2018 International Travel Study

Peru
February 15-24, 2018

2018 Peru International Travel Study Group

Day 1 – Travel Day   Omaha, Denver, and or Des Moines to Houston, to Lima, Peru

Day 2 – Lima, Peru – City Tour

We enjoyed a tour of the main attractions of the historic center of Lima, seeing the Plaza de Armas, the Cathedral, Saint Domingo Church and the Government Palace.

We begin our LEAD Alumni adventure in the Andes Mountains in the country of Peru. Lima, the capitol, was founded in 1535 and now has approx. 11 million people, 1/3 of the country’s population. It can take 3-4 hours to drive the length of the city, north to south, because of the traffic, signal lights and speed bumps.

The economy of the area is mostly from mining silver, gold and copper; agriculture, where they grow asparagus, avocados, paprika, quinoa, coffee and potatoes. Research is being done on 3,000 varieties of potatoes. Fishing and tourism also add to the economy. Tourism now amounts to 60% of the country’s income.

About 85% of the population of Peru is Catholic.

Lima, Peru

Peru is a country of earthquakes. 1746 was the worst quake and the most recent was in 2007, which registered 7.5 on the Richter scale.

We enjoyed a tour of the main attractions of the historic center of Lima, seeing the Plaza de Armas, the Cathedral, Saint Domingo Church and the Government Palace.

Larry & Carol Hudkins

 

 

The National Institute of Agrarian Innovation (INIA) is comparable to our USDA. It is an important center of agrarian research for Peru and includes 21 stations around the country.

After a delicious Peruvian meal, we headed to the INIA Institute. The National Institute of Agrarian Innovation (INIA) is comparable to our USDA. It is an important center of agrarian research for Peru and includes 21 stations around the country. They are in contact with 3 million farmers. 98% of the farmers in Peru farm 3 hectares (~ 7.4 acres) or less. 29% of the Peruvian market comes from INIA which is supported by the Administration of Agriculture.

Trent Blare, Ph.D., a former South Dakota 4-Her and UNL grad, shared his work with the CGIAR (Constitution Group in International Agriculture Research) and more specifically, the ICRAF (World Agroforestry Center), www.worldagroforestry.org. Trent is the Markets and Value Chains Specialist.   Anita Keys

Cuy, pronounced, koo’ e, or kwee, what we know as Guinea Pig, was a Peruvian staple as far back as the Incas 5000 years ago.

After the visit to the INIA, we transferred to a cuyo farm.  Cuy, pronounced, koo’ e, or kwee, what we know as Guinea Pig, was a Peruvian staple as far back as the Incas 5000 years ago.  All over the world, the guinea pig is a pet, but not in Peru where it is considered food. The rodents require little space and eat scraps and get most of their water requirement from the plants they eat, usually cornstalks.   Although for production they are fed alfalfa pellets and other nutrients.  Research is being done to 1) Improve genetics, 2) Improve production, 3) Improve management, and nutrition, 4) and in biosecurity.

Cuy farming can be more profitable than pigs and cattle as they require much less room than traditional livestock and reproduce quickly.  They can be raised by both urban and rural people.

A cuy is sold at the market for about $10 – $30.  You can find cuy in fine restaurants or on a stick on the sidewalk.
Lois Thom


Day 3 – Lima to Cusco to Sacred Valley

We saw many varieties of Alpacas, Llamas and camelids. There are also some domesticated alpacas in the higher mountains.

We had an early 5 am departure for the airport and an hour flight to Cusco at 11,000 feet above sea level.

Cusco was the Inca capital. We traveled in 2 smaller buses to travel the narrow mountain roads. We saw stacked sod fences with prickly cactus growing on top and many varieties of Alpacas, Llamas and camelids. There are also some domesticated ones in the higher mountains. We were shown the spinning and weaving of the alpaca wool and how they die the wool.

We were welcomed to Hacienda Sarapampa and met a young couple that farm 100 acres of large kernel white corn (The Giant White Corn of Cusco) that is supplied to “Trader Joes” stores in the US.

Driving the countryside, we started to see the mountain fields of corn, potatoes and melons. We arrived to the Sacred Valley with larger level fields of corn including pivot irrigation.

We were welcomed to Hacienda Sarapampa and met a young couple that farm 100 acres of large kernel white corn (The Giant White Corn of Cusco) that is supplied to “Trader Joes” stores in the US. Along with the corn we saw the family guinea pigs and dairy cow.

