The Apple Doesn't Fall Far From the Tree...

This post is dedicated to my parents; two of the coolest people I know and my best and oldest friends. The two who raised me, who taught me to be outside when the sun is shining, to not answer phone calls during meals, to always offer to do the dishes when a guest in someone’s house. Yes, this special pair deserves a post on their own, for it is their legacy, their amalgamation of forces in the universe 30 years ago in Cuzco that made my very existence possible and inspired my recent trip to Peru. They taught me to open up my arms and heart to the world, to indulge in her tastes and smells and cultures, and to always follow my nose. And the seed they planted in me has sprouted a deep love for adventure, and for that I’m eternally grateful. Thanks guys.


I can just picture it now: my father, a strapping 30 year old man stopped in his tracks by the slender and confident blonde. They would sit along side one another on the train to Aguas Calientes and he would offer her one of the bananas he’d bought at the central market earlier that day. She would enamor him with her cool poise, broken English and radiant smile. They would hike Machu Picchu and fill up on ancient energy and the fresh, cool air that is so unique to the Andean high-lands. Perhaps it was the altitude, or too many Pisco Sours, or simply the power of an initial attraction, but whatever it was they decided to each abandon their respective plans and forge a new path together. I suppose it seems fitting that such a dramatic country would set the stage for three decades of marriage. The mixture of hot and cold, dryness and humidity, desolate Andes and thriving jungle is symbolically representative of two beings whose acute differences compliment each other and strengthen their overall union ("the whole is greater than the some of its parts"). I wonder sometimes if it could have occurred to either of them when they met that first night in Cuzco that they would lead a life together and raise 3 kids together. Could mom have possibly imagined what she was signing up for when she agreed to sell her train ticket and travel the Amazon with this stranger? That in a matter of months she would give up her apartment and café in Germany to start a new life in the United States? Did she know that she would drop routes in Northampton, MA, raise her children Jewish, and (by obligation if not will) become a life-long Red Sox fan? I wonder if dad had an instinct that this lady could become the mother of his children. Could he have possibly understood, that first night, that he’d be getting the most beautiful, wonderful, intelligent and dynamic woman on the planet? How could they have known. At the time it was simply an adventure, a leap of faith.... but I must say, gracias a dios for it.


I imagine the Cuzco I got to experience is quite different today than it was in 1980. Much of the local way of life has been hampered by mass tourism, commerce and consumerism - all of which have increased exponentially in recent decades. Downtown Cuzco is a dizzying array of hotels, restaurants, tour companies and artisan shops. I found it a bit sad, though not surprising, that indigenous families sit on street corners and charge tourists to take their picture (can you blame them?), every archeological site is full of craft-sellers and tourist-hagglers, and Machu Picchu is teaming with tour guides and international back-packers. But to expect anything else would be naive and romantic. This is the 21st century and a place as magical and historically rich as Peru can’t possibly exist without thousands of people, like myself, curious to explore that magic and history. It’s mind-boggling, really, to think that just a century ago Machu Picchu - the cradle of Inca civilization - was “discovered” by Yale historian Hiram Bingham. Even more shocking is that the Spaniards managed to bring down such a rich and extensive civilization centuries before that (unless, of course, theories are correct that suggest the empire was already crumbling from within and the European conquistadores only added the finishing touches). The Incas were brilliant architects and their domain spread from southern Colombia to Chile, including parts of Argentina, Bolivia, and Ecuador. Although they were predominantly a mountain-dwelling people, the Incas developed trade routes leading to the jungle and the coastlines. The coca leaf, for instance, famous for helping combat altitude sickness and aid digestion, was chewed by Incas but originally comes from the Amazon lowlands.
Not long ago a group of archeologists discovered that Inca rulers in Cuzco had a diet consisting of fresh fish from the ocean. This was a marvelous fact since at the time obviously no form of rapid transportation existed between the mountains and the coast. Cuzco is an inland city at an altitude of 12,000+ feet about sea level. As it turns out, the Incas had established a sophisticated set of checkpoints along a trail from Cusco to the sea, with ‘stations’ every 20 miles or so. An obviously very fit athlete would take fresh fish from the ocean and sprint with it 20 km to the first checkpoint, where it would be handed off to another runner who would carry it on to the next. The fish would be passed along in spurts until it reached the Inca in his Sacred Valley. Symbols of wealth never die: today the rich and powerful eat fancy foods from across the world; in the days of the Incas, they got hand-delivered seafood.


Despite the inevitable effects of globalization that have altered Cuzco for better or for worse, Inca history is omnipresent: it’s in the faces of the people, the taste of the food (chicha corn beer and quinoa are staples of Peruvian diet) and is what characterizes the landscape. Indigenous people still speak Quechua and practice traditional agriculture. Scattered ruins fill the Sacred Valley with remnants of once bustling temples and ceremonial buildings. Cuzco is surrounded by drastic mountains and steep hills, many still marked by ancient techniques for growing potatoes and corn. Crops were planted on step-like beds of soil along the side of a mountain so that different altitudes would be conducive to growing slightly different types of potatoes.


After living 1.5 years in Medellín where bumping into tourists is still relatively unusual, it was surprising to be in a much more touristy place. Colombia still hasn’t made the cut for many South American backpackers due to its dangerous reputation. Peru, on the other hand, and esp Cuzco due to its proximity to Machu Picchu, is probably on the top of most travelers To Do lists when touring the continent. Perhaps for this reason I found it more difficult to connect with people and break the invisible boundaries between local and foreigner, whose most common relationship is defined, in one way or another, as seller and buyer. Folks seemed to me to be a bit exhausted and annoyed by the endless slue of visitors inhabiting their city, but who can blame them.


Overall, I left Peru in awe and admiration for the incredibly rich history that has shaped the country and its people. I feel like there is so much to see and do in Peru (visit lake Titicaca, fly over the Nazca lines, eat Ceviche and rumba in Lima, hike ruins along northern coast, take a boat from Puerto Maldonado and explore the Amazon... to name a few) and my 10 day trip was just enough to wet my appetite. If I ever get the opportunity to go back, I’d do it in a heartbeat.