La Teta Asustada [The Milk of Sorrow], 2009, directed by Claudia Llosa; originally in Spanish

La Teta Asustada, or The Milk of Sorrow, which is its English title, is one of the five nominees for the 82nd Academy Awards for Best Foreign Picture.  Since I know many people who will be watching the Oscars, I thought I’d put in my 5 cents on the only one of the movies that I will see: the Peruvian one.

La Teta Asustada is a story, really, about a potato.  It is a very strange story that follows a girl, Fausta, who was born during the time of terrorism in Peru.  Her mother, who was a victim of rape, supposedly passed on her fear to her daughter through her breast milk, and so Fausta, now a young adult, is more than a little bit strange.  Her mother dies at the beginning of the movie, and Fausta is forced to move from her village to the strange big city of Lima to live with her uncle.  Fausta must cope with being alone in the world while trying to earn enough money to take her mother’s body back to the village to be laid to rest.

The movie, as I said before, is a bit strange.  It is a bit surreal, depicting several of the characters as heavily superstitious, such as the woman who believes that if she buries her doll the earth will take it away and she will never have to see it again.  The movie is also very good at portraying contrasts: the dirt home where Fausta lives versus the Big House full of opulence where she works; having a dead body stashed under the bed so it is out of view for a wedding; the crazy superstitious beliefs versus the doctor’s logic.

Although the movie is slow and you might be inclined to say that nothing really happens in it, it does give a good depiction of a slice of life in Lima, showing class differences, death, life, marriage, poverty, and rural versus urban life, albeit set among very peculiar circumstances.

The national elections are coming up in 2011.  It seems to me like the political candidates here start campaigning REALLY early, as they were already campaigning in full swing when I got here last August.  I wouldn’t normally mention this on my blog except for that the candidates are very interesting this time around!

For starters, please keep in mind that Peru has a really interesting history of Presidents.  Some of the recent ones include:

• Alan Garcia (1985-1990), a President who was accused of having various mental disorders, having an addiction to lithium, and having connections to Columbial drug cartels.  At the end of his presidency, inflation was over 7000% and was running a government deficit of $900 million US.  Was charged with multiple counts of corruption, although the verdict was never made public.
• Alberto Fujimori (1990-2000), a President who suspended congress, declared military rule, committed at least two massacres against his people, and is currently serving more than 25 years in jail on about four counts of crimes against humanity, having been tried and found guilty by Peruvian courts.  Also tried to get himself elected for a third term, which according to a 1993 constitution was illegal; his argument was that since the constitution was made in 1993 the first election in 1990 didn’t count.
• Alejandro Toledo (2001-2006), a President who was apparently propped up by foreign interests to get rid of Fujimori; his election was marked by “voting irregularities” as 54% of the population indicated that they would not vote for him in any circumstance.
• Alan Garcia (2006-present) – yup, they elected him again, deciding that he couldn’t possibly do worse the second time around.

In the upcoming elections the top candidate is Luis Castaneda, the current mayor of Lima.  But he’s not running unopposed!  Some of his more colourful opponents are:

• Keiko Fujimori, yup, Alberto Fujimori’s daughter
• Ollanta Humala, a member of the military who led an uprising against the Fujimori government in 2000
• Jaime Bayly, a self-declared bisexual Peruvian talk show host.  He is at 6th place in the polls, however he has a devoted following!

Today is officially the day of Pisco Sour, Peru’s national drink, in bars all over Peru.  It’s made from grapes, and is apparently sort of like brandy (but I don’t know what brandy tastes like).  The drink is actually named after a region in Peru, called Pisco, which is quite close to Ica and Huacachina where I went sandboarding, or about 4 hours south of Lima on the coast.

In honour of Pisco Sour Day, here is a recipe for how to make one yourself!  (Don’t be afraid of the egg!)

