Trying to put everything together… at the airport.
Let me start off by saying Machu Picchu was amazing. I was up there early enough to see the sunrise before my official tour of the site. The stonework was awesome and completely blew me away in some places. There was one stone that has 32 different angles cut into it!
I was able to hike up to Huayna Picchu, the smaller mountain on the right side of the pictures from my last post. It is the mountain that provides the backdrop for the traditional Machu Picchu postcard photo. I even walked down the back side of Huayna Picchu to the Temple of the Moon, which was really cool. I love the way that the Incans built things to fit the environment that already existed.
Maybe it was the 400 meter climb back UP from the Temple of the Moon on Thursday, or the fact that our bus back from the train station in Ollyamtambo to Cuzco broke down late that night (the company sent another bus for us), or maybe my body decided to crash and come down from the high of the last month of travelling, but I found myself wanting to sleep most of the day yesterday. My master plan, was to use the 10 hour lay over I have here at the Lima airport to upload photos and provide an amazing post of the climax of my Fund for Teachers Fellowship in Peru.
……
Too bad I forgot to take the USB cord that connects my camera to the computer out of my checked luggage when I was packing last night. 🙂 Pictures will have to wait until I get back to the United States. Rest assured, there will be many of them!
All in all, this was an amazing experience and I have so much material to bring back to the classroom. (!!)
Agua Calientes: 1 day til Machu Picchu
Got on the train this morning to Agua Calientes and will go to Machu Picchu tomorrow. I am tired at this point and let the company that organized my Choquiquerao trek organize everything for me, including getting my ticket to Machu Picchu. It seems to be a good decision so far.
It´s interesting to be in a little town that has no cars, only the buses that shuttle tourists from the town up the hill to Machu Picchu and is only accessible by train. I like it.
The hostel tried to interest me in going to some hot springs, an orchid museum and some waterfalls today, but I already had a plan. My guide for Choquiquerao told me that the climb up to Putucusi, a mountain just outside of town, would offer me some of the most amazing views of Machu Picchu. It turns out he was right! … but I have to WARN anyone that decides to use my post as a guide for what to do in Agua Calientes. I would not recommend this climb for anyone who is not familiar with rock climbing. This is simply because I only think that through having climbed, did I realize how scared I was supposed to be on one section of the climb and also fully realize just how much I needed to hold onto the metal cable next to the slab.
The "climb" up to Putucusi
The reward though was amazing. This was the first time that I have been in a “tourist” place in Peru and have been entirely alone. I only saw four people during my hike and had the peak all to myself for nearly two hours!
- Looking down on Aguas Calientes
It was pretty amazing to just sit and relax for a bit and comtemplate the (amazing!) view infront of me!
Pretty excited for tomorrow!
Ms. Bruck
What it might have been like to go to Machu Picchu 50 years ago…. A trek to Choquiquerao.
Standing above a part of Choquiquerao that was only uncovered in the past two years...
Contemplating the "ups and downs" of the trek ahead...
I have been looking forward to this part of my time in Peru for quite awhile now. My new 9th grade Crew at Validus next year will probably add this trek to the list of reasons why I am more ready for their Wilderness Week experience than they are. My response to them will be that I hope their Wilderness Week uncovers an unknown desire to seek out more experiences such as my trek to Choquiquerao for themselves in the future.
Before coming to Peru many people asked me why I was doing a trek to some “lesser known” Incan ruin and not Machu Picchu. Frankly, with how over run the Inca trail trek to Machu Picchu has become, I could not think of anything worse. There is a limit of 200 people plus 300 porters and guides of the Inca trail everyday now. This limit is reached and would be far surpassed during the high season if not for the controls. I can only imagine the ecological effects of such huge numbers passing over this 108 km section of the Inca trail daily. For visitors going directly to Machu Picchu via train (as I will tomorrow), tickets are limited to 2500 people per day(as of July 15th this year). Yes, 2500… and people are finding that during the high season they need to book their ticket up to a week in advance! I am excited to get my chance to see this architectural marvel in the clouds, but when it comes to a trek or any backpacking experience, I much prefer the road less travelled, which for now, is Choquiquerao. As an added bonus, the trek meant that I got to see and experience two very different Incan sites and not just the one that is most photographed.
