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Tuesday, June 21, 2011

From the 100 Facts for 100 years of Machu Picchu- Fact #12



Los Angeles Times travel editor

12. Some hotels provide oxygen for visitors; others offer coca tea, and it's not unusual to find packets of coca leaves for sale. These can be chewed and are said to help relieve altitude issues. And yes, cocaine is produced from the leaves, but the amount of the alkaloid you'd ingest from the tea or chewing the leaves is small.


While most hotels have oxygen in case of emergency hotels like the Casa Andina Private Collection and the Hotel Monasterio in Cusco offers an oxygen enriched room options for their hotel guests.

From the 100 Facts for 100 years of Machu Picchu- Fact #11



Los Angeles Times travel editor

11. Among the problems AMS can cause (if you're coming from sea-level California, be aware of this): headaches, shortness of breath, fatigue and/or nausea or vomiting. Consult a doctor before you go if you think you may have a problem. Symptoms usually disappear in four days, but in some cases, AMS may be fatal.

The best remedy for altitude sickness is to go to a lower elevation.  Cusco is at 11,200 feet elevation while the Sacred Valley is at a lower elevation.  Ollantaytambo for example is at 9,160 feet above sea level and Machu Picchu is at 7,970 foot elevation.  For many travelers spending the first night in Cusco then descending to the Sacred Valley and spending the night there before heading to Machu Picchu will help make the trip more enjoyable.

From the 100 Facts for 100 years of Machu Picchu- Fact #10



Los Angeles Times travel editor

10. At 11,150 feet,  Cuzco requires acclimation. Some people develop altitude sickness, also known as acute mountain sickness, or AMS.

Typically when you arrive in Cusco you have the morning free to acclimatize and your tour begins in the afternoon.  A few hours of relaxing at altitude often helps lessen the effects.  If you are planning to do the Inca Trail or other trek in the Cusco area we recommend a minimum of 2 days in Cusco prior to your trek to acclimatize before starting the trek, however 3 or 4 days is better.  Quito is at 9,600 feet and if you have been in and around Quito just prior to arriving Cusco it will help shorten your acclimatization time.

Monday, June 13, 2011

From 100 facts for 100 years of Machu Picchu - Fact #9


Los Angeles Times travel editor

9. Cuzco, sometimes spelled Cusco, means "navel" or "center" of the Earth. It certainly was the center of Inca civilization high in the Andes Mountains.
It was under Pachacutec and Tupac Yupanqui that the Incan Empire was shaped and Cusco was created into its great capital. The city of Cusco was reconstructed over a period of 20 years. A keen civic planner, Pachacutec vision for Cusco the changed the very way of life of the Inca people, he envisioned the capital of a great kingdom. Where the four corners would come together and Cusco would be in the center. Through his vision cities would be organized in a hierarchical manner. The urban center would unite administrative and religious functions. While outlying areas and satellite towns were situated in a cultivated zone were units of agricultural, artisanal, and industrial production.

When the Spanish came they built their city on top of the Incan city.  Much of the city's layout is still due to Pachacutec's design.  The plaza major in Cusco is was also the central plaza during the time of the Incas.

From 100 facts for 100 years of Machu Picchu - Fact #8

Los Angeles Times travel editor

8. Legend has it that Manco Capac, the son of the sun god, and Mama Ocllo, daughter of the moon, established the seat of what would become an empire at Cuzco in the 11th or 12th century.

There are many versions of to the legend of the creation.  According to one legend, the first Inca was Manco Capac and he was created by the Viracocha who was the creator, and the sun god Inti. Manco emerged from his brothers and sisters from three caves in a hill called Tambo Tocco.

This spot was about 33 kilometers from Cuzco. The central cave was named Capac Tocco, and it was bordered by two other caves named Maris Tocco and Sutic Tocco. There were eight brothers and sisters who were the founders of the Inca dynasty and the men were called Ayar and the women were called Mama. Ayar Manco was chosen as the leader and was then called Manco Capac. His mission was to lead his brothers and sisters to a promised land to settle.

The golden staff he had would be used to find the promised land. The ideal land to settle in would be where the golden staff sank into the soil. After reaching many destinations, they finally took control of the people of Cuzco and settled there. From there on, a series of events occurred and all of his brothers were killed until just Manco was left with his sisters. He had a son named Sinchi Roca who was to be the next king. Therefore, Manco became the sole ancestor from which all Inca royalty traced their lineage.