We were served a banquet lunch outside with large corn, alpaca meat and corn ice cream after watching a traditional dance performance with a lady dancing and gentleman on horseback. The Hacienda is booked daily for agritourism.

Eugene and Sheila Goering


Day 4 – Ollantaytambo and Huilloc Community

The terraces are often 8 to 10 feet high, employing blocks sometimes more than 3 feet high and 8 feet long.

The visit to the fortress of Ollantaytambo presents an imposing view of more than 200 steep steps up a series of large terraces to an area featuring a great Temple of the Sun at the top.  This temple exhibits typical mortar-free construction as used in more important Inca buildings with large stones alternating with very narrow ones, perhaps serving as expansion joints for the changes in temperature and occasional strong earthquakes.  The name comes from an old story combining ‘tambo’ (place of rest) with ‘Ollantay’ who was a soldier/engineer who fell in love with an Inca princess in Cusco and fled with her here to escape her parents’ attempts to prevent her choosing a commoner.

The visit to the fortress of Ollantaytambo presents an imposing view of more than 200 steep steps up a series of large terraces to an area featuring a great Temple of the Sun at the top.

The terraces are often 8 to 10 feet high, employing blocks sometimes more than 3 feet high and 8 feet long.  The quarry for these stones is across a narrow valley and high up the mountain, and would have required enormous efforts to haul them down that slope and up the side of the fortress.  When the Spaniards conquered the site, it was still being built.  Today, abandoned stone blocks still lie where they were left along one side of the fortress.            Jim and Linda Luebbe

 

On our way from Ollantaytambo to the Huilloc community we saw many (Andeans) terraces that the Inca’s built. These were built in the 1400’s. The Huilloc community is located 3400 meters above sea level. The population of this community is around 800 people.

When we arrived we were greeted with Munia (lemon tea), toasted corn and a dance honoring the huallata (wall-yah-tah) birds which are typical of this area. We then were dressed in actual Inca clothing. The weaving and the detailed embellishments on the clothing were greatly admired.

The men learned about the tradition of Inca farming. They always give tribute to Pachamama (mother earth) with a short religious ceremony and then giving something back to the earth before they start working the soil. Potatoes are mostly grown in higher ground and corn in the lower.

The women preserve the Inca tradition in preparing of their foods. They use stones to mash their raw foods and open fires to cook them.

The men learned about the tradition of Inca farming. They always give tribute to Pachamama (mother earth) with a short religious ceremony and then giving something back to the earth before they start working the soil.

The weaving and the detailed embellishments on the Inca clothing were greatly admired.

Potatoes are mostly grown in higher ground and corn in the lower. They plant in October and harvest in May. Chakitakllas, are hand tools that are used to turn the soil. We all got a chance to use these. Everything is grown naturally with no chemicals or commercial fertilizer. They use cow manure for corn production and manure from other animals for the potatoes.                     Brett & Marlene Heiting

 

Day 5 Sacred Valley and Potato National Park

The Potato National Park consists of six communities, and about 6,500 people live in these communities.We were told how they plant, harvest and dehydrate the potatoes, which can make them storable for up to 25 years.

The drive to Potato National Park was breathtaking in both its sheer beauty and the fact that the road is not very wide for how deep the ravines were. We eventually climbed all the way to an area over 13,400 feet above sea level.

We were greeted with great enthusiasm by a dozen Incan women wearing very colorful ponchos and skirts.

The Potato National Park consists of six communities, and about 6,500 people live in these communities. They farm about 9,200 hectares of land. They work with 1,337 varieties of potatoes, of which they showed us about 200.

We were greeted with great enthusiasm by a dozen Incan women wearing very colorful ponchos and skirts.

They have a system where the people, land, and animals all interact with each other to form a community, and if done well enough this creates harmony. They do not have to pay federal taxes but, a 10% tax to the main governing agency of the Potato National Park.

We were told how they plant, harvest and dehydrate the potatoes, which can make them storable for up to 25 years.

These peaceful communities with almost no crime, and a lot of respect among families.

John & Joyce Willoughby

 

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First we got to see the Sky Lodge Adventure Suites that are high above Sacred Valley of Cusco, Peru. Travelers must climb up the mountain, stay overnight in a capsule, and they can zip line down as they leave.

First we got to see the Sky Lodge Adventure Suites that are high above Sacred Valley of Cusco, Peru. Travelers must climb up the mountain, stay overnight in a capsule, and they can zip line down as they leave.

