Catt-Trax 2 - Peru

January 7, 2007 – Machu Picchu to Cusco – The Case of the Disappearing Camera

Danny Catt — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 11:54:57 -0800

Machu Picchu at Dawn

I was up at 5am to see if I could get up to Machu Picchu to watch the sun rise… but alas, when I stepped outside and looked up at the peaks above Aguas Calientes the clouds were thick and it was raining heavily. Weather changes though so I decided to make my way up to the site in hopes that the skies would clear.

The fog was thick when I got to the first viewpoint but it was warm and I was comfortable. It is not often you can relax and spend time taking in such a special place so I decided to plop myself down and just take it all in for awhile.

Thick Morning Fog

It was a quiet, calming experience … at least for an hour or so… until the groups of trekkers from the Inca Trail started to arrive. Because of the huge demand to hike the trail, and the damage and overcrowding that was occurring, independent trekking was banned in 2001 and in 2002 new rules were put in place to regulate trail use.

Rules include:
- trail hikers must trek with a registered guide
- group size is limited to 16, with one guide per 10 hikers
- and no more than 500 hikers are permitted to start the trek each day

Hikers on the Inca Trail Arriving at Machu Picchu

It takes 4 days to do the Inca Trail so there are at any one time (in the height of the busy season from May to August) as many as 2000 hikers doing the trek. Other popular hiking and trekking areas have had to put visitor management strategies in place. In British Columbia for example, if you want to hike the West Coast Trail in Pacific Rim National Park on Vancouver Island, spots are limited so you must pay a fee and book a spot far in advance. The Bowron Lake chain (a very popular canoeing circuit in BC) in Bowron Lake Provincial Park is another example where high demand has necessitated a visitor management strategy.

At Machu Picchu though it certainly makes sense. Not only is it the highest profile archaeological site in South America, it is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site which means it has international significance. If you want to learn more about World Heritage Sites you can check out the UNESCO website at: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/

Here are a few questions for BCIT FWR students to ponder:
1. What does UNESCO stand for?
2. How many World Heritage Sites does Canada have?
3. Do we have a World Heritage Site in British Columbia? If so, what are they (or what is it)?

You can find the answers at the above website, or you can click on a page on the Parks Canada website which also has the information:
http://www.pc.gc.ca/progs/spm-whs/itm2-/site13_E.asp

The fog eventually lifted and I was treated once again to sunshine and great views of the site. I decided to climb to the top of the peak in behind Machu Picchu, called Huayna Picchu. It is steep… and on a hot day can take a lot out of you… but the view from the top is certainly worth the effort!

I was planning on putting a short video clip here… so keep your eyes on this spot. I am still learning the editing process, so it may take me a bit of time.

Train Back to Cusco

I made it down to Aguas Calientes in time to board my train to Cusco. Peru is an amazing country with diverse landscapes and wildlife, outstanding archaeological sites, and very friendly people but one of the things that the guidebooks tell you is that some partsof Peru are not always safe and to be careful with your property at all times. Lima in particular is famous for robbery and tourists of course are a prime target. Friends back home reminded me to keep my belongings hidden as best as possible but when you have an armful of camera gear it can be tough. I keep a number of key items in my LowePro padded hip pack and I also have an old ratty day pack that I put my camera stuff in when I am traveling in an area that may not be 100% safe.

The views from the train on the way back were as fabulous as those heading towards Machu Picchu. This time though I was going all the way back to Cusco. The train arrived in the outskirts of the city after dark which meant that we could get a wonderful panoramic view of the city at night. In fact due to the steep topography the train has to zigzag its way down into the city train station. This meant that we had the great view of the city for close to half an hour as the train moved slowly downward back and forth, back an forth. I was tempted to try to take a photo of the city with the churches all lit up by floodlights, but the train was moving, the light was way too low, and there was a train window to deal with (you can occasionally get some very nice photos shooting directly through glass… but in this case it would not have worked). So… I decided to just take in the sights and store them in my memory banks rather than on film (or a digital sensor in this case). But… a young traveler decided to offer to take a picture for his female travel companion and as the train zigzagged its way past a perfect view location he slid open the small window above the main window and stuck his friend’s camera outside to avoid the reflection of the glass. And then it happened. In a split second, a body leapt up from beside the tracks and grabbed the camera from his hand. A camera that was not even his!

