Machu Picchu Peru

Who is on the right side of the Peru government/Yale University debate over the Inca Machu Picchu artifacts in the university's possession? These pieces found their way to Yale by way of Professor Hiram Bingham, an American historian, who stumbled upon Machu Picchu in 1911 while searching for another hidden Inca city. Though other explorers may have gotten there first, it is Bingham whose name is associated with the "re-discovery" of Machu Picchu and the beginning of its international fame as a manmade wonder of the world.

I started thinking about the subject because of an op-ed piece in the February 23rd issue of The New York Times by Eliana Karp-Toledo, former first lady of Peru and now a visiting lecturer at Stanford University (where she is also an alum). She is married to Peru's first indigenous president, Alejandro Toledo, who served from 2001 to 2006.

The rightful return of antiquities is of course a subject of controversy the world over. Where, for instance, do the Elgin Marbles belong, in the British Museum where they have been since the early 1800s or in Athens where they were sculpted to decorate the Parthenon, centuries before the birth of Christ?

In the lingering Machu Picchu artifacts repatriation dispute, Yale has insisted that with case law on its side, it has the right to hold on to these artifacts indefinitely, those that are housed in a museum on campus and others that continue to be used in archeological research. A preliminary agreement between the two entities was finally reached in September of last year. In it, Yale acknowledges that Peru owns and only loaned the artifacts to Bingham. It describes plans for a co-sponsored exhibition of the artifacts along with some in Peru's possession that would tour internationally. It stipulates that the Peruvian government will build a museum to house the tour collection and a research center in Cusco, the gateway city to Macchu Picchu, with Yale serving in an advisory role. The museum would open on the centenary of Bingham's discovery. Yale would keep some of the artifacts for further study. A joint statement by the university and the Peruvian government, outlining the agreement, is posted on Yale's website. It isn't specific about how many artifacts Yale would continue to hold for research purposes, for how long, or why, nor does it mention that the agreement is on hold as Karp-Toledo states in her article. She maintains that what underlies Yale's desire to keep certain artifacts for another 99 years and to drag out the negotiations until a president less sympathetic to indigenous rights took office may be its colonial attitude. In my mind, of all the contentious international issues with many sides, many nuances and a long turbulent history, the repatriation of artifacts comes about as close to being a black and white ethical decision as there is. The artifacts belong where they came from. Otherwise you have to believe that "finders keepers, losers weepers" is how civilized society should conduct itself.

Lacy's South American Tour Part VIII: Galapagos, Ecuador (17 Feb 2008)

I'm on to the next part of my South American trip: touring the Galapagos Islands. I'm on our Galapagos MultiSport Adventure.

I meet our travelers and Alfredo (our guide) and we grab kayaks. I haven’t actually gone sea kayaking on the ocean before, but I’m pretty much up for most things. It was great. Alfredo showed us the proper way to paddle and I’m pretty much a pro now. We headed out around Carola break along the shoreline to Darwin’s Bay just underneath Frigate Hill. We see sea lions, sea turtles, frigates, and blue-footed boobies diving. Super interesting to watch and I am decidedly a kinesthetic learner.
While I may have been to the Galapagos twice before, this time I can literally tell you everything our guides say about the wildlife we encounter. The only differences are that I’m doing something active, instead of suffering the boredom of a naturalist “hike” in the direct sun, and I am likely more familiar with the Islands than your average tourist. Plus, the group is great. The sea is notably rough, but everyone just enjoys the experience. This is what the Galapagos is really about!