We proceeded to climb up the mountain on Hwy 288 to cross over on the Abra Malaga Mountain Pass. We then descended down the other side to visit El Mangal which was a plantation that amounted to some 35 hectors that had Mangos, Coffee, Cocoa (which I found the most interesting), but also was home to many other exotic fruits such as Guava, Carambola, Cassava, Star Apple, Sapodilla, Acerola, and one, very unique at about 5 kilos, was a fruit called Sour Sop, or also known as Custard Apple.

We learned that one mature Mango Tree would provide some 10,000 pieces of fruit and fill upwards of four truck loads.   We had the privilege to have both lunch and dinner at El Mangal as we spent most of the afternoon wondering through the jungle to view trees and plants in their natural state and have samples of fruit fresh from the tree.

Once back at the lodge, we took raw Cocoa beans, roasted them over a fire & clay stove, ground them and made our own homemade hot chocolate.
Kerry & Judy Glandt

 

Day 7 – Train to Aguas Calientes and Hike to Waterfalls

The morning was misty as we embarked on a 3-hour bus ride. Small bags were packed to be in compliance with the weight restrictions for the ride on the hydro-electric train that will take us up to Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu Pueblo.)

The morning started out at Hotel Quillabamba with a breakfast and a short birthday celebration for Anita and Carol with cake by the pool.

The morning was misty as we embarked on a 3-hour bus ride. Small bags were packed to be in compliance with the weight restrictions for the ride on the hydro-electric train that will take us up to Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu Pueblo.)

We stopped for a short break at Santa Maria to use the el Bano for one Sol which included a few squares of T.P.  At the same pit stop, bought 4 bananas for one Sol from a street vendor.  I’m still trying to figure out which one was the better deal.  Perhaps it depends on your needs at the time?

8:45 am, back on the road again only to find ourselves on a washed out, narrow, winding mountain road high above the river, with a near vertical drop to the bottom.  After several near-death collisions with local drivers, we finally found ourselves still alive and on a wider road.

We finally found ourselves at the check point Sector Intiwatana just before the train depot.  Walked up to the station to meet the train that took us up to Aguas Calientes.  We got our first glimpse of the mountains of Machu Picchu and the ruined Inca trail high along the mountain side.

Arrived at Aguas Calientes at noon. Hauled ourselves and bag up the city streets.

Many of us hiked to the botanical garden and the falls.  I think Peru’s miles are longer than U.S. miles.  I’m sure I walked more than 6 miles round trip, so it felt.
JoAnn Schuelke


Day 8 – Machu Picchu, “Montana” Machu Picchu Mountain Hike and Cusco

We took off from our hotel in Agua Calientes for a thirty minute bus ride up to Machu Picchu, “the lost city of the Inca’s”. We crossed the raging Urubamba River, full of runoff from the rainy season, on its way to the Amazon.

We took off from our hotel in Agua Calientes for a thirty minute bus ride up to Machu Picchu, “the lost city of the Inca’s”.   We crossed the raging Urubamba River, full of runoff from the rainy season, on its way to the Amazon. Machu Picchu means “Old Mountain” and is located at about 8,000 ft. elevation. It receives about 35 inches annually of precipitation.  The city of Machu Picchu was rediscovered in 1911 by American explorer, Hiram Bingham.   It was said that 168 mummies were subsequently found by Bingham. In its time, the citizens of the city grew primarily coca plants on the many terraces we observed. Coca was more valuable than gold and the Incas would transport the coca by llamas to Ollantaytampo to trade for food and other goods. We learned that the city was designed for up to 1,000 permanent residents but also up to 8,000 additional workers would visit and work for a three month period. This work period was how the Incas paid the individual taxes due to their government.

Machu Picchu means “Old Mountain” and is located at about 8,000 ft. elevation. It receives about 35 inches annually of precipitation.

It was fascinating to observe the work the Incas completed. The best stonework and walls were reserved for the nobility and the priests. There were 16 public fountains to deliver water to the population for home use as well as irrigation.   Our group stood by the solar stone on top of the pyramid used to mark the track of the sun and the solstices. It could be said these magnificent ruins still serve their ancient purposes marking the steady march of years as the stone’s shadows move across the face of the rock. We can only marvel at the Inca’s devotion to building cities and fortresses that spanned generations.

Jon and Marcia Montgomery

 

Early Thursday morning, 14 of us headed out to hike the Machu Picchu “Montana” Mountain. We were all excited as it was a cool day and we seemed to have beaten most of the rush.