The thieves must wait outside in the dark, poised and ready for that one opportunity. From outside the train they can see the passengers inside (as the train car is lit up with lights) but the passengers cannot see much of anything outside… just black, other than the lights that light up the city. I have no idea how often this camera-stealing system works… but in this case it did… and a $500 camera was gone in a flash. One of the train staff did say that it has happened a few times before. Lesson for the day? Keep your camera inside a moving train!

January 6, 2007 – Machu Picchu

Danny Catt — Sun, 14 Jan 2007 23:31:31 -0800

The Lost City of the Incas, Machu Picchu

For many visitors to South America, one of their primary goals is to visit the Lost City of the Incas – also known as Machu Picchu. I too was very keen to see the hidden city perched high amongst the Andean cloud forest and so I ensured I gave myself a day or two to visit South America’s most famous archaeological site. I am not much of an historian, so I was a little surprised to learn that the Incan Empire was relatively short-lived (about 1440 to 1532) and also in a time period more recent than I had imagined. Being a curious sort… I wanted to find out what else was happening on the planet when the Incas were in their prime so I did a bit of research. Some key world events that occurred during the height of the Incan Empire in South America include the following (selected from the World History website at http://timelines.ws):

c1440: Leif Eriksson drew a map of America about this time.

1451: Christopher Columbus, was born in Genoa.

1452: Apr 15, Leonardo da Vinci, Italian painter, sculptor, scientist and visionary, was born in Vinci near Florence.

1457: King James II of Scotland (James of the Fiery Face) banned "Futeball" on the grounds that it threatened national defense by drawing young men away from archery practice. He banned "Golfe" for the same reason.

1460-1470: Machu Pichu was built under the Inca King Pachacuti in the Peruvian Andes. It was occupied for about 50 years before 180 Spanish conquistadors wiped out a 40,000-man Inca army.

c1470: The Quechua-speaking Incas came to dominate what is now Bolivia a mere 75 years before the Spaniards arrived.

1473: The astronomer Copernicus (1473-1543) was born in Torun, Poland. It was Copernicus who spread the theory that the earth and the planets move around the sun (a very new and controversial idea at that time).

1473: The game of golf was played in Scotland at the old course at St. Andrews.

1475: British fishermen lost access to fishing grounds off Iceland due to a war in Europe. The cod catch did not go down and it is presumed that they had discovered the cod-rich waters off Newfoundland, whose discovery was later attributed to John Cabot.

1480: The Spanish Inquisition was introduced by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain.

1491: Henry VIII, King of England (1509-1547) and founder of the Church of England, was born at Greenwich.

1492: Christopher Columbus, set sail from the port of Palos, in southern Spain and headed for Cipangu, i.e. Japan. The voyage took him to the present-day Americas. His squadron consisted of three small ships, the Santa Maria, the Pinta, and the Nina.

1492: Nov 15, Christopher Columbus noted the 1st recorded reference to tobacco.

1492: Leonardo da Vinci drew a flying machine.

1493: Jan 9, Christopher Columbus 1st sighted manatees.

1494: The earliest report of Scots making whiskey was made.

c1495: The 500-year-old body of a young Inca girl was found frozen near the summit of Mt. Ampato, Peru, by American archeologist Johan Reinhard in 1995.

1495-1498: Leonardo da Vinci worked on "The Last Supper" in Milan under commission for Duke Ludovico Sforza.

1496: English King Henry VII hired John Cabot (Giovanni Caboto) to explore.

1496-1497: Michelangelo sculpted "Bacchus," considered his first masterpiece.