In contrast, there were perhaps 25-30 tourists total at Choquiquerao when I was there. This in itself, is a larger number than normal. They are starting to build control/ ticket stations along the path now and there is talk of a big company trying to build either a train up to the site like Machu Picchu or a gondola. I think that such a development would greatly take away from the appeal of the site as well as greatly affect the local economy, which for now in great part depends on providing ground support for treks.
It is estimated that just 25% of Choquiquerao has been uncovered and that it could end up being up to SIX times as big as Machu Picchu! In addition to the beautiful and interesting architecture already uncovered, we also saw many many Incan walls peeking out from under the jungle and 500 years of dirt. In some places we could see parts of buildings waiting to be uncovered. So cool! It really gave a sense of what Hiram Bingham might have felt when he first saw Machu Picchu hidden underneath its own layers of dirt and the jungle.
CHOQUIQUERAO TREK: DAY 1.
We started off our trek in the rain. The beginning was relatively flat for the first 11 kilometers or so and then we began the decent…. which I knew meant we would have a huge ascent on the return trip!
Sign marking the start of the trek.
DAY 2:
We woke up at 5:30 at the start of the second day knowing that a full 1500 meters of elevation gain lay ahead of us just to get up to the campsite of Choquequirao…. we would end up doing a full 2000 meters by the time we went up to the site in the afternoon, scrambled down the back side to see the newly uncovered “llama terraces” (Amazing! Fantastic!) and back up to the main plaza again…. but first we had a 500 meter descent to the river below in order to reach the base of the mountains on the other side.
The view from about 1/3 of the way up the mountain on day 2. This day was probably the 2nd hardest hike I have ever done in my life (after the summit dawn of Mt. Kilimanjaro!). It just seemed to get steeper and steeper and the bugs.... I have 30 bug bites on ONE arm alone!
View from the top of the climbing up 1500 meters.
We are MUCH more tired than we look... but happy 🙂
Our first glimpse of Choquiquerao in the distance...
As far as my camera will zoom in from the previous picture. We are at the top of the major climbing but still about 5 kilometers away at this point!
At the control to pay our entrance fee of 38 soles (about $14), this little guy took a liking to me...
My first glimpse of the newly uncovered terraces at the bottom site (only uncovered 2 years ago). We never made it down there as it was about 2 hours round trip extra and there were four other parts to visit!
Close up of the terraces above.
Our cook for the trek, Reynaldo, putting on a show complete with his chef hat.
Obligatory pose at the entrance to the site. Notice the Quechua spelling...
We did our first round of exploring in the late afternoon. Not a single person or other group was there!
On top of the world...
Another close up of more waterworks.... notice how "rough" the stonework appears in contrast to the other sites I have been. Choquiquerao was built AFTER the Spanish arrived, in a much shorter timespan. A place where the Incas fled to, there was little time for their characteristically careful and close fitting stonework.
After some exploring of the main plaza, our guide took us down down down DOWN to the viewpoint of the “llama terraces,” which were only uncovered a couple of years ago. They were absolutely beautiful.
The white rock for the llama shapes is from the river over 1700 meters below!
DAY 3: MORE EXPLORING OF CHOQUIQUERAO AND BACK DOWN THE MOUNTAIN
Not a bad view to wake up to in the morning...
We slept in until 7am on day 3. Our guide took us back up to the ruins for a morning of exploring before hiking back down to the bottom of the valley.
They are leaving parts of the site in its original state, so people can see how much restoration work has been done.
What lies beneath? One may have to come back in 25 years to see it all....
Day 4 we got up early and retraced our steps from the first day up up up hill. This time in the blazing sun. I was so happy to see our porters/ mule handlers at the top with water and lunch!
Day 5 involved waking up to this(!):
and hopping in the van back to Cuzco, stopping off at some hot springs along the way.
All in all an amazing trip within a trip! I am in Cuzco today and tomorrow I will go on my final excursion (to Machu Picchu) before heading back to the states. I hope everyone has had an amazing summer!
Ms. Bruck
Revised: Puno, Lake Titicaca, Uros, Amantani and Taquille Islands
My last post did not do justice to the experiences I had, so now that I am in Cuzco, with faster internet speeds, I can take the time properly present my last post.
Puno is the second most touristed city in Peru, after Cuzco. The interesting thing is that most people (including myself) do not actually spend that much time in the city of Puno itself, but rather, use it as a launching pad to visit the islands on Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world (3840 meters). The entire Puno/Lake Titicaca area is FREEZING right now as well. I finally had a reason to take out my down jacket!