• 3 ounces of pisco
• 1 ½ ounces of sugar
• 2 Glasses of lemon juice
• White of an egg
• Shaken ice
• Add drops of Amargo Angostura

Or you can watch the professionals do it.  The New York way:

Or the Peruvian way:

(I think I like the Peruvian way better)

Machu Picchu is closed. It will stay that way until the end of February at the very least. Do you have your flights booked and are wondering what to do next? Should you cancel or put off your trip to Cuzco?

What you do next depends on whether you like to be told what’s worth seeing in a country by someone selling you a tour, or if you prefer to listen to people who know the place inside and out and don’t stand to gain by convincing you that a country has a single be-all-and-end-all attraction.

Machu Picchu is NOT Peru. In fact, it’s a relatively minor attraction in a country blessed with many hundreds of them – natural, cultural and archaeological.

Even if ancient ruins are your thing, bare in mind that Machu Picchu wasn’t even an important Inca site. Nor was it the most remote Inca site, nor was it their best work… it just happens to look great on a postcard.

You are sold on Machu Picchu not because it is special – you have dozens of lost cities to choose from in Peru – but because concentrating visitors in a single location and hiking up the prices is far more profitable that to have visitors spread over a wide area. You’re simply being milked.

Can you imagine someone visiting JUST New York City, or JUST a beach in Florida and telling you they’ve seen all the United States has to offer? Or visiting London but skipping Paris, Rome and Athens because you’ve “seen Europe”? Well if you’re in Peru to see Machu Picchu… you’ve missed out on seeing Peru.

This Peru is a place often ignored by foreign visitors. It is a Peru that costs next to nothing to see and in which your money goes much further – you could quite easily double the length of your visit. This is a land of colourful colonial cities, spectacular museums filled with gold (best museums in the country), valleys lined with pre-Colombian pyramids, rolling green mountains, icy-glacial peaks, lost pre-Incan cities,tropical mangroves and spectacular beaches.

Welcome to Peru, free of the burden that is Cuzco and Machu Picchu!

Southern Peru

There’s more to Peru than the southern Andes, though most sources don’t know enough about the country to tell you that. It is safe to say there are two or three Perus worth visiting – remember that the country is so huge that you couldn’t see it all in one trip unless you have a few months to spare. One of these Perus is the south leading out from Lima and is home to some of the country’s most famous sights- not because they are better in any way, but just because they’ve been visited by an endless line of tourists who haven’t heard of anything else.

While Machu Picchu has long been considered Peru’s main attraction (sometimes the only attraction), most travelers visit the ruins as part of a larger circuit. Machu Picchu may be taking a long-needed break from visitors, but that just leaves time to more fully explore the rest of Peru’s Southern Circuit. If you had your heart set on hiking to an undiscovered Inca citadel, try the equally majestic and less-touristy Choquequirao.

Places to see:

Paracas Reserve and the Islas Ballestas (Ica Department): A wildlife-rich reserve several hours south of Lima where visitors have a chance to see colonies of sea lions, Humboldt penguins, flamingoes, and dolphins, as well as dozens of migrating bird species.

Ica and Huacachina (Ica Department): Set in the middle of Peru’s southern coastal desert, Ica is a major center of Peru’s wine and pisco production. Whether you’re looking for relaxation or adrenaline, you’ll find it here. Spend the day wine tasting, or hit the dunes to try the unique sport of sand boarding.

Nazca lines (Ica Department): These mysterious lines etched in the desert have attracted almost as many theories as they have visitors. Take a flight over them and catch a glimpse of the Hummingbird, the Monkey, the Astronaut, and dozens of others.

Arequipa and Colca Canyon (Arequipa Department): Beautiful Arequipa is known as “the white city” for the volcanic sillar that many of its colonial buildings are constructed of. The nearby area, including Colca Canyon (twice as deep as the Grand Canyon in the US) is known for its scenery, trekking, and white-water rafting. This is also the place to see the majestic Condor fly.

Puno and Lake Titicaca (Puno Department): Lake Titicaca is South America’s largest lake, and home to the fascinating floating islands of Uros, the stationary islands of Taquile and Amantani, as well as the ruins of Inca and pre-Inca cultures. Don’t miss spending a day and night living with a local family on one of the islands.

