oct 2017 Leave a comment

by PhoenixKaio in Architecture, Faith, History, Markets, Peru, Politics, Religion, Travel Tags: , , , , , , ,

Casa Aliaga

Apologies for the delay in my posts. Unfortunately the hostel wifi has been down for two days so I find that I am now having to write some more catch-up articles than usual. Alas!

We slept in a bit today then headed back to the Plaza de Armas downtown so that we could catch the interiors of all the buildings that we were only able to walk past a few days ago. (Although some of them required special reservations and therefore we had to forgoe them)

Torre Tagle Palace

Thankfully Tom is more than happy to go along with my efficiently planned walking routes! Part of our exploring involved walking past the Parliament Building, admiring the exteriors of both Casa Aliaga and the Torre Tagle Palace, and wandering through the stalls of the Central Market throughout the day. Frankly I would have loved to visit both Casa Aliaga and the Torre Tagle Palace as the interior decor and detailing is said to be phenomenal but it seems that they can only be visited if you arrange to be in an official tour group which is just not our cup of tea. 

Amid all these random stops we also visited the San Francisco Catacombs (No pictures allowed boo-hoo!) Interesting fact: they mixed eggshells into the mortar they used to bind the bricks together and somehow, despite a multitude of earthquakes, the catacombs have still managed to escape unscathed.

After a very brief lunch break for pizza and and Inca Kola, the only soda that Coca-Cola could not successfully best (at least until a joint venture was established in 1999), we managed to fit in the Archbishop’s Palace, and the Lima Cathedral, the final resting place of Francisco Pizzaro. It still amazes me how much time and investment that the clergy seem to have made in the adornments of the various altars and religious iconography.

We then sat on the steps for a little bit of sun and relaxation before rendezvousing for our afternoon Barranco neighborhood tour.

Lima: City of Kings

14 Oct 2017 Leave a comment

by PhoenixKaio in Food, Markets, Peru, Politics, Travel Tags: , , , , , ,

After a quick breakfast this morning, we hopped across the park to withdraw Peruvian soles. Despite online sources stating that US dollars were widely accepted in Lima, I’ve found that carrying the local currency always works to your benefit. (And something any international traveler should practice). We then used our newly acquired soles to….you guessed it! Grab our lattes! ^_^

After savoring our daily caffeine, we joined a free walking tour to downtown Lima. I, myself, am still on the fence about walking tours, but since Lima’s public transportation was confusing to us first-timers, and the taxis questionable at best, we decided that this was the best way to dip our toes in. 

On our way to grab a Metropolitano Bus we stopped by the local market for some free wandering time and tried some Aguaymantos from a vendor. (#1 below) It’s a fruit native to the high altitude regions of Peru, and is commonly known as a Peruvian Cherry or Cape Gooseberry. It grows inside a paper-like shell which had to be folded back to access the fruit.  The flavor was akin to that of a sour orange with the texture of a cherry. It was quite interesting and unexpected. 

I really love visiting local markets because they are always humming with life, expansive flavor options, and vibrant colors.

It took us about 30 mins to ride the bus downtown. And I cannot sing enough praises about how well-designed and efficient their system is.  The buses have designated lanes going in each direction in the center of the main streets that are completely isolated from local traffic. This means that the buses don’t get backed up by traffics or accidents and are able to run continuously without delay. I wish Houston would take some notes! (In Houston, the metrobuses share a carpool lane with public traffic, and it is only one lane that switches directionality depending on the time of day. Basically if some idiot has an accident, you are not any better off in a bus than a car when it comes to sitting still).


Our first stop was Plaza San Martín. It is a square designated to José de San Martín, the man celebrated as being the original, and first, Protector of Peru. José is seen as the prime leader behind southern South America’s struggle for independence from Spain and is seen as a national hero by both Peru, and his country of birth, Argentina. The statue we are standing in front of is his, and the lady below has a llama on her head. It’s a bit of a pun really, since llama means both Llama and Fire in Peru. 😂

Travel: Beach Bummage 

03 Jan 2015 Leave a comment

by PhoenixKaio in Fashion, Food, Handicraft, India, Markets, Music, Travel Tags: , , , , , , ,

I have nothing of consequence to note. Haha. As much as I love the backpacking culture of seeing and experiencing as much as possible within a limited timeframe I’d be lying if I didn’t say that it is EXHAUSTING. Traipsing around Central and Southern India with a friend that was native born-and-raised in Bombay has been uniquely authentic, but I am due for some serious R&R!

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The exciting think about today is that a group of us from the hostel spent the evening exploring the Arpora Night Market. For me, it was very remniscient of Taiwan’s night markets, with stalls offering anything you could possibly want, in addition to the quintessential souvenirs.

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The market sprawls over a large outdoor are and is only active and open during the main tourist season. Divided into a Lower, Central, and Upper Field, it is difficult not to get lost and overwhelmed by the crowds.

We browsed everything from traditional handicrafts to huge assortments of spices and teas. There were booths after booths brimming with Kashmiri carpets, Pashmina scarves, silver jewelry, and unique art creations. You name it and you can find it! There is also a food court centered around a stage that hosts an array of live music from Rock to Indian Classical.

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I was both overwhelmed and in awe. It is impossible to miss the fervor in the air, and although similar to previous night markets I experienced as a child, the Arpora Night Market had its own distinctive character. It offered the diversity of a global experience without overshadowing the unmistakeable hints of a typical Indian Bazaar.