Mountain Hike – Fourteen of us headed out early Thursday morning to hike the Machu Picchu “Montana” Mountain. We were all excited as it was a cool day and we seemed to have beaten most of the rush. However, the morning was also very cloudy and foggy, which we were all hopeful would burn off in the later morning hours. Climbing to the top took us about an hour and a half up to two and a half hours, as we ascended just over 2,100 feet to the peak (10,100 feet about sea level according to Google, but 9,800 feet according to the sign at the summit). Machu Picchu Mountain is the most spectacular yet one of the most overlooked optional treks available at Machu Picchu. Located to the SW of Machu Picchu citadel, the mountain trek offers unparalleled views of the famous Inca sanctuary and panoramic vistas of the surrounding mountain scenery.

Unfortunately, even after a long wait at the top, the clouds never dissipated and we were left with our imagination for the view.   Ashley Andreas & Pat Heyen

Vistadome Peru Rail to Cusco

All trains to and from Machu Picchu begin or end at Poroy, near Cusco, because there are no tracks through Cusco.

All trains to and from Machu Picchu begin or end at Poroy, near Cusco, because there are no tracks through Cusco. At one time, the train went up a series of five switchbacks from Cusco, known as “El Zig-Zag.” Imagine going up switchbacks on a narrow gauge (3 ft.) rail line!

Generally, a trip between Machu Picchu Station (Agua Calientes) and Cusco takes close to four hours by rail. However, from January until April, the section between Poroy (Cusco) and Ollantaytambo closes due to the rainy season and for repairs due to landslides. With closure of this section, PeruRail operates the Bimodal Service (Train + Bus) which takes close to 2 hours by train and another 1 ½ to 2 hours by bus, and was our method of transport back to Cusco. Total distance between Machu Picchu and Cusco via the Bimodal Service is 27 (rail) + 39 (road) miles.

In addition to the great views from the train, we enjoyed entertainment from a Saqra Dancer (a mischievous character), a fashion show of baby Alpaca garments and traditional Andean music.

The route follows the Urubamba River through the Sacred Valley. Traveling from West to East, elevations range from 6,730 ft. at the Urubamba River below Machu Picchu to 9,160 ft. at Ollantaytambo. After transferring to bus, the elevation climbs to 11,200 ft. in Cusco. Along the way, one can enjoy the agricultural terraces, steep mountains, waterfalls, orchids, and tracts of maize through the panoramic and overhead windows of the Vistadome while enjoying a cup of “the best coffee [I’ve] ever had.” (Credit goes to JoAnn for asking the name of the coffee: Café Britt, Valle Sagrado) In addition to the great views from the train, we enjoyed entertainment from a Saqra Dancer (a mischievous character), a fashion show of baby Alpaca garments and traditional Andean music.

Jan Bostelman and Rhonda Luetkenhaus

 

Day 9 – Cusco Tour and Home

The city of Cusco stands high in the Andes at an average elevation of 11,150 feet. Cusco’s population is now 500,000.

First stop in Cusco was at the Palace of the King. Sacsahuaman (Sexy Woman). The cyclopean fortress of Sacsahuamán overlooks the valley from a hill 755 feet above Cusco.

First stop in Cusco was at the Palace of the King. Sacsahuaman (Sexy Woman). The cyclopean fortress of Sacsahuamán overlooks the valley from a hill 755 feet above Cusco. Sacsahuamán is said to have been constructed over a period of 80 years with a labor force that averaged about 20,000. Both the time of its construction and the method used to transport the stones are unknown.   Stones carried 3.1 miles from the quarry or 5 kilometers. 120 ton rock is the largest.

1,000 soldiers were located on each level.  Important leaders were protected by the soldiers. Incas would train young people to determine the next leaders. (The early version of the LEAD Program)   Incas selected leaders with the council of elders.

The city of Cusco stands high in the Andes at an average elevation of 11,150 feet. Cusco’s population is now 500,000.

They would organize competitions and let the strongest and best fighters would be selected as a leader. The competition included whippings, those who flinched would be viewed as wimps and not selected for leadership. (Reminds me of Dr. Blezek). The competition included math skills.

Incas would train young people to determine the next leaders. Incas selected leaders with the council of elders. They would organize competitions and let the strongest and best fighters would be selected as a leader.

Future leaders needed to have mathematics skills. They needed to know numbers and speak well. (That is where the UNK communication seminar started).   A Council of elders select next king.

Next stop was San Pedro Market. The market is open every day. Anything and virtually everything can be purchased in the San Pedro Market.

Leland & Cathy Poppe

 

 

 

After a bit of shopping and relaxing, we set off for the Airport in Cusco. Then to Lima, Houston and back home. What an amazing Travel Study Seminar we had.

 

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