Cusco and the Sacred Valley (Cusco Department): Cusco was the capitol of the Inca Empire, and so is surrounded by literally hundreds of Inca ruins. The Sacred Valley is full of of places to visit, the most traveled-through being Ollantaytambo, a city worth exploring on its own merits. With Machu Picchu out of play, spend more time focusing on the greatest creations of the Inca empire – great Sacsayhuamán and the impressive city of Pisaqa. Can’t live without hiking to a lost city in the cloud forests of lower Cuzco? Take your pick of other Machu Picchus, the most developed being Choquequirao.

Northern Peru

Peru’s national borders extend for hundreds upon hundreds of kilometres north of Lima’s international airport – something that might have left some back-backers who take a direct bus from Ecuador to Lima to continue their South American trip through Peru’s southern “Gringo Trail” – quite bemused.

Despite it being Peru’s better half in the eyes of the relative few who venture into it, it still remains unknown to most visitors and somewhat skipped over by guidebooks to the country. The fact is, if you are interested in any of the following:-Gastronomy, Archaeology, Nature, Beaches, Culture, Trekking, Mountain climbing, Surfing or History - and you like to avoid crowds of tourists, then is is the half of Peru for you.

Caral (Lima Department): Ruins from the oldest civilization in South America (from 2500 BC), this site is only a few hours north of Lima. These desert pyramids were only discovered in recent times and re-wrote the history books of the Americas. Find out how civilization developed out of hunter-gather communities thousands of years ago. The nearby valleys are littered with dozens of unexplored and excavated cities – if you have transport and a passion for exploration, you won’t believe your eyes.

Huaraz (Huaraz Department): The best place for hiking and trekking in Peru, Huaraz is bursting with adventures. Visit Peru’s receding glaciers, go mountain climbing, or take a hike like theSanta Cruz trek through the Cordillera Blanca. Take a trip to the ancient capital of the Chavín, the amazing underground city of a civilization that ruled the Andes, the first that did so, more than 1000 years before the Incas existed.

Cajamarca (Cajamarca Department): A pretty Spanish colonial town set amid gorgeous mountains, ingenious ancient aqueducts, and Inca hot springs, Cajamarca is renowned for its carnival celebrations. It’s also the place where the Inca empire came to a swift end when the emperor met with the newly arrived Spanish for the first time. Travel out a bit further and find some spectacular nature, ancient rock-face tombs and a forgotten city from the age of the Chavín and its mysterious stone monoliths.

Chachapoyas (Amazonas Department): I can’t say enough about how great this under-explored region is. The grand fortress of Kuelap, the Machu Picchu of the north. Towering hidden waterfalls. Ancient mausoleums. Spectacular roads. Mummies! Fantastically beautiful trekking. The Amazonas region is also one of two places to go, other than Tumbes, for birdwatching – this is home to one of the world’s rarest birds.

Trujillo (La Libertad Department): One of the first cities of the Spaniards in Peru, this colonial gem is so beautiful that luxury Pacific cruise ships are forced to make a stop so their passengers can take a look. In ancient times, long before the Incas, this was the centre of the Moche world, a civilisation that has left us with brightly painted pyramids and erotic pottery! After their downfall rose another empire, that of the Chimú, administered from the sprawling 25km2 adobe city of Chan Chan – one of the largest adobe constructions in the world and until modern times one of the largest cities! Nearby is the beach town ofHuanchaco, home to some of Peru’s best surfing, and Chicama and the longest left-hand wave in the world.

