¨And how do you wait for heaven?
And who has that much time?
And how do you keep your feet on the ground when you know you were born to fly?¨
--Sara Evans
Note: This blog post written from a boat a couple of hours ago and is now being transcribed.
Right now, I am overlooking Lake Titicaca and the beautiful island of Taquile. It still feels surreal to me that I am here, on the highest navigable lake on Earth, at the highest altitude I have ever been at in my life. Learning about Lake Titicaca is one of the few things I remember from Mr. Irland´s class. Our tour guide told us that at one time, there were many pumas who surrounded the lake. Titicaca stands for the grey color of the puma´s fur. Lake Titcaca is truly breathtaking--although I still don´t think it is quite as beautiful as Lake Superior. Nothing can quite compare to that. :)
Well, I have a three hour boat ride to reflect on everything that has happened over the past few days, and I hope I can capture everything that I thought and felt as perfectly as possible.
On Monday, Elisabeth and I said goodbye to Monica, our host mother, which was hard. She asked us to write, which I fully intend to do. Then we took a really nice double decker bus to Puno, complete with a TV, movies, and free drinks. It was amazing to have some space to myself and I slept most of the way there. We did make some touristy stops along the way, including ¨The Sistine Chapel of South America,¨ or Archillagos. It was one of the most beautiful churches I have ever seen, and I wish I could have seen it in all of its old splendor. There were paintings covering each wall and several golden altars--although most of the gold and silver had been stolen in the 1990s. Nevertheless, it was beautiful. They work on restoring it more and more everyday. Something I found very interesting were the mermaids all over the wall--the fish to represent the animal side of humands and the body to represent human intelligence. Unfortunately, we weren´t allowed to take pictures, but it was one of my favorite parts of the trip so far. We also stopped at Raqchi, which are archeological remains right on the path of the Incan Trail. The same general who built Machu Picchu and Cusco also built Rachqi--Machu Picchu in the shape of the Andean Condor for the heavens, Cusco in the shape of the Puma for the Earth, and Rachqi in the shape of a snake for the underworld. Surprisingly, Raqchi had the biggest temple, but archeologists bbelieve this was to bring the three cities together. Raqchi was in a strategic point. They also used mud bricks instead of just rocks and had round buildings for warehouses, which was something that we hadn´t seen in other ancient cities. We got to Puno at around 6 p.m. and stayed one night in a very nice hotel beside the main plaza.
Yesterday, we started our journey on Lake Titicaca. We started in Uros, or the floating islands. It was truly amazing to see what these people had done to escape the influence of the Incans & Spaniards. Each family has their own island, and the base is made of cork. They pile reeds on top of the island every 15 days, always going in opposite ways. They actually eat the bottom of the reeds, which contain iodine to keep their teeth very healthy--no dentists! They have domesticated ducks and eat dry duck meat, fish, and other vegetables for food. Typically, the women are a bit large. Men swim, row boats, and fist to stay healthy but there is very little exercise for women. Women wear colorful pom-poms in their hair to represent that they are single and dark pom-poms to represent that they are married. They rely on tourism a lot for their income, and some have stereos/TVs. Katie Parker and I actually got to tour the house of the king of the island and were then dressed up in traditional clothing.