1497: Jun 24, Italian explorer John Cabot (1450-1498?), (aka Giovanni Caboto), on a voyage for England, landed in North America on what is now Newfoundland or the northern Cape Breton Island in Canada. He claimed the new land for King Henry VII. He documented the abundance of fish off the Grand Banks from Cape Cod to Labrador.

1497: In Scotland the Declaration of Education Act required children to go to school.

1498: Toothbrush was invented. In China the first toothbrushes with hog bristles began to show up. Hog bristle brushes remained the best until the invention of nylon.

1503: Leonardo Da Vinci began painting the "Mona Lisa."

1509: Henry VIII was crowned king of England.

1510: Sunflowers from America were introduced by the Spaniards into Europe.

1512: Michelangelo's paintings on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel were completed and first exhibited to the public.

1512: Newfoundland cod banks were exploited by fisherman from England, France, Portugal and Holland, who sent the dried catch back to Europe.

1515: Spanish conquistadores founded Havana, Cuba.

1516: The first published account of the discovery of North America appeared in "De Rebus Oceanicus et Novo Orbe" by the Italian historian Peter Martyr.

1520: Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan reached the Pacific Ocean after passing through the South American strait, the straits of Magellan and entered the "Sea of the South." He was first European explorer to reach the Pacific Ocean from the Atlantic by sailing through the dangerous straits below South America that now bear his name.

1523: Sugar was grown in Cuba for the first time.

1531: Haley’s comet caused panic in many parts of the world.

1532: Spanish conquistadores reached the high valley of the Andes. Pizzaro entered Cuzco, Inca capital of Peru.

1534: Jacques Cartier reached Newfoundland, discovered Prince Edward island and became the first man to sail into the mouth of the St. Lawrence River.

So while Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci were creating masterpieces in Europe, and Scots were sipping on whiskey while playing a round of golf at St. Andrews and while explorers such as Christopher Columbus and John Cabot were exploring new worlds, the Inca were expanding their South American empire. From their main stronghold at present day Cusco (also spelled Cuzco) the Inca built trails that connected their Andean centres north through Ecuador to Colombia, south to Chile and Argentina, westward to the Pacific Ocean and eastward into the jungles of no return – the mighty Amazon basin. And yet, with the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors, the less than 100 year dominance of the Incas… ended quickly. On August 28, 1533, Atahualpa, the last of the Inca rulers was executed by order of Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro. The Inca empire died with him.

Cusco to Machu Picchu Train

From Ollantaytambo, I joined one of the three or four daily trains that connect Cusco with Aguas Calientes, the town at the base of Machu Picchu. It was an amazing ride on a comfortable modern train (filled with tourists… not just from outside Peru, but with many Peruvians as well!). The train followed the valley of the Urubamba River and as we got closer to Machu Picchu the landscape changed with every curve of the tracks… the patterned patch-work of agricultural lands were slowly replaced by spectacular native forest on the steep valley walls. I even caught glimpses of small flocks of parrots cruising above the canopy as well as ducks in the river (likely torrent ducks). The mighty Urubamba was raging which just emphasized again that during the wet season it is not to be messed with!

Steep Valley Walls of the Urubamba River

With a full train of tourists and at least two other full train loads of tourists already in Aguas Calientes ahead of me… as well as hundreds of hikers arriving at Macchu Pichu via the Inca Trail each day, I was quite curious to experience how the logistics worked for the actual visit to the archaeological site because the number of visitors per day is staggering… over 2000 people per day!

When the train pulled in to Aguas Calientes there was a chaotic yet somewhat organized process to get yourself from the train station and onto a bus up to Machu Picchu. The best thing to do is simply follow everyone else. Once you leave the station, there are a couple of dozen ‘hostal or hotel’ representatives waiting for your luggage (which you entrust to them) and continue en masse along the cattle track (ensuring to hang on tight to your camera gear). You then make your way through a maze of trinket and textile sellers to get on one of the non-stop busses that weave their way up the 8 km of road uphill to the site. I had not done much research and was worried that I might miss ‘my bus’… but alas, that is not an issue. Each bus leaves when full, and you simply get in line, show your ticket and away you go. At the top of the switch-backed road you get off and wait to hear your name being called (if you booked a tour) and then get in line with the other folks and your guide takes over from there. If you go without a guide you may miss some of the fascinating history of Machu Picchu unless of course you bring a field guide along with you (and there are many of those… so you can make your choice accordingly).