So after spending a chilly night in Puno, I got on a local boat to head out to the islands. They have organized tours available to all of the islands, especially the floating islands of Uros (which are made out of reeds and really are floating), but I had heard negative things about these tours and opted to figure it out on my own and force myself to use my newly revised Spanish. I am so glad that I did as I got to see so much more than I would have if I had had to stick next to a tour guide and stay on their timetable and explore what THEY thought was interesting, instead of what I thought was interesting. It was an awesome experience!
THE FLOATING ISLANDS OF UROS:
]The first stop that the boat made was to the floating islands of Uros. Interesting enough, the 40 minute stop was more than enough time to learn about them and move on.
The floating islands of Uros have been in existence for over 900 years. The inhabitants have to constantly add more reeds to the top layer in order to replenish the rotting reeds below.
Start of boat ride across Lake Titicaca to the floating islands of Uros, and the "knitting islands" of Amantani and Taquille.
A first glimpse of the floating islands of Uros
Waiting for an informative session about the history and construction of the floating islands.
HOMESTAY ON THE ISLAND OF AMANTANI
After the floating islands, we hopped back on the same boat to head to the island of Amantani for the night. The island has a system of tourism in which the 4,000 inhabitants (made of up 95 different communities) share homestays of foreigners according to a system that ensures no family has a guest more than once a month. The islanders live on subsistence farming, namely 40 different varieties of potatoes.
The homestays are the only time the people of Amantani actually earn money, with everything else on the island obtained through trade.
The Señora of our homestay on the island of Amantani came to meet us... you can she her spinning wool as we walk along the beach back to her home.
The women on the island of Amantani knit beautiful hats, while it is the men who sew and embroider the clothes the women wear.
Room at homestay on Amantani. The luxury of solar panels meant light at night!
Incan ruins: Entrance to the top of PachaMama, the highest point on the island of Amantani.
Random building on the island of Amantani... geometry is everywhere!
Before dinner with the 6 french speaking travelers I became friends with, we climbed to the top of the island to see the sunset.
Stealing a few moments by myself before the sunset.
Sunset over Lake Titicaca. Island of Amantani
INDEPENDENCE DAY ON THE ISLAND OF TAQUILLE
The next morning, we got up and onto another boat to head to the island of Taquille.
Inspired by all of the knitting and weaving around me, I find some time to knit on the boat ride from Amantani to Taquille.
Taquille is interesting. On this island, the men are known more for their knitting than the women. The men wear red or red/white hats that they knit themselves in order to indicate their “married” or “single” status.
Traditional dress on the island of Taquille. They swear they dress this way everyday, not just on Independence Day.
The women weave intricate belts that they give their husbands. The women also spin wool. The island centers around the plaza de armas, where they sell amazing textiles.
CULTURE OF KNITTING AND WEAVING ON THE ISLANDS OF LAKE TITICACA
The belts in particular have very interesting design, many of which are geometric.
Amantani belt
I spent quite a bit of time sitting with the man who sold me the belt afterwards. He seemed genuinely excited that someone wanted to know what they symbols actually meant to the culture and people of Taquille. It was definitely a highlight of the journey so far!
One symbol the appears over and over again is the "6 suyos". According the man I bought the belt from, these are 6 crops, or elements of sustenance on the island, such as quinoa, corn, fish, etc. According to the internet, it is the 6 communities on the island. I guess I will have to do more research!
We spent the rest of the day exploring the island and hiking. It was so beautiful!
Went for a nice little hike around the island of Taquille and came across many arches. The red flowers above are used to dye the wool they knit with on the island.
Sheep on Taquille= wool= knitting. 🙂
EXCHANGE OF IDEAS AND TECHNIQUES
The next day, we took a boat back to Puno. Doing as I always do when travelling, I took out my knitting. This caused quite a bit of excitement! The technique the men of Taquille use is completely different thanwhat I use. It was lots of fun, showing each other not only how we knit (Me: holding the wool in my right hand. Them: twisting the wool around their neck and knitting from the opposite side of the fabric), but also what we knit. I was working on a pair of socks, which was really interesting to them. The designs and color work in their hats is so intricate, I can hardly hope to learn how to do it!
I ended up knitting with this man from the Island of Taquille most of the boat ride back to Puno. So interesting to compare techniques and patterns!