Friday, June 10, 2011

From 100 facts for 100 years of Machu Picchu - Fact #7



By Catharine Hamm | Los Angeles Times Travel Editor
 
7. Much of what we know -- or think we know -- about the Inca society is hazy and often mixes fact with myth.

Since the Incas did not have a written language much of their history was passed down through stories.  When the Spanish arrived in Peru, the earliest documented history of the Incas was prepared by Spanish who told the Inca History from their own perspective.

The earliest account of Inca life is the book Narrative of the Incas by Juan de Betanzos written in the 1550's however only recently fully translated.  Much of Juan de Betanzos account of the Inca life came from his wife Angelina Anas Yupanqui the daughter of Incan King Wayna Capac and who had previously been married to King Atahualpa as well as the man who killed him Francisco Pizzaro. 

From 100 facts for 100 years of Machu Picchu #6



By Catharine Hamm | Los Angeles Times Travel Editor
 
6. Because the Incas had no written language system (or one that we have yet figured out), the spellings of original words vary widely. Inca, for example, may be spelled Inka, Ygna or Inga.

Many of the cities in Peru have multiple spellings as well frequently the difference is whether to use a "s" or a "z" as seen in both Cusco or Cuzco and Nasca or Nazca.  In each case, both spellings are considered correct.

Thursday, June 9, 2011

From the 100 Facts for 100 years of Machu Picchu- Fact #5



5. The Incas, who created incredible architecture and political systems, had no known written system of language, although some scientists suggest khipu may also have served that function.


'According to the anonymous seventeenth-century author of the Quito Manuscript, ancient Andeans once possessed a writing system (qillqa) that they replaced with knotted strings (khipu) as part of the religious and sexual reform of their nation. The manuscript's redactor, Fernando de Montesinos, added to the text his own speculations about Andean writing, which he linked to the Tree of Good and Evil in the Garden of Eden. For both of these authors, ideas about indigenous "writing" were not neutral, but were intertwined with arguments about the moral and cultural merits of Andean civilization. This essay explores how each author's claims about writing and knotted strings—qillqa and khipu—were intrinsic to their political and theological aims, fitting into a larger discourse about the justification of colonial rule. ' - Sabine Hyland St Norbet College

Many of the Pre-Colombian cultures communicated in art and architechure.  At Chan Chan the Chimu Culture had a detailed calendar of ocean currents.  The calendar indicated which months the currents came from the south and which months from the north for fishing.  The Incas used both a solar and lunar calendar.  In Cusco, authorities maintained a seasonal clock that consisted of a 365 day solar calendar with 12 months each consisting of 30 days.  A twelve month lunar calendar was also kept that consisted of 41 eight day weeks for a total of a 328 day year.  The Incas celebrated the summer and winter solstice each year - the winter solstice celebration can still be witnessed at the festival of Inti Raymi celebrated June 24th each year.

From the 100 Facts for 100 years of Machu Picchu- Fact #4

Los Angeles Times Travel Editor

4. The Inca used khipu (spelled "quipu" in Spanish), a series of knots that functioned as a sort of counting system.

 
The Khipu was first used by the Huari people who flourished in the southern and central region of Peru from 500 - 1000 AD.  Many of the Huari practices were later adapted by the Incas and incorporated into their society including the use of the Khipu, terracing the mountain side for agricultural purposes as seen at in the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu as well as the use labor as a tribute to the state.

From the 100 Facts for 100 years of Machu Picchu- Fact #3


Los Angeles Times Travel Editor

3. About half the population of Peru is Quechua, a South American Indian group. The group's native tongue is also called Quechua. A dialect of that language was spoken by the Incas.

 
Quechua is the second official language of Peru.  It is the pre-Spanish language of the Andes, it was spoken by native people of Peru prior to the Incas, however use of the language was spread to other regions during the time of the Incan Empire.  Today Quechua is spoken in Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Chile, Argentina and Colombia.

The name Machu Picchu in Quechua translates to Machu old man and Pikchu peak and the name Cusco translates to navel as in the center of the world.

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

From the 100 Facts for 100 years of Machu Picchu- Fact #2


From article Los Angeles Times Travel editor
 
2. Peru shares borders with five countries: Ecuador, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile and Colombia.

Prior to the arrival of the Spanish the Incan Kingdom spanned from northern Chile and Argentina to the South, to Ecuador in the North and encompassed both Peru and Bolivia.

When the Spanish conquered the Incas they established the Vice Royalty of Peru which at its peak administered most of South America (with the exception of the Portuguese expansion of Brazil and part of Colombia).

The vice-royalty required all shipments to pass through the port of Callao to and from overseas markets. As a result the economy in Lima thrived and the population boomed from an estimated 25,000 people in 1619 to 80,000 in 1687.

From the 100 Facts for 100 years of Machu Picchu