Ecuador Roses

If you purchased red roses for your valentine today, there’s a good chance they started out in Ecuador. Fresh flowers are one of the country’s top agricultural exports, valued at $436 million in 2006, comprised primarily of roses grown in the coastal lowlands. For the subset of givers and getters on this Valentine’s Day who desire organic everything, right down to the clothes they wear, organically-grown Ecuadorian roses may be ordered through FTD. While I don't count myself among these environmental purists, it does make sense. A pesticide-free world is like world peace. It’s a goal we all hope for and are unlikely to achieve, yet the earth will be better off, the closer we can get to both. The New York Times reports that in 2006, sales of organic flowers totaled $19 million in this $21 billion-a-year industry, according to The Organic Trade Association. Debating industry practices, growers these days are pondering whether the proper focus should be on organics or on developing a fair trade standard or both. There is little disparity between the cost of growing a flower with or without pesticides. Then there’s the transportation hitch that tarnishes the image of any product shipped long distances by pollution-causing means. The philosophical questions become even more complex when the cost of heating northern clime greenhouses to produce "locally-grown" flowers is weighed against the travel impact of roses grown in far-off places where sun is enough. Like most environmental issues, its' a condundrum.

Lacy's South American Tour Part VII: Cuenca, Ecuador (05 Feb 2008)

I think I just may have found my new favorite city in Ecuador: Cuenca, officially known as Santa Ana de los Cuatro Rios de Cuenca. It has a beautiful colonial center and plenty of legends, four rivers run through it with rolling mountains surrounding, and its near El Cajas National Park. 

The area has an impressive history dating back to around 500 AD when the Canari culture created the small city, a hub of metallurgy at the time. Here the society thrived until the mid-1400's when the expanding Inca Empire began its long battle to conquer the area. The Incas finally succeeded and renamed the town Pumapungo, meaning Door of the Puma in Quechwa. Pumapungo was constructed to emulate the Inca capital of Cusco and become the northern capital of the Empire. Shortly thereafter, however, the Spanish Conquistadors found the city in the mid-1500's, promptly demolishing it and reconstructed the area in the traditional colonial style, parts of which are still standing. 

During my Cuenca tour, I visited the viewpoint high above the city (it still resembles Cusco!), toured the colonial center, and learned about the interesting legends of the area. I strongly recommend anyone visiting Ecuador make a trip, even if just a short one, down to Cuenca--it's well worth the short flight from Quito to spend a couple of days in the area, from where you can also tour the Ingapirca Ruins and El Cajas National Park.

Mt. Tungurahua Eruption

It's July and I'm sitting in Frieda Kahlo's garden at the Mexico City museum that was once her home. The sun is shining and suddenly it starts to snow. Those in the know inform the rest of us that it is not an unseasonable storm brewing, rather, Popocatepetl is at it again. When the volcano (40 miles southeast of the city) intermittently erupts, it's just business as usual.

The citizens of the little town of Banos in central Ecuador must feel the same way when the volcano at their doorstep, 16,452 ft Mt. Tungurahua, decides to put on a show. Since the beginning of January, Mt. Tungurahua has started up again, in what has been an extended period of regular eruptions.


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Tungurahua is a stratovolcano, one that contains lava as well as pyroclastic rock fragments that form during eruptions. Unlike August of 2006 when a Tungurahua eruption killed several people, shut down highways and destroyed crops and livestock, this latest eruption is attracting tourists by the thousands who want to catch a glimpse of the mountain in action.

Tungurahua is located in Ecuador's famed Avenue of the Volcanoes, so dubbed by German explorer Alexander von Humboldt. In this 200-mile corridor are eight of Ecuador's highest mountains. Tungurahua is 25 miles east of 20,700-ft Chimborazo, a mountain that has not erupted in recorded time, and 50 miles south of 19,000-ft Cotopaxi, one of the world's most active volcanoes, located in Cotopaxi National Park, a popular destination for hikers on Ecuador tours.

Visitors come to Banos to soak in its thermal springs, to make a pilgrimage to the basilica, Nuestra Senora del Agua Santa, that is built of Tungurahua's volcanic rock, to climb the mountain and as a stopover on their way to the Ecuador Amazon through the Pastaza Valley, a waterfall-filled biking route.

Lacy's South American Tour Part VI: Ingapirca Ruins, Ecuador (04 Feb 2008)

I made it to Ingapirca. (Por fin!) After resting at a local posadad (inn), I went to tour Ecuador's famous Ingapirca Ruins not anticipating to be particularly wowed--after all, my travels to Machu Picchu, Cusco, and the Sacred Valley last year can't be beat in terms of amazing Inca architecture, right?