I had the good fortune of seeing Machu Picchu in rain, sun and fog. It is a place you just have to see for yourself.

Machu Picchu in Rain

Machu Picchu in Sun

Machu Picchu in Fog

Jan 5, Mountain Biking in the Patacancha River Valley

Danny Catt — Mon, 08 Jan 2007 22:19:34 -0800

A good friend of mine runs an adventure travel (or multi-sport) operation out of Vancouver called BikeHike Adventures. When I told her I was going to travel independently in Peru for a couple of weeks, she told me that one of the best ways to see the landscape, meet the local people and get some exercise at the same time is to either bike or hike! I didn’t have time to do the full Inca Trail (which you can hike) but I did have time to do some biking! So early this morning a young fellow came to the hotel and asked if I was ‘ready to go mountain biking’? I wasn’t quite sure how the day was going to pan out (was I going to have to bike UP and then bike back DOWN?) … but I was prepared for anything and keen to go with the flow. My guide, Docty, is an experienced mountain bike guide as well as an Inca Trail guide and it was a pleasure to have some one on one time with someone from the area.

Patacacha River Valley, Peru

Docty lives in Cusco, studied engineering at university, but has returned to do studies in tourism as that is his passion. Both his father and one of his brother’s are engineers, so that is why he followed that academic path… but figures he is now on the right track with tourism.

As I soon found out, the day was not exclusively a mountain biking day… and the plan was NOT to ride up the mountain (phew!!) … but instead drive up a reasonable distance and then ride down the mountain (right on!!).

En route we bumped into a procession of locals heading into the big town (relatively speaking) of Ollantaytambo (population 2000). Over 90% of Peruvians are Roman Catholic and the group was escorting into town a small statue of baby Jesus in preparation for a celebration the next day.

Procession in Patacancha River Valley, Peru

The group, who were from one of the small villages up in the mountains, were very pleasant and insisted I take a picture of the baby Jesus sheltered in a glass case. They even washed the glass and opened the case for me to be able to get a clear photograph! Once my shutter was released, the glass door was shut and the procession continued to town.

Baby Jesus Statue, Patacancha, Peru

We drove up the Patacancha valley to an elevation of almost 14,000 feet (what is that in metres?) where we visited some of the locals, and were given the opportunity to see how they live. I had a brief glimpse inside a small, dark cicular hut, which was home for two people (a mother and daughter). It was windy and cool, and the living conditions seemed challenging (to say the least) but we were greeting with smiles and generosity. It was a fabulous opportunity to observe the local customs (weaving for example) and gain an appreciation for the rich local culture.

Young Girl in Her Home, Patacancha River Valley, Peru

After our visit we took our bikes off the roof of the vehicle and started our descent. I couldn’t help but stop every couple of hundred metres as there was so much to see (and photograph!). I watched a young boy catch a trout from the Patacancha River, while across the valley I could see a few women whipping their laundry against the rocks to smack out the dirt and grime. We passed two or three small rainbow trout farms and we even stopped in a small village where the local shaman performed a coca-leaf ceremony for me.

I was very pleased to have the blessing of the local shaman who told me (after reading the coca-leaves) that my journey would be successful, that I would have to work hard, and that I would be lucky in both my work and in matters of the heart. He did though tell me that I had to be careful with my health… and in particular with what I ate. Good advice!

Our close to 4000 foot descent under clear sunny skies ended in early afternoon. Time for me to try to do a bit of writing and photo downloading.

Another night in Ollantaytambo. On to Macchu Pichu tomorrow!

