Being Tall in Cuzco

     At 6 feet, 5 inches tall I’m used to having some difficulty maneuvering around certain places. However, here in Cuzco, Peru I’ve noticed that things just aren’t made for taller people like me. The local people here tend to be fairly short, due to the effects of the high altitude on development. Especially in the older generations, I’ve noticed hardly any locals significantly taller than 5 feet. Because of this, the majority of the buildings here are not built to accommodate someone of my size. This is especially evident in older buildings and buildings in rural areas, like in the town of Chinchero that we visited this past week. I have to constantly be aware of my surroundings, lest I want to get a good knock to my head. Ducking to fit through doorways has become second nature, although there are some that I can’t even fathom trying to walk through (see the photo below).

I manage to hit my head nearly every morning on the ceiling in my room in our hotel in Cuzco, as there is a load-bearing beam in my path from my bed to the bathroom. Thankfully it doesn’t hurt much, and it serves as a nice wake up call to get my day started. When getting on and off the buses we use to travel around the region, I have to be careful to bend over significantly in order to avoid hitting my head. On a funnier note, though probably related more to poor workmanship than my size, I now have to avoid the Peruvian fast food restaurant named Bembo’s here in Cuzco after I somehow managed to break one of their chairs during our first week here.

While having to be careful about my height has been an inconvenience, in reality it has not had any detrimental impact on my experience here. It has served as a funny conversation piece at times, but has also helped to spark my interest in the effects that altitude can have on human health and development. Most of us have experienced the short-term effects of the altitude, experiencing symptoms of altitude sickness even after taking Diamox to help acclimate. Headaches and vomiting have unfortunately been common complaints during our time here. The local population doesn’t have to worry about this, since they were born with helpful adaptations to cope with living in a location with such reduced oxygen saturation. Nevertheless, there are long-term effects, like having the aforementioned short stature. This is a very fascinating topic that I will definitely read more about in the future.

Day 1: The penthouse, new phone, and good food

The first thing I want to do is be thankful for not getting altitude sickness on my flight over to Cuzco - poor David. Cuzco at first glance seems like an amazing city - the cobblestone streets, the vendors running around, interesting architecture, amazing views and more make this city look like a fun one to be in for the next few weeks. Casa Elena is much nicer than I expected, and just one step into the lobby shows me that it won't be difficult to live in this hotel. The lunch is good and I am surprised by the custom of having soup before every entree. The rest of the group looks great as well and it was fun to go through customs and the Lima airport with Jeff, Paloma, and Quinn rather than being confused and lost by myself. 


Then there's the room... and the view! Andrew, David, and I are rooming together in the top floor (my breath is gone after taking those stairs - it's probably the altitude) and I was blown away by the view of the rooftops and the sky: 



I’m excited to wake up to that every day. Also, the phones we got are very interesting and might take some getting used to (pictured next to my iPhone 6):


Finally, we went to a restaurant called Papacho’s Burgers. I ordered a Mustafa burger (shoutout to my father Mustafa Shaban) and I might have spent a little too much but the food quality there made me excited for what’s to come. Also, you have to pay for water at restaurants here?!?!


The first day was a successful one and I am excited for the rest of the trip!

Change of perspective in Chincheros

Over the five day excursion our Maymester group embarked upon, my most memorable experiences were the two days spent in Chincheros, a small, rural town located outside of Cuzco at a mild 12,500 feet. We stayed with an incredibly kind host family at Casa de Tejedora where they provided us home cooked food and warm beds. They also devoted much of their time to us by allowing us to partake in potato-picking, the main agricultural industry in Chincheros as well as personally escorting us to a stowed-away waterfall that was about a two hour hike from where we stayed. Sifting my hands through gravel and picking potatoes, I gained a new appreciation for the delicateness and thoroughness of foods I had previously thought were somehow robotically mass-produced in a factory. When one of the elderly ladies cooked some of the potatoes we had picked by simply using a match and a pile of gravel to create an oven, I got to taste some of the richest, freshest, plain potatoes I had ever eaten. That morning, satisfaction was simply enjoying some of Earth’s basic foods and getting a glimpse at how many villagers of Peru lived. In the afternoon, two kids from the family volunteered to guide us on a hike to the waterfall. I had never been an avid fan of hiking, but the trail was breathtakingly scenic with towering trees, running water and mountain views straight out of movies. The best part was that there wasn’t a single other hiker on the trail, allowing us to enjoy the hike and waterfall in complete serenity without having to jostle for photos or a better angle. During the hike back, night descended and we had to rely on phone flashlights and the sound of our guides to lead us back to the house. Being so isolated from other sources of artificial light, whenever I turned my head upward toward the sky, I saw a dazzling display of constellations and planets. It is hard to describe how incredible the view was, but suffice to say that our group stopped at least five times to simply enjoy the view in silence. Growing up in a privileged environment where our standard of living allows us to watch IMAX 3-D movies and connect with friends over ever-evolving social media, this technology detox was one of the most serene and leisurely activities I have ever experienced. Who needs digital entertainment when you can gaze up at the sky and be mesmerized by shimmering stars or close your eyes and listen to the relentless fall of water?

