29 October 2006 Huarez
We are staying in the wonderful, comfortable Hostal Churrup in Huarez. From their fourth floor gathering space, with a fireplace, we can look out to the magical mountain range of the Cordillera Blanca, the highest mountain ranges in the Americas. The mountains are striking and such beauties of nature, a wonder they aren´t one of the new Seven Wonders of the world. We were fortunate to drive between the Cordillera Blanca and Cordillera Negro on our visit through the valley and the beautiful highland lakes of this region.
Yesterday, we enjoyed a cool wet day visiting the ancient ruins of Chavin de Huantar. Although, the weather was a bit of a damper for part of the day, investigating the underground site of these ancient, 3,000 year old ruins was awesome. The entire family had a great time sliding through the mud and climbing in and out of the underground ruins. We were fortunate to see the Lazon de Chavin. This stella is located in an underground chamber. Later, we were to see the above ground main plaza and climb below to the underground depositories for corn and beans. An explanation of the astronomical relationship between the site and the stars was fascinating. The cultural and ceremonial significance of the site was intriguing and raised our admiration for these people. For example, they designed tools for surveying a requirement for such a sophisticated site. Remember, this was a society active, about 1000 BC.
The site has more to offer as we learned by visiting the Museum in Huarez, where we were able to see photos and an exhibition of the 2006 excavation by Stanford University, Dr. John Rick and his team. So much of the site remains to be mapped and conserved. Conservation is a difficult process and an understanding of the complexity of the effort is mind boggling to us, considering what one needs to do to get various agencies, countries and experts to coordinate their interests and ambitions.
We had much to think about as we returned from Chavin to Huarez by mini-van up and down, and around hairpin turns while passing several additional old sites and places where it looked like there were cave dwellings. All this only made us more aware of the vast effort that remained to the archaeology and anthropology teams of Peru and countries like the USA, Italy, Japan, and Germany.
We have been in Peru for over a month and no longer feel like just tourist. We are beginning to notice some of the less desirable sides of the country. By that I mean, we are seeing the poverty, the reed shacks, the illiteracy, the health problems, the homeless, the living conditions that leave many in less than acceptable lifestyles. Yesterday, Gaby and I cast our eyes on a little girl, perhaps no more than four years old with eyes nearly shut by an infection or perhaps abuse or both. It pained us. We felt helpless. We try to give to the homeless boys who wear unmatched shoes, torn clothes, runny noses, and dirty bodies, but know a few soles is not enough to make a significant difference. We see the walls, mountain stones, pillars and posts painted in political propaganda for the upcoming elections. But will any change be enough to help¬…
We are all getting an education… some of it we thrive upon while other parts are harsh realities that make us ponder how we can make a difference….if we can make a difference.
Tomorrow night we leave these beautiful alpine highlands for the coast. We catch a bus to Trujillo and the ancient mud village site, Chan Chan.