January 4, 2007 – Sacred Valley, Peru

Danny Catt — Mon, 08 Jan 2007 22:05:42 -0800

I packed up my things once again and was off fairly early for a visit to the Sacred Valley of the Incas, and the very same valley that has been carved over the millennia by the raging Urubamba River. The Urubamba is one of Peru’s most famous whitewater rafting rivers … but at this time of year (the wet season) the water is a rich coffee brown, loaded with silt, and the river’s volume is so high that it is virtually un-runnable by even rafts! The valley itself though is green and fertile and as a result is filled with agricultural fields growing corn and potatoes, which are two of the main foods for the locals.

Urubamba River Valley

Two main stops for tours in the Sacred Valley, from primarily an archaeological perspective, are Pisac and Ollantaytambo. Our first stop was Pisac, where there is an Inca fortress situated high up on a plateau overlooking the valley and the village below. Rather than go to the archaeological site though we visited the famous Pisac market (which to be honest was my preference). Wandering through and poking around in local markets, seeing what is for sale (and perhaps buying a few small items), and who is selling it, is something I love to do.

Pisac Market Products, Pisac, Peru

I also enjoy photographing in markets, and when taking photos of people I always like to ask permission first. As a result I often end up ‘negotiating’ a photo to go along with a small purchase. One of the women in the market did quite well by me… as I think I paid the highest price ever for a hand-woven belt. She was pleased … but so was I!

Weaver at Pisac Market, Peru

In the afternoon we visited the famous fortress of Ollantaytambo (I finally figured out how to pronounce it!!). Ollantaytambo’s claim to fame is that it was where the Inca defeated the Spanish Conquistadors in a battle. This rarely happened, and unfortunately the victory was short lived. The Spanish simply came back with more men and eventually were victorious. The site though is remarkable and is said to be one of the best surviving examples of Inca city planning with narrow cobblestone streets that have been inhabited consistently since the 13th century!! Do you think the streets of Vancouver or Burnaby would last for 800 or more years? Hmmm, I am guessing not!

I had a nice rainbow trout meal with asparagus soup, and washed down with a cup of coca-leaf tea. Most of the rainbow trout sold in the restaurants are farmed trout ‘grown’ in small pools high up in the mountains. These family operations are quite distinct from the huge fish farms on the coast of Chile. We will talk more about those once I reach South America’s narrowest country.

I spent the night in Ollantaytambo.

And So The Journey Begins

Danny Catt — Sat, 06 Jan 2007 04:50:50 -0800

And so the journey begins. At the moment I am in Ollantaytambo, Peru. The sky is dark and the town is quiet except for the occasional kaboom from the firecrackers (very large ones I might add) that are being lit in anticipation of a big celebration tomorrow. My Spanish is not very good so I don’t quite understand what the celebration is all about but the town was abuzz this afternoon so I think something big is up!

Locals Celebrating Near Ollantaytambo, Sacred Valley, Peru

But alas, before I continue describing my amazing experiences over the past few days in Peru, I should take a few steps back and give you an idea of what this project ‘Catt-Trax 2: Making Global Connections – Antarctica to the Amazon’ is all about. My name is Danny Catt and I am a faculty member in an amazing program, the Fish, Wildlife and Recreation (FWR) program at the BC Institute of Technology, in British Columbia, Canada. I say it is amazing for a number of reasons. I graduated from the FWR program almost 25 years ago, and it was that very program that kick-started me on career that has taken me around the world and back again. As a young lad, I had a dream of working in one of Canada’s national parks, and BCIT’s FWR program gave me the academic background and hands on training to do exactly that. After graduating from BCIT I worked for Parks Canada (Canada’s national park service) in Kootenay National Park, in the Canadian Rocky Mountains for parts of 13 years (mainly in the field of environmental education but with bits & pieces of park planning thrown in for good measure). After BCIT I continued my academic training at Simon Fraser University where I completed a BSc in biology and my MSc in wildlife ecology. I then gained some teaching experience in Indonesia (through a project called the Eastern Indonesia University Development Project sponsored by the Canadian Government) and it was while I was in Indonesia that I had an interview to start teaching at BCIT. I was very fortunate and got the job… and started teaching in the FWR program just over 10 years ago. If any of you reading this BLOG are keen on a career in the management of fish, wildlife and/or parks and recreational lands, and are wondering about what academic path to follow, I encourage you to check out our program at www.bcit.ca/construction/fwr