¿Te gusta Anime? ¡Sí, me encanta! (Do you like anime? Yes, I love it!)

The world is a pretty funny thing to think about. Its massiveness is just a small barrier to how interconnected humans are. Our languages may be different but we can say the same things, and our tastes in tv shows may be different but the genres are still the same. I say that to bring up this awesome experience I had when the crew and I went to stay in La Tejadora in Chinchero, Peru. A group of us (just guys because the girls didn’t want to get their nails dirty JAJAJAJAJAJA just kidding of course..... but seriously it was just guys) went on a adventurous, enjoyable hike to see a “catarata" (waterfall). The adventure was sooooooo awesome, yet at the same time it was a bit physically demanding. However, during the duration of the trip we were lead by two local teens named Fiorella and Ribaldo. Fiorella was the niece of the family who owned La Tejadora, and Ribaldo was their son. They both were very interesting individuals, but one thing that really caught my attention was a very entertaining conversation I had with Hidalgo. Hidalgo and I went ahead of the group and this gave me a chance to talk to him in spanish. We were discussing things that we enjoyed doing until he said “Me gusta ver Anime” (I like to watch Anime). At first, I had zero clue what he said because the word Anime sounded different in spanish. However, after muchos repeticiones (many repetitions) I finally figured out what he was saying and I was shocked. Here I was having a conversation with Hidalgo about tv shows that we both enjoy. One may say it seems obvious that people all over the world watch anime, but ladies and gentlemen you will let me enjoy my realization. So as we ventured to the waterfall we talked about anime, and as we walked back to the hotel we talked about anime. Some of them we both knew, and some of them were new to me. I will never forget though, the time I asked “Ya has visto Sword Art Online” (Have you seen Sword Art Online), the anime show below, and responded “Sí, me encanta.” My mind was blown…… I found someone in Peru who understood the awesomeness of Japanese cartoons. And to go even further, not more than a day later I had a conversation with Vanessa, the Argentinian wife of "Soy Steve,” about music that she liked and she said Japanese music. You probably already know the next question I asked…. and of course the answer was “Sí, me encanta.” We talked about Fruits Baskets, another anime, and etcetera. But oh my my my…. who knew Anime could be so global (sarcasm of course :P). So if you didn’t guess by now that I like Anime, then ask. And when you do, I’ll simply say “Sí, me encanta.” ;). I think I will watch some here in Peru. Don't tell the crew though.... they'll be upset because i'd be hogging all the internet XD. They'd become CRAZY #insider.

El Puerto del Sol

The main attraction of Machu Picchu is obviously the ruins of the Incan city, but higher up in the mountains is also el Puerto del Sol – the Sun Gate. The picture below is taken from the Machu Picchu city ruins, and you can see part of the trail going up (red arrow) and a little bit of el Puerto del Sol (red circle). 

El Puerto del Sol is all the way at the top of the mountain, but the trail wasn’t too hard to climb up. It took us maybe an hour and a half, and that is including resting time (going down probably took a third of the time). There were a few stops along the trails that were little ruins where we could rest for a bit. The trail itself was either narrow inclines or narrow stairs, and there isn't a whole lot of room between the edge of the trail and the drop off the mountain. I've never been afraid of heights, but it's a little dizzying (and mildly terrifying) to look down and see the ground thousands of feet below you.

When you’re that high up in the mountains, there’s a good chance that everything below you will be covered in clouds and mist. Luckily (for me at least – I really wanted to touch a cloud) we got both the clouds and the stunning view of Machu Picchu from el Puerto del Sol. During the last legs of our hike, the clouds blew up around us, and the majority of Machu Picchu and the valley below were covered in mist.

As we rested at el Puerto del Sol, however, the clouds blew away, and we were able to see what was (in my opinion) one of the best views of the mountains and the ruins.

(Near the middle, a little bit to the left, is Machu Picchu. This panorama isn’t zoomed in, so you might have to squint a little).

