Category: Peru

A Wonder of the World: Machu Picchu

This past weekend, I experienced the highlight of my time in Peru thus far–a trip to Machu Picchu. This wonder of the world was built in the 15th century to house the ruler of the Incan empire. Nestled above the Sacred Valley of Peru, Machu Picchu is 50 miles from Cusco and wasn’t discovered by the Spanish when they invaded, which allowed the structures to be preserved. Only locals were aware of the ruins until 1911, when a Yale historian discovered the site through the guidance of a young boy from the region.

My friend David, also a ND student studying Spanish in Cusco, and I traveled by bus and then train to the small town of Aguas Calientes. While more touristy than Cusco, we both agreed that the community was beautiful and a great place to stay for the night. We ate at one of the many restaurants attempting to lure us in, tempted by the offer of free drinks and guacamole. We also visited the hot springs in Aguas Calientes before turning into our hostel in preparation for an early-morning bus ride up to Machu Picchu.

The train ride to Aguas Calientes was beautiful!

A river runs through the center of the town, with many restaurants and hostels on either side.

On Sunday, our group departed for the site at 5:30am, and we made it up the mountain and to a viewpoint of Machu Picchu as the sun was appearing. I had seen dozens of photos previously, but nothing could compare to actually experiencing Machu Picchu in person. The abandoned city was much larger than I expected, and it was incredible to walk through the ruins with our guide and learn about the significance of specific structures.

After countless pictures and walking through the site, my group bid farewell to Machu Picchu and hiked for about an hour back down to Aguas Calientes for lunch and to catch our train back to Cusco. This is definitely a trip I will never forget, and I have dreams of returning in the future and sharing the experience with others.

Speaking Quechua

Something I read extensively about but couldn’t fully grasp before arriving in Peru is the prominence of the Quechua language and Incan traditions. Everyone I’ve encountered speaks Spanish, but many older adults speak Quechua as their first language. Before the Spanish arrived in the 1500s, the area that is now Peru was ruled by the Incan Empire, with Cusco as the capital of this territory that stretched over half the length of the South American continent. Many Incans spoke Quechua, and the language is still extremely prevalent today, mostly in the mountainous regions of Peru. Nearly every adult in Cusco understands at least a few Quechuan words, if they don’t speak the language themselves. Streets are named for Quechua words, and Incan holidays are celebrated to the fullest in Cusco.

In my first two weeks here, I have had the pleasure of interacting with several Quechua speakers, the first being my friend Guido and his parents. Guido was a graduate student at Notre Dame with whom I had a class with last semester, and he has lived in Cusco for much of his life. He was eager to show me around the city this week, and invited me to breakfast at his family’s home the following morning. Guido lives, literally, at the top of a mountain overlooking Cusco—the taxi we took had to stop at a certain point and we hiked further up to reach his house. The neighborhood was Quechuan, and he greeted his neighbors good morning in their language as we made our way up. Guido’s parents were able to speak with me in Spanish, but they were more comfortable with Quechua and had Guido translate much of our conversation. Expressing many blessings and wishes to me, they talked about how lucky Guido was to travel to the US and other countries for his education, and their worries for him during the distance. Guido was at ND through a Fulbright Grant and he taught several Quechua classes. He has talked to me about his dreams of implementing a Quechua language program in Cusco, and the difficulty in writing in this alphabet. Throughout my breakfast, I learned about the importance of preserving this language and the threats facing Quechua today.

Guido was eager to give me a nighttime tour of the city!

I have also been able to talk to my Spanish teachers about Quechua. Renzo, a young man from Lima who studied medicine before switching to teaching, speaks only a few Quechuan phrases. He told me that students studying medicine need to understand the language in order to serve the surrounding indigenous communities. Another one of my teachers, Nely, speaks Quechua fluently, because her parents spoke it when she was growing up. She expressed frustration that her own children were not able to speak the language to their grandparents, and said this is a huge problem in the younger generations of Cusqueños. Outside of Cusco, most communities communicate in Quechua, which I observed between young children and their parents when visiting Rainbow Mountain during my first weekend.

Ultimately, while I am here for the purpose of learning Spanish, I am intrigued by Quechua and hope to learn more about the spread and decline of this language during my remaining weeks. I also look forward to celebrating Inti Raymi, a religious ceremony venerating the Incan sun god, in late June.

My First Week in Cusco

Hello from Cusco!

After 24 hours of traveling, I finally made it to the welcoming and colorful city of Cusco. I was immediately taken to my host family’s house, where I met Monica and Lucho, and their three daughters. It’s been a joy getting to know the family over the past week and learning about life in Cusco–having a house to stay in and food cooked for me every evening has definitely helped my transition to living in Peru.

An intersection near my homestay. The traffic in Cusco is crazy!

My first week here was a whirlwind! I attended orientation at Máximo Nivel, the language school I am studying at, and met friends from all over the world. I attend class for six hours every day, and while my private lessons are challenging and draining, I am thrilled at how quickly my conversational skills are improving! With 5 weeks left, I am hopeful that I can continue to enhance my speaking abilities.

In between classes, I have explored local restaurants and attractions with my friends from Máximo. Lunch can be bought for a very reasonable price in Cusco–it is typical to get a soup, main dish, and juice for 6 soles, only $2! Plaza de Armas is the main center of the city, and the most popular tourist destination. Shops and restaurants here are more pricey, while the further you travel from the plaza, the cheaper items become. On Thursday, my friend Avery and I splurged at a cafe where we bought slices of torta (cake) and lattes. The views of Plaza de Armas from the second floor balcony were worth the cost, to say the least!

After what seemed like both an incredibly long and extremely short first week, my friend David and I left for a trek to Rainbow Mountain at 4am this Saturday! Also called Vinicunca and Montaña de Siete Colores, the mountain gets its name from the effect of its mineralogical composition. Although the hike was only about 3 miles roundtrip, this was probably one of the hardest hikes I’ve ever done. At 17,000 feet, this is the highest I’ve ever been and the steep route left me with a headache. Despite the altitude and chilly weather, the view at the top and experience overall was phenomenal!

There were many alpacas along the way.

Overall, my first week in Cusco has been exciting and challenging in the best of ways. I’m surprised at how quickly I am learning, and I can’t wait for what’s ahead!