Day 7: Last Day in Peru

We started the day with a visit to the National University farm. We visited their dairy educational unit where they were medicating a cow for Milk Fever. Their cows produce approximately 4 ½ gallons of milk per day (compared to 10-12 gallons per day in the United States). The cow’s feed included alfalfa, clover and a mineral rich grain mixture. Research on the dairy includes examining liver flukes and artificial insemination. We also visited educational units exploring the advantages of drip irrigation, using Styrofoam for hydroponic lettuce, methane digesting as well as their artichoke field.

The rest of our day was spent continuing our educational journey about the Inca Empire through visits to various Inca ruins near Cusco, Peru. The first site we visited was the Inca site Sacsayhuaman. Although generally referred to as a fortress because of the castle like walls, it is believed Sacsayhuaman actually served as a religious temple. Construction began under Inca emperor Pachacutec in the mid-15th century and it took thousands of men approximately 150 years to complete its construction. Sacsayhuaman is constructed over a huge area and is constructed of large rocks (one is said to weigh 300 tons) that are believed to have been sourced as far as 50 kilometers away.

The next site we visited was Tambomachay, also known as Los Banos del Inca (Inca Baths). This site consisted of stone ruins made up of three tiers of stone platforms. Water still flows through the outlets of this site and, in fact, the stream running alongside appeared to be the cleanest water our group has viewed on the trip. Although these are referred to as baths, the water was actually used for ceremonies and worship (rather than for cleanliness).

The last Inca ruin we visited was Q’enko. This ruin consists of a large limestone formation carved into a cave-like room. The cave included a stone alter where sacrificial blood ceremonies occurred. Our visit at this site was cut a little short due to loud thunder and dark storm clouds rolling in. We have learned that weather at 12,000 feet can change quite quickly!

The day was concluded with a group dinner that included a performance by a local group singing traditional Incan songs and dances. All of the musicians and dancers wore traditional clothing. A few members of the class were invited to participate in some of the dances. A wonderful time was had by all and lots of pictures were taken!

Today ended our time in Peru where we visited with villagers, toured farm operations and learned about the history of the Incas and their architectural ingenuity. Peru is a developing country with many complex issues that must be addressed in order to continue their development. We can only hope to learn as much in Ecuador.

Erin Huston, Eric Limas, David Silva