Adventures in Chinchero

            Over this past week, we had the opportunity to travel to Chinchero, a small town outside of Cuzco, where we stayed at a house with a family from the area.  We were there for two days, one of which was reserved for seeing the cultural area of Chinchero and the other for rest.  The latter turned into anything but a relaxing day.  After picking potatoes in the morning, we were told of a nearby waterfall that we could hike to.  Many of us were interested, so that evening we decided to make the trek, led by the two children that lived in the house, Fiorella y Ribaldo.  The hike was incredibly steep and isolated, but we were rewarded with an incredible experience.  We descended into a valley, where we were treated to views of snowcapped mountains and flowing rivers before finally arriving at the 100-foot waterfall.  The water cascaded off the astoundingly steep cliff to the basin that we were stationed at before flowing off into the valley below.  The sight was made even more special when considering that few people had ever experienced it (we did not see a single person outside of our group the entire hike). 

            Because we started our hike late, we had to return in the dark.  Although this was a bit intimidating, we saw it as a blessing in disguise.  Due to the fact that the hike was so isolated and the town was so small, we had an undisturbed view of the night sky, which was lit up with stars and planets (Jupiter and Venus, specifically).  There are very few times in my life that I have seen as many stars as I did on our hike, and it capped off a truly incredible day.  This trip, though it was not even supposed to be a part of our time in Peru, was one of the most impactful parts of my experience here thus far.

Views of the hike

The Waterfall

Late post about my ailment

I was only reminded about making this blog post after Conor sped out of the bus to vomit all over the wall of a building in Cusco last night as we returned from Machu Picchu. Last Saturday (5/9/15) I woke up in the middle of the night around 4 A.M. with a ringing headache and excruciating nausea. I tried to go back to sleep but only kept waking up every half hour or so. I decided to just shower at 5:30 and get the day started, but promptly vomited right after showering. Drinking chamomile tea at breakfast seemed to cure the nausea like magic, but it only lasted for maybe an hour at best. I struggled through the day of traveling to various locations (Sacsayhuaman, Qenqo, Pisac), feeling barely alive and really wishing I felt better so that I could actually appreciate all the cool stuff we were seeing. I didn’t even get to try to get a selfie with the alpacas! Then I had to sit out and stay on the bus while everyone else got to visit another site (Tambomachay). While we were stopped in the parking lot at Tambomachay, my unexpected savior, my knight in shining armor, the bus driver Wilfredo, told me to sit and wait while he got something for me, so I did (that was about as much as I could have done at that point). He comes back maybe 30 minutes later bringing back a handful of a green plant called muña that he had picked from somewhere nearby. He showed me how to squish and rub the leaves in between your fingers to release the oils and then to smell the plant. He even encouraged me to eat the leaves to help cure my sickness. And much like the chamomile tea from breakfast, the muña worked almost instantly like magic in taking care of my nausea and headache, except it lasted much longer than a measly hour. Wilfredo was super relieved that I felt better and he gave me a brief lecture saying how Peruvians have a big focus on herbal medicines, which was cool for me since herbal medicine also plays a huge role in Korean culture as well, despite how modernized the country is nowadays. As I write this post now one week removed from that ailment probably caused by a combination of altitude sickness and dehydration, all I can say is that I’m glad it’s over and I hope that those who haven’t gotten sick on the trip so far don’t catch something nasty like the rest of us.

Muña - a Peruvian medicinal plant 

Not actually a picture from when I was sick, but an accurate representation of how I felt nonetheless.

Potato Picking 05/14/15

Chinchero is known for its favorable potato growing conditions and many different types of potatoes. Luckily, the family that we were staying with owns a potato farm, and we were able to go potato picking. When we arrived at the farm, the members of the family were using hoes to rake up the potatoes. After the potatoes were raked, they started to place them on "mantas" or small blankets so that they could easily transfer them to the large potato sacks. We were instructed to just jump right in and pick as many potatoes as possible. We had so much fun learning about the many different types of potatoes and using the hoes to pick them. Then, one of the family members started to make a “huatia,” which is a form of an oven shaped like a dome that allows you to cook potatoes on the field. This “dome” is made using large clumps of mud and it is filled with eucalyptus leaves and potato brush. According to Professor Falconi, some celebrity chefs are starting to use this method to cook potatoes! When she lit the leaves, a fire immediately started. After heating up for forty minutes, the oven was ready and they began to put some of the potatoes that we picked inside. Next, they covered the potatoes with the heated mud clumps that made up the dome and then they completely covered the dome with dirt. After cooking for another forty minutes, the potatoes were ready. A few of us were nervous to eat them because they were not washed, but they smelled so delicious that we could not resist eating them after our hard day of work. They brought out a green salsa and cow cheese to accompany the potatoes and we all dug in. I can confidently say that they were the best potatoes that I have ever had. After thanking the family for kindly sharing their farm with us, we walked back to the house that we were staying at. On our walk, we saw large black pigs and their piglets, angry sheep, and oxen. We also got to try fava beans and see what quinoa plants look like. The ending of our walk was uphill. When we reached the top, we were all winded, as the Peruvian altitude tends to do to you. When we finally reached the house, we were all exhausted, but I think we would all agree that we could not have made it without the energy that the potatoes gave us.