Now… back to Catt-Trax 2. After you have taught for 5 years at BCIT you are eligible for a leave of absence, also known as a professional development leave or a sabbatical. After my first 5 years of teaching at BCIT I applied for a leave of absence and carried out a special project in Africa and Asia which was called ‘Catt-Trax: A Journey for Sustainability". From January to June of 2002, I journeyed from Cape Town, South Africa to Cairo, Egypt (with a side trip to the Indonesian islands of Bali and Sulawesi). The idea was to increase awareness of the concept of sustainable development as the World Summit on Sustainable Development was taking place in South Africa that year. I traveled and learned and shared my experiences with whomever was keen to follow along. The website for that journey is still up and running and if you want to read about my experiences on that African adventure, I encourage you to check it out. The web address is www.catt-trax.bcit.ca.

I still remember though when I started the original Catt-Trax journey, standing at the Cape of Good Hope at the southern tip of the African continent looking south and wondering what it would be like to visit the southern-most continent on the planet, Antarctica. I put that thought in the back of my mind as I turned northward on my journey to Egypt.

But alas, that original thought (of visiting Antarctica) stuck in my mind for many years. And when it came time for me to be eligible to apply for another leave of absence I decided to put together a proposal that would include visits and experiences in regions of the world that I had not yet visited – including both South America and Antarctica. The theme of this journey is 'Making Global Connections'. My hope is to learn about the broad range of connections we in British Columbia (and across Canada) have with the world around us. These connections can be ecological (such as through the migration of billions of birds each spring and fall between Canada and South America... and yes, I said BILLIONS of birds), economic (through trade between Canada & South America, or through tourism), climatic (ocean currents, wind currents) and even how our decisions at home, in terms of our lifestyle choices, can influence and/or impact the world around us. Examples of these lifestyle choices include the food that we eat (soybean products?), the furniture we buy (from tropical woods?) or our transportation decisions (how much do we contribute to climate change?).

So in a nutshell, that is how the idea came to be and what the journey is all about. I love to learn and share my learning with anyone who cares to listen (or read). So this website, and this BLOG, are all about learning (and sharing of learning). I will be incorporating diary types of entries along with photos and also video clips and sound pieces as well. I will admit right up front that I am quite new to the BLOG world. When in Africa, I did send back weekly updates to BCIT for uploading to the original Catt-Trax website, but this will be the first time that I will be creating and contributing directly to an online journal (this BLOG). Please bear with me as I learn some of the technological tools, the tricks of the trade so to speak. I have the very good fortune this time around to be a part of a special initiative at BCIT called TEK (Technology Enabled Knowledge). There is no way that this website and BLOG would be up and running if it were not for the dedication of some very talented individuals at BCIT who are also helping me along in learning how to use this technology.

In addition to our own FWR students at BCIT I also welcome elementary and high school students from across the province of British Columbia who are following my journey, some of whom will be participating in live online lectures from different parts of South America. Many thanks go to the Ebus-Academy for kick-starting my use of some modern educational tools and software such as Elluminate-Live. I look forward to interacting with students across the province as I journey!

So for the next 4.5 months (if all goes as planned) I will be exploring and learning in a range of South American countries (Peru, Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Ecuador and Colombia) as well as Antarctica. I hope you will enjoy the journey!

