Sendero Luminoso

In Perú, 1980 through 2000 is remembered as the years of terror. A Maoist communist group called the Sendero Luminoso, committed to violence to achieve their political goals, caused the destruction of many in Huancavelica and Ayacucho states, Perú’s poorest. The twenty years of conflict between the Senderistas and the Peruvian military ravaged remote, high Andean villages. The violence was so bad, even people in the US had heard of the Shining Path.

The official report is that around 70,000 people, mostly poor, rural villagers, died or “disappeared” during the war. The truth is probably much higher. The Senderistas murdered any one they believed was helping the government. The military killed any one they thought was helping the Senderistas. Many children saw their parents ripped from them and slaughtered. Women were abused and raped. Both sided were vicious and the innocent were the most common victim.

If you could, you ran. To Lima and the new communities exploding on the periphery of the capital. To Huancayo, the biggest city in the central Andes. Or, if too poor, the women at least tried to get to Huancavelica city. That’s what brought the women of El Mercurio to Huancavelica from their community of Santa Barbara. Fleeing the violence, they settled on the edge of town.

But even moving to Huancavelica city didn’t ensure safety. My host mom has told me about how each morning, people had to go claim their dead relatives at a specific location. Only after the heavy (and lethal) hand of the Fujimori government at the start of the 2000s was there an end to the extreme violence.

Unfortunately, the problems that ignited the years of terror persist. People living in the country-side still carry on with no running water or electricity. Their children still struggle to be educated. The poverty still exists. As does the anger. Recently, the Shining Path has encouraged violent conflict again; thankfully, not in Huancavelica. But the question is, this time, will the government address the root causes of discontent, or will they resort to fighting terror with horror?

Click here for an interesting post about the years of violence by a friend who was recently living in Ayacucho.

Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu from the Sun Gate

Machu Picchu. What can I say? After all, it was designated one of the new Seven Wonders of the World for a reason.

We entered Machu Picchu from the Inca Trail via the Sun Gate where we were able to watch the day dawn over this royal Incan city built in the 1400s.

Classic View

After depositing our packs, we had a group tour of the site. We quickly learned to recognize the difference between the unimportant homes with mortar between the rocks and the religiously significant buildings with perfectly fitted stones. The mystical city gracefully caps the outcrop of a mountain and commands an impressive view of the surrounding peaks.

In the 1500s, when the Spanish were conquering the Incan Empire, they never found Machu Picchu. Over time, the jungle grew up around it and the site was only known to locals. In 1911, an American was out hunting for legendary Incan ruins and stumbled upon Machu Picchu. There are still many mysteries enveloping this culture that lacked a written language, which adds to the fun of discovering places like Machu Picchu for yourself.

With Hannah and Sean

Camino Inka

On May 7th, bright and early, I began an adventure I have been dreaming about since middle school. My four days and 26 miles on the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu didn’t disappoint.

Hannah, Sean and I went with Peru Treks, a great tour operator that put us in a group with 13 other travelers, all currently living in the US and incredibly awesome.

The group at the start of the Inca Trail

Day 1 was our training day. We hiked 7 miles at a (more or less) steady altitude of around 9,000 feet. Our guides gave us an introduction to Incan culture that included visits to Inca check-points along the path and a tutorial in chewing coca leaves to combat altitude sickness. Because the day wasn’t terribly strenuous, it provided an opportunity to get to know the other hikers in our group.

Day 2 started at 10,000 feet, crested six hours later at 13,776 feet, and after a fairly straight drop down lots of stairs, ended at 11,500 feet covering another 7 miles. Aside from the accomplishment of surviving the toughest day, the best part was the popcorn snack we had half way up the mountain.

Straight down

The morning of day 3, I weighed my pack. We could have hired a porter to carry some of our things to lighten the load, but the 3 of us chose to haul all our own stuff; ~30 pounds worth. During the day, we crossed through two more mountain passes and climbed more steps than I care to remember. On day 3 we hiked 9 miles through the lush, jungly landscape. That night we had an after dinner party to celebrate our success.

At 3:40 am, I awoke to day 4; the day we would realize the goal of all our toil. This day begins super early for two reasons: 1) to allow the 17 porters and cook for our group to make the early train back to their communities and 2) to make sure we arrived at the Sun Gate (3 miles away) early enough to see the morning dawn on Machu Picchu. It was worth it.

With Sean and Hannah

Probably the hardest part of hiking the trail, for me, was sleeping. I rented a mummy sleeping bag from Peru Treks and they provided a sleeping mat, but I just couldn’t get comfortable. The toilets were another source of adventure, but I survived them too.

The best part of it all was who I did it with. Hannah, Sean and I had an excellent experience none of us will forget, and it was made all the better because we did it together. Added to that was the enthusiasm of the other hikers, our guides and our porters. We encouraged each other from the beginning and laughed together quite a bit throughout. I met awesome people, I learned a bunch and I pushed myself – all good things.

The Inca Trail certainly wasn’t easy, but the reward is in the challenge.

Cuzco

Plaza de Armas, Cuzco

Ever since I found out that I would have a week of vacation in May, I’ve been excited. May is a great month for visiting Cusco and the surrounding wonders. I spent three days wandering around the city, drinking in its unique architecture. Many of the buildings in the historical center are a fusion of Incan Empire and Spanish Colonial.

Spanish building on Incan foundation

Admittedly, I mostly just walked around with my fellow YAVs, Sean and Hannah, and ate as much as possible. Since we have been living here for over eight months now, our goal was to not eat Peruvian food. That translated into Italian. The most delicious place we tried was La Bodega 138 (Herrajes 138, near the wall with the 12-sided stone). My pizza was magnificent, and I know pizza.

Day in the Life: Vilma

That’s my host mom, Vilma, as I normally see her – multitasking. She has just gotten to the house from work to heat up the lunch she prepared that morning while talking business on the phone.

A mother of three, she values the family sitting down to a homemade lunch together every day. Vilma keeps up with the boys’ school work and worries about what her daughter will do after college. She dreams big both for them and herself.

Currently, Vilma is working for a non-profit, non-government organization in Huancavelica called Sisay, flower in Quechua. She manages projects and makes frequent visits to the rural communities around the state. But she desires to be her own boss one day. To that end, she is considering obtaining a master’s degree. Vilma reminds me of a lot of women I know back home.

Traditional vs. Modern

Two girls in Chivay, Arequipa, Perú.

Word

My favorite Spanish word:

Semáforo

Don’t ask me why, I just adore saying it.  In Huancavelica, we have about a half dozen intersections with semáforos (though not all are operational).