travelling - Cusco and Sacred Valley

It's not unknown that the main attraction of Peru is the Inca city of Machu Pichu. In order to get there, one has to fly to the Cusco (less than 2 hours flight from Lima), and then from there you can walk for 4 days in the Inca Trail or take an expensive train from small towns located near Cusco.

Intro
Cusco is a small city that has many of the colonial architecture on it, including churches, buildings, and streets that are made of rocks. It is situated at an elevation of ~2900 m above see level, so some people do encounter issues acclimatizing with the thinner air and colder temperature. So it is recommended to spend at least a day taking it easy.

There are a lot of street vendors that want to sell things to tourists, so just be aware of them.

Language
Spanish. Since it is a city with many tourists, one can survive with English.

Transportation
Very small city, so there is no developed bus system, so the best way to get around is to take the taxi or walk around.

Food
No difference with Lima, actually every restaurant seem to serve the same type of food so it became boring.

Safety
Feels safe.

Things to do
Cusco itself has several Inca settlements you can visit within 1-2 days. Also, on your way to Machu Pichu, other Inca settlements can be visited while travelling through the Sacred Valley like Pisac, Ollantaytambo.

If you have time, then taking the Inca Trail for 4 days might be worthwhile, as the scenery from Sacred Valley is quite nice (just make sure to not go on the rainy season). If time is limited, you can consider taking a tour (either group or private), either arranging with agents at the airport or at the hotel or hostel you're staying at.

My friends and I went on a private tour taking us to both Pisac and Ollantaytambo, which were pretty nice Inca settlements to visit (though they do pale in comparison with Machu Pichu, but it is worth the visit).

Insights

On our private tour to the Sacred Valley, the driver was telling us about their tradition to perform a ritual of a symbolically offering to gods of harvest so that they will be blessed with fertile lands and rain, and so on. It is probably very common in small cities that traditions from old native religions are still practiced today.

I find it interesting that the concept of offering something to a god to appease them and gain its favor is kind of a common theme in many religions. You can look at the Greek mythology to look for many examples!

Our faith is similar, that God requires a sacrifice to satisfy His wrath towards sins of mankind. And there is nothing that we can do or offer to appease God. So God Himself provided the sacrifice, Jesus, to die as an act of propitiation so that God's wrath is satisfied and now we receive favor from God. It is just "scandalous" that God Himself did this, and our works are not what save us but by sheer grace from God. This is one of the major characteristics that makes Christianity so distinct and glorious.

traveling - Lima, Peru

I recently came back from a 3 weeks trip to South America. It was a great trip, and I hope to share some of the highlights, practicalities, and insights regarding the places I visited on my next blog spots. I am very thankful to God for the opportunity and ability to be able to go and explore these places.

The first place I visited is Lima.

Intro
Capital city of Peru. Probably the reason why people goes to Peru is to visit places like Machu Pichu and part of the Amazon, but Lima will be the first port of entry. So people are bound to visit Lima. Other than the nicer area (where most tourists stay) called Miraflores, the rest of the city feels like a big town with old buildings and streets.

Language
Spanish. English might be ok on places like museums or parks.

Transportation
Taxi is the main way to get around. There is no "meter" to know how much a taxi will charge you, so you have to bargain the price first before getting in. The bus schedule does not seem accessible on the internet, so not easily used by foreigners.

Food
Ceviche which is a dish with raw seafood and vegetable is pretty good. They also have lots of fried meat like chicken and seafood. Other than that, I did not find it too special.

Safety
It feels safe hanging out on the touristic area (Miraflores).

Things to do
I was there for 2 days, but I feel that 1 day will probably do for me. I would recommend:

• Taking the touristic bus for city tour for 2.5 hours that takes you to some of the government buildings, historical site, and a walk to the monastery of St Francis that has catacombs
• Visit Larco Museum which have pre-Inca civilization stuff

There are also beaches, but the weather is usually cloudy so I did not go. There are also some small Inca settlements but if you are going to Machu Pichu then there is really no need to look at the small stuff.

Insights

While visiting the monastery of St Francis, there is an old library inside with many old books (relics), but unfortunately they are all exposed to sunlight and there is no initiative to attempt to preserve them. My friend was pretty upset about the lack of effort to preserve artifacts of cultural significance. So I explained that Peru is probably more focused on addressing areas that are more important like the economy, education, and other social needs.

Living in Canada is quite comfortable, and it is easy to take for granted the things that are easily accessible to us: good education, safety, health care, good work opportunities, etc. Many people on other countries struggle with getting some of these "basic" stuff. So we have to be really thankful to God for all the "basic" stuff that we already have (like food on the table every day, a roof to stay under) and be mindful for those who don't have it.