El olor de Cuzco (The Smell of Cuzco)

Walking through the streets of Cuzco, being a tourist in all, I have to say one of the things that hit me the hardest was this very strong stench. In the alleyways one could say that there must have been dogs without manners living all over Cuzco, and believe it or not there are dogs all over Cuzco…. even in Machu Pichu. If I were to describe this smell right now, this blog might actually be deleted…. not joking. Just know that this is not a pleasant smell. However, our bodies, being awesome and all, have this neurological mechanism that allows us to smell something and then become accustomed to the smell (If you want to discuss it, we can talk over Mate de Coca tea ;P). That being said, after getting accustomed to that horrid smell I was able to open eyes to the bigger picture that Cuzco had to offer. I was able to take in the working parts of this historical, yet consistently growing, city. Without the dogs, it wouldn’t be Cuzco. Without the “massages,” it wouldn’t be Cuzco. Without the indigenous women selling things on the street, Cuzco would just not be Cuzco. Therefore damas y caballeros (ladies and gentlemen), the next time you decide to avoid something because of its smell just know that the smell is temporary so don’t let that keep you from an awesome experience. OH and guys... I haven't smelled all that Cuzco has to offer yet so please... Wish Me Luck!

Cuzco vs. Lima

Something that struck me about Lima almost immediately was the noise. This is not to say that it was a particularly noisy city, or that Cuzco was particularly quiet, but the two sounded very different. In Cuzco, it was not unusual to hear dogs barking, people chatting in many languages, and salespeople asking you to pass through their stores. It felt as though around every corner someone was asking you to feel the chompa they were selling or join their bus tour (probably because it literally was around every corner). Lima, however, sounded completely different. The echo of dogs barking was replaced by the footsteps of power-walking pedestrians (although one could still find the occasional dog barking. The chirp of salespeople was replaced by the splashing of ocean waves and call of churro salesmen (sidenote: those churros were delicious). The holler of street vendors was replaced by the honking call of passing taxi cabs (speaking of which, the idea that taxi cabs honk to let you know they are available is extremely irritating and inefficient, in my opinion). All in all, both Cuzco and Lima sounded like hustling, bustling cities, just in different ways. While Cuzco felt like an old world Andean city, Lima was its modern coastal counterpart. I feel very lucky that our class got to explore both because they were so different and each gave us a different taste of Peru.

The Market

When our class first went to the market in Cuzco, I was struck by the amount of food out in the open. There was a section displaying pig heads, donkey muzzles, and basically any other form of meat you can imagine. Across from that was an area where you could buy fresh squeezed juices. These juices (along with all juices in Peru) were always fresh made and contained just fruit and sugar—they were rarely watered down. This made them the tastiest drinks you can imagine. The fresh fruits used in these beverages were available just across the market. I have never seen such large avocados, such juicy oranges, and such an exotic selection of unusual produce as were available in this local food hub. Gazing over the massive selections of beautiful Peruvian grown fruits and veggies, it was easy to understand why Peru is sometimes referred to as the “land of plenty”. In addition to all of the meat, juice, vegetables, fruits and grains, there was an area to buy handmade bread (which was delicious, of course) and some hot made food (interestingly, one of the most popular appeared to be Chinese cuisine). At the periphery of the open-aired building people sold handbags, chompas, notebooks and other handcrafts. Basically, you could buy anything and everything in this market, and visiting there was always a good time. 

Blankets and Rocks

Our weekend trip to Chincero ended up being a fantastic exploration of culture and nature. We got to visit an ornate church that featured intricate paintings on the walls and ceilings, we met many artisans selling their crafts, and our class bought A LOT of blankets. All of the blankets were hand-woven and absolutely stunning, featuring homemade thread and naturally dyed fibers. At one point in the day, our class decided to take a picture of us laying in the grass and spelling out “Peru”. Despite many failed attempts and several uncomfortable minutes, we eventually managed to get a nice photo and move on to explore the rocks and fields around us. Several of our group wandered off to look in the giant boulders, and eventually our whole class was squeezing through small crevices to look out at new views. We happened upon some terraces and spent some time enjoying the beautiful weather. Some of us continued to explore, and we found a staircase carved into one of the larger stones. We climbed up and got to see a breathtaking view of farmlands, terraces, mountains and a creek. We sat up there on the carved stone for a while, soaking in the moment and watching sheep and cows meander in a field some distance away. I am still amazed at how the staircase was made, as it couldn’t have been an easy feat to carve it out of the giant rock formation. Regardless, I am glad the effort was taken because the view was breathtaking.