Overall, the three days I spent on the islands were absolutely amazing and I learned to much! Truly, the perfect place for me to go!
More from Cuzco later!
Ms. Bruck
Almost time to say goodbye to my homestay…and trekking in the Colca Canyon.
Today was my last day in Arequipa. I spent it being a complete tourist, taking the red hop on/ hop off bus tour around Peru`s second largest city. Yep, they have those here too. Just as in other city´s I´ve been, not all of the stops pertained to my particular interests, but it was a good way to see a lot of the city in a short amount of time. I will be sad to say goodbye to Lucy and Marcela and also, Cet and Milagros, my two Spanish teachers while I have been here. Thank you all for making me feel welcome and giving me the confidence needed to go forth with my (previously rusty) Spanish skills!
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Outside of my homestay with Spanish Teacher, Cet, and homestay "mom" Lucy
Me, Milagros, Lucy
Spanish Teacher Milagros
Spanish Teacher Cet
COLCA CANYON AND PRE-INCAN TERRACES:
Taking with me only what I needed and leaving most of my belongings at my homestay, I went to the nearby Colca Canyon this weekend. The Canyon is famous for its Pre-Incan terraces, 70% of which are still in use farming today, a bluff known as the “Cruz del Condor,” where one can see Condors with wingspans of up to 3 meters long soaring above you, and Peru´s second deepest canyon ( 4,160 meters, which is just how high kids….). I think that is about twice as deep as the Grand Canyon in Arizona. It was absolutely breathtaking.
Pre Ican Terrace farms still in use: Colca Canyon, Peru
You can see the terraces below still in use. If you look closely, way up high in the mountains, there are lines across the hillside…. these are Pre-Incan and Incan terraces farms no longer in use. What a crazy example of “slope.” It amazes me to think that people actually farmed on terrain that steep!
The Condors were pretty breathtaking to watch. Photos and pictures can do justice to none of this trip, but I will try to post a short video I took of the Condors in a little bit.
Our trek started up at just over 3300 meters. The altitude here is amazing! We actually drove up and over the mountains at 4900 meters (16,079 ft!) just to get to the Colca Canyon. From our starting point, we descended over 1200 meters to the valley and river below. I know from backpacking that downhill is ultimately harder on your body than uphill! Three and a half hours later, we arrived at the bottom, gratefully for some shade. Despite it being the middle of winter here and freezing as soon as the sun sets, it is warm enough to give me quite a sun burn during the day!
After reaching the bottom of the Canyon and crossing the river, which ultimately drains into the Pacific Ocean, we hiked up to a small village (50 people), where we had lunch. The hike after lunch, which meandered through the villages and followed the water irrigation system/aqueducts was my favorite part of the hike. There were a few hills, but overall, it was fairly relaxing. I wish I had taken more pictures of the acquaducts as they were quite simple yet amazing.
Our guide, Cariña, giving details about a local shrine, which pays respects to both the local customs (the moutains) and Spanish/Colonial Influences
We arrived at the Oasis, where we would spend the night, about 40 minutes or so after dark. A piece of advice… always keep your headlamp someplace where it is easy to locate in your backpack! I never think I am going to need it at the beginning of the day when I pack my back, but it´s amazing how many times I´ve had to look for it, after it has already gotten dark!
The next morning, we woke up at 4:30am to start the 1,010 meter hike back up the hill to the village of Cabanaconde, where we would get breakfast and the bus back to Arequipa. This climb was no joke! It was strenuous enough that no less than 15 people chose to hire mules to ride back up to the top! I cannot even imagine how sore I will be after my 5 day trek to Choquequirao later in the trip, as I was plenty sore after this short, 2 day trek! It looks like Ms. Bruck needs to start hiking, backpacking, running and climbing more in general again!
Back up at the top of the canyon and ready for breakfast!
People still dress very traditionally in this part of the country. I am very shy about taking photos of people, but I do have these three. Aren´t the textiles beautiful? These women are not just dressed up to sell their wares to tourists! We actually saw virtually all of the women throughout the valley dressed in the same traditional manner. It is awesome to know that at least some parts of cultures prevail once exposed to the outside world.
Ms. Bruck
Nazca Lines- Mystery, Archaeology and Geometry
Warning: I took many pictures, but few are uploading due to slow internet speeds. I will do my best to upload, but am trying to link to other people’s websites (and pictures and videos) in order to give you a better idea of what I am talking about until I get my own loaded.