Chiclayo (Lambayeque Department): A modern city that out-grew it’s colonial counterpart of Lambayeque, Chiclayo sits in the middle of the most active archaeological zone of South America, where in the last few years alone some of the most important discoveries of the continent have been made, some just in the past year, other’s in the past decade. In Peru’s very own Valley of the Pyramids sit countless truncated pyramidal temples slowing deteriorating in the rain. The great pre-Inca city of Túcume, watered by the world’s largest system of canals and aqueducts that still keep the valley green today, and the pyramids that pop up above the trees in the dry forests of Pomac-Batán Grande are just some sites open to visitors. Those who’d like to know more about the region’s pre-Colombian past are in for a treat – on the outskirts of Chiclayo are the country’s two best museums, the Sipán museum where the finds from the Señor de Sipán dig are on display, and the Museo Nacional Sicán. As if Chiclayo didn’t already have its own fair share of tourist attractions, it also has the beautiful Pimentel beach and the Chaparrí nature reserve home to Peru’s Spectacled Bears. Oh, and don’t forget the ruins of a Spanish city, a Spanish city on the verge of taking Lima’s place as power-centre, until a natural disaster wiped it off the map.

Piura (Piura Department): Peru’s oldest Spanish city is set in the centre of what was once the homeland of the ancient Vicus and Tallán, and archaeological sites abound. Towards the mountains is Chulucanas and its world famous pottery for those in the know. Towards the beach are modern resort complexes and attractive picture-postcard beach towns with water-front houses on stilts. The region is also home to some of the country’s best cuisine!

Tumbes (Tumbes Department): Need some more surfing (or just want to work on your tan)?Head up to party-town Mancora – though technically still inside Piura, its from here and into Tumbes, right on the border, that warm pacific currents sweep in and the coast becomes tropical. Tumbes is also famous for its mangroves and wildlife, in fact, most of this region is a protected nature reserve. The mangrove forests on the coast are not only beautiful, but they are a specific attraction for birdwatchers.

The Amazon

A destination in itself. Every human being should experience the sensation of being the the midst of a tropical rainforest far removed from civilization.

The Amazon rainforest could easily be considered the most beautiful place on earth. Lush green forests full of life, intense heat broken by showers of warm rain. Wild creatures that exist nowhere else on earth. It’s a true paradise, one that man seems set to destroy.

Manu or Tambopata (Southern Peru): On the edge of the cloud forests of southern Peru, accessible by Cuzco, this area has been recorded by investigators as the most bio-diverse location on the planet. Stay at jungle lodges and take trips to see animals such as parrots, pink dolphins and creatures you never knew existed!

Pucallpa or Iquitos (Central and Northern Peru): The Amazon is home to humans too, and the two biggest urban centres in the rainforest are Pucallpa and Iquitos. Experience the vast cultural differences between the people of the jungle and the people of the mountains, and enjoy delicious fruits you’ve never seen before and tasty new ways of cooking. One adventure you can’t miss is sailing between the two cities on a river boat, that’s right, along the mighty Amazon river!

Tarapoto (Northern Peru): Accessed by land from Chachapoyas, or by a short flight from Lima, Tarapoto is located on the forested slopes of the Andes in what is called the cloud forest. This makes for not only a beautiful climate but a world of stunning lagoons and waterfalls – a true tropical paradise you’ll never want to leave. It’s also full of wildlife.

Gastronomy

Peruvian food was all but unknown to the world a decade ago, but this has begun to change in recent years. In 2004 an article appeared in The Economist. “Peru can lay claim to one of the world’s dozen or so great cuisines“.

As the news spread of the discovery of one of the world’s best kept secrets, the excitement began to build. In 2006 at the Madrid Fusion Fourth International Summit of Gastronomy, one of the field’s most important conferences, top chefs, critics and journalists were blown away. The rumours were true, and the city of Lima, where many of the nation’s 400+ national and regional dishes can be found in cheap local haunts and fancy restaurants alike, was declared the Gastronomic Capital of the Americas.

Gastro-tourism is taking off in Peru, and you’d be nuts not to take time out to try some of Peru’s many hundreds of distinct national dishes. Yes, you read that right.

In Lima the choice is overwhelming: Seefood Heaven | Creole Classics | Afro-Peruvian | China-Influenced | Fast Food

Outside of Lima we have the seafood dishes unique to the northern coast – ceviches that differ from those found in Lima. In Piura the addition of tropical plantain in the diet mixes up the menu. In Arequipa we have the fashionable Nova Andina craze… traditional Andean ingredients used in modern European style dishes. But Arequipa is also home to a number of dishes that are nothing less than cultural heritage, such as Rocoto Relleno.