In addition to this BLOG there are a range of pages that you can browse thorough to learn about the regions and places I am visiting. Second year students in the FWR program have researched a number of South American countries and you can read about the natural resource management characteristics (and environmental issues) of selected countries in the Country Profiles pages. First year students in the FWR program researched some of the diverse ecosystems in British Columbia that you can read and learn about as well (you may be surprised at some of the differences, and similarities, among ecosystems in BC and in South America). And we even had high school students in the lower mainland of British Columbia contribute by researching other components of the website (students from Gleneagle Secondary School in Coquitlam, BC for example researched the Canada quiz). In addition to the country profiles, you will be able to view photo galleries, quiz yourself on wildlife and South American country trivia, and you can even take part in a variety of contests and compete for some amazing prizes!! Keep posted on this BLOG and web page to learn how you can win anything from a cash prize to an entrance award to BCIT or even a trip to Baja, Mexico or a top of the line fishing rod package!!

So that gives you some background to the project … and now, let’s begin. As I was saying a number of paragraphs back, "And so, the journey begins!"

January 2, 2007 – Lima, Peru

I left Vancouver early on the morning of the first of January, after a very short night of sleep (one hour I think), hopped an Air Canada flight to Toronto and then another to Lima, Peru. I arrived at about 1:30 in the morning on the 2nd of January, rather tired but excited to start a new adventure. It is always a bit stressful arriving in a new country, particularly one where the language is not your own, and arriving in the middle of the night makes it even more challenging. But all went well, I found a transfer to my hotel and lay my weary head to rest by about 3:30am. Lima is in the same time zone as eastern Canada (3 hours ahead of Vancouver) so getting to bed at 3:30 am is not quite as bad as it may sound!

I awoke to 20 degree temperatures and clear skies in Lima. I gave myself just one day in Peru’s capital city and my main objective was to visit the catacombs under the Franciscan Monastery in downtown Lima (based solely on a recommendation from my FWR colleague Marvin Rosenau, who teaches our fisheries courses at BCIT). I am always reminded about how young Canada is in terms of its western history when I visit other parts of the world. The Franciscan Monastery was established in the 16th century and despite over 500 years of time and who knows how many earthquakes, it has withstood the elements and is today one of the best preserved of Lima’s colonial churches (and a fabulous site to visit – thanks Marvin!).

San Francisco Monastery, Lima, Peru

We visited the underground catacombs where over 25,000 people (some say closer to 75,000) were buried. The skulls, femurs and other bones are still there to be seen… and certainly not for the faint of heart (the smell was a bit musty too… as you can imagine)! We were not permitted to photograph the bones or I would have shown you what the catacombs look like.

Church of San Francisco, Lima, Peru

January 3 - Cusco, Peru

For years I have had friends tell me stories about Cusco, a high elevation city in the Andes Mountains of Peru. Although I had a bit of an idea of what to expect, I was not prepared for the beauty of its landscape and the fascinating history that makes Cusco what it is today. It has many claims to fame including being the oldest continuously inhabited city in South America, the archaeological capital of the Americas (North and South) as well as being (and in my mind perhaps the most intriguing) the most important city of the Incan Empire (1438 to 1532). The Spanish conquistadors arrived in 1533, and the Spanish influence is very much evident in the architecture throughout the city today.

The City of Cusco, Peru

To get a quick introduction to Cusco and its immediate surroundings I visited a number of key sites including Coricancha (the Inca’s sun temple), the hilltop Inca fortress of Sacsayhuaman (say that out loud five times), the gorgeous cathedral in downtown Cusco and the ceremonial pools of Tambo Machay.

Photographing Ancient Walls at Fortress of Sacsayhuaman, Cusco, Peru

If you visit Cusco, you must ensure that you go for a walk in the evening when the cathedrals and churches are lit up with flood lights. It is quite the sight to see.

Well I am a bit too tired to bring you up to date (to the 5th) but I will add the descriptions of my visit to the Sacred Valley and my incredible day of mountain biking in the Patacancha River valley (where we started at over 13,800 feet elevation and then rode downhill from there!). I am off to Machu Pichu tomorrow!