Perusing the Incan empire

Diane Forkner

A feeling of nervous expectation has fallen upon our group as it

nears the final approach to Machu Picchu.

A group of nine adventurers, including Colin and Diane Forkner,

Margie Howe and Alice Dear of Corona del Mar and Balboa Island, has

been exploring the ancient Indian cultures, Incan and colonial

Spanish heritages and natural wonders of Peru for nearly two weeks

under the leadership of cultural anthropologist Dr. Douglas Sharon,

director of UC Berkeley’s Hearst Museum of Anthropology. Turning a

corner, the magnificent lost city of the Incas overwhelms us with its

beauty and grandeur.

The stonework simply boggles the mind, especially the labor to cut

and move thousands of huge blocks on the mountainside. The setting in

steep Andean mountains that fall away to the Urubamba River valley

below is like no other we have ever experienced.

Our trip began in the colonial city of Lima in August in the

drizzly mist called garua. They say it never rains in winter in Lima;

in fact, the average rainfall is only 3 inches, but we were never dry

either. In spite of the dreary weather, we all eagerly embarked on

our tour of local archeological sites as well as the National Museum

and Gold Museum.

Armed with some understanding of the various periods of Peruvian

history, we set off down the Pan-American Highway to see a few

important, though less-visited sites. Our first stop was Pachacamac,

25 miles southeast of Lima. Built centuries before the time of the

Incas, Pachacamac is noted for its great pyramidal temples and for

the remains of frescoes adorning its adobe walls.

About 250 miles south of Lima, we arrived at the mysterious Nazca

lines. Constructed about 1,500 to 2,000 years ago by the Nazca

culture, the lines, which are etched into the surface of the desert

by removing surface pebbles to reveal the lighter sand beneath,

depict birds and mammals, including a hummingbird, a monkey and a

man, as well as various geometric figures. We nervously boarded small

airplanes to go “flightseeing” over the figures, some of which

measure up to 1.2 miles in length. Every loop and dip of the wing

brought cries of wonderment at the views from the air, but we were

all relieved to be safely back on terra firma.

Did the figures have a religious or ceremonial function, or were

they produced by extraterrestrials as some have speculated? What is

known is that their survival is due in part to the fact that the

coastal desert of Peru, in which they are located, is the most arid

desert in the world.

On our way back to Lima, we stopped for a cruise to the Ballestas

Islands, often referred to as the “mini-Galapagos” because of their

similar ecosystems and diverse wildlife. As we approached the

islands, we were amazed by the incredible numbers of sea birds,

including boobies, cormorants, terns, pelicans and Humboldt Penguins.

South American sea lions lined the rocks and beaches by the

thousands, lazily eyeing us as we passed. Fortunately, landing on the

islands is forbidden, as they are an important part of Peru’s

economic history because of the extensive guano deposits found there.

A one-hour flight brought us to the picturesque colonial city of

Arequipa nestled at 7,500 feet in the Andes at the base of

snow-capped El Misti Volcano. Tours of the Convent of Santa Catalina

and the Franciscan Monastery of La Recoleta offered a contrast to our

visit to a local public market with its displays of butchered animals

and dozens of varieties of potatoes, spices, herbs and coca leaves.

Lunch at an Arequipan restaurant introduced us to a Peruvian

specialty -- cuy a la plancha (grilled guinea pig). It was a little

disconcerting to have it served complete with head, teeth and claws,

but with your eyes closed, it tasted a lot like chicken.

Another one-hour flight and we were in Cuzco, the oldest

continually occupied city in the New World, situated at an elevation

of 11,000 feet in the Andes. Cuzco was the center of the Inca world

and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. From there, we drove into the

Sacred Valley. The Sunday market in Pisac is famous, with hundreds of

local Indians walking down to the valleys to sell and barter for farm

produce and handicrafts.

We joined in, and the Forkners began acquiring a collection of

colorful Andean headwear now prominently displayed in their home. The

Sacred Valley is home to an impressive number of archeological sites

ranging from the Pisac ruins, built above agricultural terraces, to

the Maras High Plateau, at an elevation higher than 13,000 feet, to

the religious site of Chinchero and the Incan ritual ruins next to

the still-occupied pueblo of Ollantaytambo.

We climbed, explored and thoroughly enjoyed learning about the

people and history of these fascinating places, but it is our next

stop that we’ve all been waiting for. We board the train and watch

the spectacular views of the countryside along the Urubamba River on

our way to the town of Aguas Caliente below Machu Picchu. The

tropical setting of our beautiful hotel, the Machu Picchu Pueblo

Hotel, surprises us. Orchids grow wild, and we can hear exotic birds

calling.

We are eager, though, to reach Machu Picchu and hurry to the

shuttle bus that will take us up the 30-minute dirt, switchback road

to the entrance of the ruins. Two days does not seem long enough to

absorb the majesty of Machu Picchu, but we’ll try. The ruins are

built on a saddle between the peaks of Machu Picchu and Wayna Picchu,

and our appreciation for the site was greatly enhanced by climbing to

the top of Wayna Picchu and surveying the area from that lofty perch.

Unbelievably, the Incas built agricultural terraces at the top of

Wayna Picchu, and it is a tribute to their skill as engineers and

builders that these terraces and the steps up to them remain intact

to this day.

The difficulty of the climb is forgotten as we stand gazing at the

miniaturized scene spread below us.

* DIANE FORKNER is a resident of Corona del Mar.