(source)

I am pleased to announce that I found a microfinance placement, which is super-awesome because I think it’s one of the most interesting subjects in the development world.  The problem is, to actually do microfinance work entails an intensive knowledge of economics and lending practices, the ability to assess risk, etc.  With a volunteer who might only be around for two months, the volunteer doesn’t have time to get trained, understand how the organization works, and be able to work independently actually loaning out money.

Thus, it was very hard for me to find a related placement for people like me who think that kind of work is interesting.  Instead of actually administering loans, the volunteers can help out with a few research projects that the NGO, PRISMA, is working on.  The purpose of giving these loans is from a social perspective, to assist with development, and so a component or condition of the loan is an educational component, where the loan recipients (usually parents with children) are taught about things like nutrition and education so that combined with a little bit of added cash the families can work on improving the standard of living for themselves and their children.

The second research project that is going on is a bit of a health census, where a nurse is working in partnership with the organization to find out about the general level of health of the community.

Be warned, all ye who are interested – I hope you like meetings!  When I went with a volunteer this week, I was invited to join in a meeting that I was assured would be only 30 more minutes.  Two hours later, I announced that I needed to go for lunch and they still weren’t done!

Meeting, complete with Inca Kola

San Isidro is the name of a neighbourhood in Lima, right next to Miraflores.  Both are quite nice neighbourhoods, but while Miraflores gets a lot of tourists and has lots of stuff to do, San Isidro is a residential neighbourhood full of parks, fancy condos, and nice hotels.  Today I felt like doing something different, so I went for a long walk through San Isidro.

San Isidro has…

Pretty fountains

Pretty trees

Pretty flowers

More pretty fountains

Strange dogs

Pretty children

Even pretty banks

Weird modern art

Not ugly fish (but I can’t call it pretty)

Decrepit trees held up by sticks

The Basics

As you probably know by now Cusco has had some serious problems with heavy rainfall and flooding.  For someone who is not currently in Peru I imagine it would be very hard to figure out exactly what’s going on, especially since the geography of Peru is not often taught in schools.  I have a number of friends and family who are interested in visiting Peru so in this post I will do my best to give you the low-down on the situation.

• Due to heavy rainfall that the meteorological authorities in Peru have estimated to be three times greater than normal for the season, Cusco and many of the surrounding regions have flooded (photo)
• Access to the Sacred Valley has been destroyed as nine bridges have washed out (video)
• Machu Picchu is temporarily closed due to lack of access.  There are only two ways to get to Machu Picchu, wonder of the world, and they are by the Inca Trail, a 4-day hike, and by a train from Cusco.  The Inca Trail is closed due to mudslides and the railway has been partially destroyed and therefore the train will not be running until the railway is repaired (photo)

What regions are affected?

The affected area is the mountainous region of Peru, which is currently experiencing their rainy season.  In contrast, Lima, where I live, is in the coastal desert.  Basically, all of the rain clouds coming from the East are too heavy to go over the Andes so by the time the air gets to Lima there is no moisture left, because all the rain occurs on the Eastern side of the mountains. (photo explanation)  Also, although there has been a lot of rain in the mountains, most of the villages are in the valleys of the mountains, which is where the rain pools.  The homes built on the sides of the mountains are also usually made from basic materials like mud bricks and are therefore prone to landslides.

It is not just Cusco that is affected.  (Click map to enlarge)  The provinces of Puno, Apurimac, Huanuco, Huancayo, Junin, Huancavelica, and Ayacucho have also been experiencing heavy damages and many people have been made homeless in these regions as well.

What is the current situation?

