PERU AND BOLIVIA
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The Andes are the longest
mountain chain in the world and are second in height only to the Himalayas in
Asia. The Andes stretch the full length
of the Pacific coast of South America, from Colombia to the southern fringe of
Chile. This narrative will focus
primarily upon Perú, a country that called home for almost a year while
teaching English, but will also browse landlocked Bolivia.
Perú is my favorite place in the entire world, in part due its incredible physical geography. The Pacific littoral is home to one of the driest deserts in the world. The following image is of the famous Nazca Lines, which were “drawn” in the desert some 5,000 years ago. No one has yet to explain how people could have made such geometric designs with such precision without the assistance of aerial reconnaissance.
The Peruvian desert is so dry
that pre-Incan peoples often would not bury their dead but allow them to slowly
decompose over centuries in the arid landscape. The desiccated mummies seen in the following photo are estimated
to be 1,700 years old.
As you proceed into the interior
of Perú you hit the massive front wall of the Andes, with many peaks towering
over 20,000 feet. The following image
is from near the summit of Nevado Huayna Potosí (19,769 feet) in neighboring
Bolivia.
An intermontaine plateau
called the Altiplano, which straddles the border of Perú and Bolivia, anchors
the interior of the Andes. This cold
and windswept place is home to the highest body of water in the world, Lake
Titicaca, the mythical birthplace of the Incan Empire. There are several “floating” islands on Lake
Titicaca crafted from the reeds that line the edges of the lake. The following image is taken from the
shoreline of one of these many islands and features a boat also made from the
same material.
The people of Perú and Bolivia are of mixed Amerindian and Spanish descent. The coastal populations tend to be more Hispanic, while the highlands remain more pure Amerindian stock. The same holds true for other cultural patterns, with the lowlands decidedly European in their cultural attributes and the highlands decidedly indigenous. The Spanish language and Catholic Church are not widely recognized in the high Andes.
In the heart of the high Andes is the city of Cuzco. The seat of the Incan Empire, Cuzco was sacked in 1532 by the Spanish, who moved the seat of their empire to the coast. Cuzco is quite well preserved and today is a major tourist attraction. The following photo is from the main plaza in the center of Cuzco. The Spanish razed Incan palaces and built Catholic churches atop their foundations.
Cuzco is also the gateway city to Machu
Picchu, unquestionably the most famous archaeological site in all of South
America. The site is found in the
remote eastern slopes of the Andes as they recede into the Amazonian lowlands,
and was so well hidden that the Spanish were never able to find it. A team of Peruvian and American
archaeologists rediscovered it in 1911 and today it is the most visited
attraction in all of Perú.
Almost all international flights will arrive in Lima,
the capital. Many of these flights
arrive early in the morning so that travelers can immediately change to a Cuzco
flight. Many visitors will also fly into
La Paz, the capital of Bolivia, and make their way overland into Perú. Internal travel in Peru varies from easy
along the coast to rather rough in the interior. Bus is the primary mode of travel. There is also a limited train service. Most people opt to fly to Cuzco.
A train connects the city to the ruins of Machu Picchu.
Security was once a concern in Perú during the
1980’s, but the political instability found in the highlands has started to
fade, and with it, the violence.
Violent crime against tourists is rare, but basic precautions should be
taken. Few people speak English; so a
fundamental grasp of Spanish is necessary to facilitate travel.
This final photo is of the national symbol of Perú --
the Andean condor, flying freely on the thermal updrafts of late morning.