- Pictures taken from a scale model of the Nasca Lines in the Nasca Lines Hotel, Nazca, Peru
I really like the little town of Nazca, in desert plateau on the Southern Coast of Peru. I was first interested in coming here when I came across this website five years ago when I was looking for other things to link math to. No one knows exactly why the Nazca lines were made, though there are many theories. There seems to be three main theories: they marked how to find water; they marked some type of calendar, with lines pointing in the direction of the sunset on the Winter and Summer soltices; and the animorphic shapes represent constellations in the sky.
Take a glimpse here for a quick peek at what I’m talking about.
When most people find out about the lines, they notice the animorphic shapes. Actually, the geometric shapes are MUCH larger than the animorphic shapes. Here are just a few of the things that I learned last night at a small presentation at the Maria Reiche planetarium in the Nazca Lines Hotel:
- The lines were formed by the Nazca people 100-600 A.D by removing the rocks from the desert basin, leaving just the fine dirt below exposed.
- With the exception of the Monkey, all shapes are made from one single line that never crosses itself.
- 30% of the the large geometric shapes (triangles, trapezoids, and rectangles) are known to point to the source of water, an extremely valuable resource in the desert.
- The lines that point to the sources of water are actually perpendicular to the Rio Grande.
- Other sets of lines are perfectly parallel sources that come down from the mountains.
- The lines reach up to 480 meters long in some cases.
- It is believed that at times Nazca gather on the lines for ceremonies and at other times, they would walk and follow the lines until it lead them to sources of water.
I took at flight over the lines this morning and it was pretty spectacular! Unfortunately, my video did not turn out amazing, but I tried to share what I have with you in the posts above. I hope it works!
Ms. Bruck
Why is Ms. Bruck in Peru?
Basically, I wrote a grant. I have been so fortunate to find many opportunities to travel in my life, almost non of which I have had to pay for directly. Ever since a family friend shared with me pictures of their travels to Peru, and Machu Picchu in particular, when I was in high school, I have been determined to find an opportunity to go and explore Peru myself. This past January, when I came across the application for Fund for Teachers, a grant that gives teachers the opportunity to explore and partake in learning experiences during the summer break, I knew it was a chance to fulfill my dream of going to Peru.
As a part of the grant, I am exploring several topics and questions to later be incorporated into my classroom and teaching in the fall. To give you just a taste of the grant writing process and what to expect from my blog in the next month or so, here are the guiding questions I proposed I would explore while I am in Peru:
- Would the Incas have been as well known without their mathematical and engineering accomplishments?
- What are the implications of strong foundations in mathematical thinking for any society’s accomplishments?
- How is it possible for a culture to dominate as the Incan Empire did without a written language and only a mathematical system?
- What does geometry have to do with the integrity of the structural engineering of the Machu Picchu?
- What are the geometric patterns of the Nazca lines? Are these drawings really mathematical?
- What is the geometry of the patterns found in Peruvian textiles?
- In present times, is there a connection between the patterns of the Nazca lines and those patterns found in the textiles of the Peruvian Highlands?
- What are the economic implications of the tourist industry in regards to Machu Picchu, textiles, and artisan craft products?
That’s a lot questions! And I only know that I will come up with more as I gain new experiences.
FOR MY STUDENTS: What are some of questions that come to mind for you after what you have read thus far? What else would you like me to learn about for you?
- The larger and more bold a word, the more often it was used in my grant
Hello Validus students!
Hello Validus-
I know many of you already and I am looking forward to getting to know all of you next year. I will be your 10th grade math teacher next year, where it is our plan to have all students studying Geometry. This is awesome as Geometry is my favorite topic in math! I’m also extremely excited because even though I have been teaching Geometry for the past four years at Validus, I have an amazing opportunity to learn even more about the subject! I will be travelling to Peru this summer where I will be conducting my very own Expedition, studying the connections between Pre-Columbian civilizations of Peru, Geometry, and their amazing engineering and mystical feats such as Machu Picchu, and the Nazca Lines. At Validus, we strive to teach curriculum through experience and deep connections. I am so excited to be a student again, and eventually transfer that knowledge onto you, my students.
It is expected that you will read up and keep tabs on my discoveries throughout the summer. I look forward to you asking me tough questions that will have a part in driving my own fieldwork in Peru. Have a great Summer and comment away!
While in Peru, I’ll be following the route below:
validusinperu 