• Total damage is estimated at $300 million US
• A state of emergency has been declared in Cusco and Huancayo
• Around 30,000 locals have been made homeless and 16,000 hectares of farmland have been destroyed, right before the harvest.  Many livestock have also drowned
• Over 20 people are dead due to floods or landslides
• Although approximately 3000 tourists were stranded at Machu Picchu (or Aguas Calientes, the town at the base of Machu Picchu), they have all been airlifted to safety
• The rain has seemed to stop for now, but more rain is expected during the month of February

When will I be able to travel to Peru?

One of the very sad things I find about the situation is the fact that Peru is such a fantastic country and has tons of stuff to offer.  The sad part is that not many people know about much in Peru other than Machu Picchu.  If you are planning a trip to Peru in the near future and are unable to change it, I recommend doing a bit of research and going off the beaten path and you will discover that Peru is really a very interesting country with a little bit of everything.

That being said, if you have your heart set on going to Machu Picchu or Cusco region, it has just been announced that under good weather conditions it will take seven weeks before anyone will be able to visit Machu Picchu.  It will, however, be a top priority as the tourism industry has reported losses of $1 million per day and therefore Peru cannot afford to have Machu Picchu closed for very long.  Also, at least one bridge needs to be rebuilt before anyone can visit the Sacred Valley (Pisac, Urubamba, and Ollantaytambo).

Some places that you can still go visit in Peru:

• Arequipa, a beautiful colonial city in southern Peru surrounded by canyons and volcanoes, as well as beaches and some ruins.  Great for trekking!
• The province of Ica, just South of Lima, which contains the amazing Nazca lines, dune-buggying, sand-boarding, beaches, the beautiful wildlife reserve of the Islas Ballestas, and white-water rafting in Lunahuana.  Great for adventure!
• Mancora, the surfer’s paradise on the Northern coast near Ecuador.  Wonderful cheap beach resorts, a great place to rest and relax, learn to surf, go horseback riding on the beach, or go waterskiing.
• The cities of Trujillo and Chiclayo, lesser known archaeological sites in Peru, home to the Lord of Sipan, numerous pre-Inca pyramids, great museums, hiking, and even beaches.  Great for history bufffs!
• Iquitos, the jungle capital of Peru, where you can go jungle cruising, sleep in hammocks, visit some wildlife, and have some crazy jungle parties.  Great for the super-adventurous!

At the Museo de la Nacion, the exhibit that was the best done was an exhibition about the years of terrorism in Peru, from around 1980 to the mid-1990s.  It was almost all black-and-white photos, done in the style of the Holocaust museum, and it was truly an evocative display.

Dead dog with a sign around its neck. Reminds me of The Dancer Upstairs.

Pro-revolution graffiti in a school classroom

A Quechua militiawoman in Ayacucho

Prison demonstrations in solidarity to Presidente Gonzalo

An orphanage

Members of the Shining Path

Tarata, site of a bombing in Miraflores

Tunnel used by Shining Path revolutionaries to escape prison

In comes the army

Orphaned by terrorism

Faces of the missing

Save us from the Guerilla War

Presidente Gonzalo, leader of the Shining Path, in prison

Military state

I posted yesterday that Cusco has been declared in a state of emergency.  By now, the bridges connecting Cusco to Urubamba, and Cusco to Pisac, have both been washed out.  That means there is no way to get to Pisac, Urubamba, Ollantaytambo, Aguas Calientes, or Machu Picchu

The bridge that spans the river providing access to Pisaq and the rest of the Sacred Valley has been destroyed.

The other main bridge at Ollantaytambo is now also reported to have been washed away by the force of the river.

There is currently no access at all to the Sacred Valley with all towns having been cut off from Cusco, and each cut off from one another by damaged roads and rail links.

Ollantaytambo – the location to which thousands of tourists were being moved to from Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu (with the now lost hope of bringing tourists by road to Pisaq then Cusco) is now without electricity as power cables have been destroyed.

The entirety of the Sacred Valley is now only accessible by air.

I’m not sure how fast these bridges will be able to be rebuilt, so if you are planning on visiting Cusco any time soon, rethink your plans.  I am sure that these bridges will be the highest priority in the near future, but still, how long does building a bridge take?