After visiting the Uros Islands, we had a 3 hour boat ride to Amantani. This experience was hands-down my favorite part of the trip so far. We stayed the night with a host family in an area that seems largely untouched by time. The people there speak Quechua and are entirely self-sufficient--They farm for themselves and take care of their own, dressing in the traditional clothing of the old times. It was so peaceful and beautiful; it just amazed me that there was a part of the world that still exists like that. Unfortunately, Elisabeth was feeling nauseous after the boat ride and the high altitude didn´t help. I was blessed because two other Alma College students were also staying in the same house, Shelby and Andria. We were in a home with two families--a grandmother (who took care of me) and her son´s family. They had a two year old girl, named Tanya, who was absolutely adorable! Although we couldn´t communicate much, it was fun to play volleyball and make the best of it. After a simple lunch (Quinua and vegetable soup with fried cheese) we headed to the community center. A bunch of students played soccer, but I headed up the mountain to one of the highest points, Pachatata, to watch the sunset. They have two temples where they celebrate once each year--Pachamama (Mother Earth) and Pachatata (Father Water). Before drinking anything, they often pour out some of their drink onto the ground in offering. In most all of Peru, there is a mix of the old pagan ways and Catholicism. On our way home, I watched the full moon rise over Bolivia in only a matter of minutes. It was one of the most amazing things I have ever seen. After dinner (Quinua soup, veggies, and rice) I was able to go to a dance dressed in traditional clothing: a colorful, billowing skirt, white smock, and black headdress. Apparently, it used to be the fashion to be bigger because it meant that your husband/family was feeding you well, which was the reason for the big skirts. The dances were simple and fun, and I was very grateful to my host father for dancing with me. I´m sure I looked ridiculous, but I had a really good time. :)
After a good night´s rest, we woke up to visit another part of the world that has managed to escape time--the island of Tequile. They live by the old Incan rules: 1. Don´t lie 2. Don´t steal 3. Don´t be lazy. They have a 0% crime rate and no policemen, just local workers who go around to make sure everyone is okay. They are famous for their weaving projects, and you can see sheep everywhere you climb. The men knit and the women weave when they are not farming. The climb on both islands was steep and very difficult. Apparently, locals have more red blood cells and bigger lungs than foreigners, which explains why we get tired so easily. We are only breathing 40% of the oxygen that we are used to at the altitude of the islands on Lake Titicaca. The local people were so nice! Small pom-poms and a colorful hat signify that you are married; large pom-poms and a red/white hat signify being single and pure. If men have a girlfriend, they will wear the long side of their hat behind their heads. Men and women must date for 3-4 years before getting married and there is a very low divorce rate. After getting married, men wear belts made of their wive´s hair. The atmosphere on Tequile was much less touristy and I enjoyed how welcoming the people were. We stopped at an elementary school and the teacher asked us to play with the students, which I really enjoyed. Although the local language is Quechua, the students are taught in Spanish and most go to school for 11 years. It was only Mary Seals, Dr. Seals, Dr. Molina, and I that stayed behind to play with the children but I loved the opportunity--even if the children won. ;) In Cusco, there were no playgrounds so it was difficult to do anything active with the kindergarteners. Most people get married young, usually right out of high school. There is only one leader of the island who is elected in the town square each year by a show of hands. We at lunch on the island (an omelette, quinua soup, and quinua) and has some time to enjoy the beach of Lake Titicaca. I feel like we have lost so much by losing our simplicity, and sometimes I wish we could have it back. These people have so much love and respect in their hearts.
At Aguas Calientes, Alexa G. asked me what one thing I would take away from this trip. It was a difficult question because I haven´t been able to take time to reflect. We are always on the go. Since then, however, I have made a conscious effort to think about what this experience actually means and what I am going to get out of it that I can take home. At first, the nerd that is inside of me automatically thought: the history! I feel like a sponge that is absorbing new information and facts too quickly each day, afraid of losing the new knowledge. I hope that someday I can teach a unit on South America so I can bring this information into my classroom. It goes so much deeper than that, though--the people here genuinely love their culture and heritage and do everything they can to cling to it. They are so willing and welcoming to share it with us because they want everyone to know what life was like and could be like. I guess what I´m trying to say is that ultimately, it doesn´t matter. For the first time in my life, I am extremely out of my comfort zone. I am an obvious minority (I have never been the minority!) with difficulty communicating with everyone here. But, it doesn´t matter. It doesn´t matter that we have limited communication skills or different skin colors or cultures; we´ll find a way to make it make sense and to help each other along the way. Yesterday, Andria told me that what makes experiences so special is that we have someone to share them with, and I couldn´t agree more. Each and every day, I share an experience with someone new and even if I can´t communicate with them it´s worth it just to see them smile. I hope to share as much as I can of myself with everyone in the future, even if I´m afraid that I won´t be able to connect with (a) certain person(s). I know it will be hard; I am far from flawless. I can be selfish, overly analytical, unobservant, insecure, and a perfectionist to the point of ridiculousless. But you know what? I have climbed mountains, handled myself in a major city (sometimes when I´m all alone), spent the night on an island with no electricity, worked with children who do not speak my language, and gone days without eating chocolate. Things that I thought I could never and would never do--but maybe all that it takes is perseverance and the right attitude. :)
Well, it´s hard to believe that this trip is almost over. IT´s so beautiful here and the time has flown by. Tomorrow, we visit the Colca Canyon in hopes of seeing the almost extinct Andean Condor and then we spend Friday and Saturday in the cities of Chivay and Arequipa. I can´t wait to see your face; believe me, there are days I´m tempted to call home despite how expensive it is. Thanks for reading this blog and sticking it out with me. I love you.
Love always,
Chels :)
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