I was surprised, though. Ingapirca is not simply another Inca ruin; it is very distinct to its location and well worth the trip to see it. The area, Canar province, was originally home to the Canari, an indigenous group with a very distinct culture and architecture. Along with two other groups in Ecuador, the Quitu based near present day Quito and the Caras on the coast, the Canari were able to stave off the eventual conquest of Ecuador by the Incas for decades. The Temple of the Sun, or Castillo, was erected by the Inca and Canari after this conquest on a sacred site of the Canari. It was also the burial site of 12 pre-Inca Canari believed to be caciques (chiefs).

The destruction of the site was actually begun by the Incas--or rather by the disintegrating empire ruled by two feuding brothers. Huascar (a full-blood Inca) was located in Cuzco, Atahualpa (a mix between Inca and local indigenous blood of Ecuador) was based out of the Quito area. Ingapirca was one battle site between the brothers.

The final destruction of the ruins came with the gold-hungry Spanish. It wasn't completely demolished, though, and parts were used to house animals at a local hacienda before it was recognized as an important site. Quite a unique history for a relatively small place. There was also a short hike leading to other sites in the vicinity including Cara Inca (Inca's face)--can you see it? 

Lacy’s South American Tour Part V: Riobamba to Ingapirca Ruins, Ecuador (03 Feb 2008)

I’ll admit it: I’m cheap—or if you ask my nicer friends I’m “frugal.” The same goes for traveling. If I can save a couple of bucks by taking the bus, or better yet by hitch-hiking, you bet I will. I’ve done few tours. I’ve lived in Quito, Ecuador, and traveled throughout surrounding areas, as well as parts of Peru, so when I first began my Ecuador trip south through the Andean highlands I figured I could easily get where I wanted to on my own. Who needs a tour guide anyway?

Well, I didn’t really…that is until I wanted to travel from Banos (my very first stop from Quito) through Riobamba and down to the Ingapirca Ruins. A guide and driver would have helped immeasurably with my experience of trying to travel through this lesser developed section of the country, as well as explained the beautiful surrounding countryside. (It also would have been nice to have decent bicycles and someone to pick us up after the Pailon del Diablo ride in Banos!) Because of the holiday (Carnival) and the recent rains that deconstructed sections of the Pan American Highway (that amounted to little more than a mud pit in major sections--see below) and the Devil’s Nose Train railway, I found it incredibly difficult to get around. I speak Spanish fluently and am traveling with an Ecuadorian (albeit someone from another part of the country).

Hitch-hiking was out because we have all of our gear, including the laptop I’m writing on right now. The buses were all off schedule; most never even came. Taxis were even a struggle to find for anything longer than a short jaunt around the city. Other travelers we met en route fared far worse judging from their “war” tales and seriously delayed trips, because of their unfamiliarity with the country and difficulty understanding locals.

In the end we finally convinced taxis to give us rides through the fog along difficult roads. Someone familiar with the route sure would have been better (and safer!). Also, while one of the taxi drivers was great and really knew the history or geography of sections of the area, most did nothing more that get us to our destination, which is really all their job entails. I felt like I missed a lot of what we passed along the way, which included colorful Carnival festivals and parades distinct to each town we passed. I don’t think that we even really saved much money in the end—private transport by taxi, even shared with other travelers, can certainly eat away your travel dollars.

I doubt I will ever be convinced that a big tour bus operation is really the best option for me; however, I will say that in traveling through lesser developed parts of the world (even if I expected the areas to be easy to navigate), a driver and guide can definitely improve the experience. If I had a strict timeframe, or couldn’t speak the language, or wasn’t traveling with someone familiar with the culture, I would have likely missed out on even more of what I was hoping to see simply by trying to get from one place to the next.

In the end, we made it to where we wanted to go and are, as mom would say, still in one piece, which is the important part. But why skimp on traveling when the overall experience could be so much better?

Here's a foggy shot of the muddy Pan American. (It's not the camera; that's really as good as it got there.)