Peru Chronicles: Inca Trail Hike - Exploring the Path to Machu Picchu

Peru Chronicles: Inca Trail Hike - Exploring the Path to Machu Picchu

By Armando Ortiz

Starting the Inca Trail at KM 104:

The Inca Trail, rich in history and stunning landscapes, offers an unforgettable journey to Machu Picchu. Our adventure began at 4 a.m. with a pick up near Plaza San Blas in Cusco, nestled within granite walls that once housed the Inca elite. After gathering our group, we headed to Ollantaytambo, where we took the train to the KM 104 stop. 

At the trailhead, we crossed the Urubamba River bridge, stretched, and warmed up for the trek ahead. After a short debrief, we started our hike. Our guide, Ruben, stopped every 20-30 minutes to share stories about the archaeological sites or unique fauna along the trail.

Our first stop was a set of ruins, once a rest area for Inca runners traveling the vast empire. Only the walls and remnants of baths remained, but they offered a glimpse into the intricate network that once connected this civilization.

Magical Waterfalls Along the Inca Trail:

Before lunch, we rested at a small hut offering much-needed shade from the intense high-altitude sun. Some of us snacked on provisions, while others gazed at the distant archeological sites that resembled weathered staircases carved into the mountain.

Further along, we came to a waterfall that felt almost magical. Butterflies flitted along the water’s edge, and trekkers paused to snap photos. Yeny waded into the shallow pool, while I removed my boots and dipped my feet into the icy water. 

For a moment, the rushing falls drowned out every other sound. The chatter of hikers faded, and I found myself lost in the serenity of the moment. My feet tingled, almost numb from the cold, as I marveled at the serenity of the trail’s hidden gem. 

Contemplating Nature along the Terraces:

Rejuvenated, we continued our journey and reached a site where medicinal herbs were once cultivated. The terraces, with their steep stairways, seemed surreal, as if carved directly into the mountainside.

Andean swallows darted overhead, soaring gracefully into the green canyons before streaking back past us like shadows. Watching them, I imagined exploring the mountains as freely as those birds, discovering every hidden corner. 

As I paused to rest, the endless layers of terraces filled me with awe. I marveled at the ancient knowledge required to build such an enduring legacy– an understanding of rocks, water flow, wind patterns, and the best placements for crops. These reflections swirled in my mind leaving me in awe of the ingenuity of the Inca people. 

Having Lunch at Winay Huayna:

At the midway point, we reached Winay Huayna, or ‘Forever Young’ in Quecha, a stunning archeological site with agricultural terraces and water channels. Lunch awaited us, prepared by porters who had raced ahead.

We entered a makeshift tent with a long table and enough chairs for our group. The meal, fit for royalty and Incan runners, began with a warm soup, followed by a feast of fried trout, cheese, avocado, lomo saltado, potatoes, and fresh salad. Drinks included water, chicha and tea, with filtered water available to refill bottles. We ate to our heart’s content and felt completely satisfied.

The meal brought a sense of camaraderie as we chatted about the hike and our preparations. Seated across from us, a couple from Texas introduced themselves- Taylor, an internal medicine doctor, and Tyler, a biology instructor. They asked our thoughts on the train performance, which led me to recall Werner Herzog’s film Aguirre, the Wrath of God.

Referencing a film about conquistadors may have seemed obscure, but the train performance’s exaggerated dubbing mirrored the surreal energy of Aguirre. The traditional Inca costumes and theatrical gestures reminded me of the film's eccentric protagonist and his chaotic journey through the Andean jungle.

Looking Ahead:

As we packed up to continue, the surreal blend of history, nature, and personal moments lingered in my mind. The Inca Trail had already etched itself into my memory, and the promise of Machu Picchu ahead filled us with anticipation.

Peru Chronicles: Mountains, Mysteries, and Herzog’s Aguirre

Peru Chronicles: Mountains, Mysteries, and Herzog’s Aguirre

By Armando Ortiz

Inca Trail - Part One: Reflections on a Film:

My first glimpse of the Inca Trail came through Werner Herzog’s film Aguirre, the Wrath of God. Back then, as a regular at the local video rental store, I often noticed the film’s striking cover: Klaus Kinski’s crazed expression as the titular character, Aguirre. Eventually, I rented the movie, drawn by its exotic imagery. At the time, I saw it as a surreal fable, a tale of conquistadors in helmets juxtaposed with indigenous people in vibrant beanies. Kinski played the crazed soldier gone mad, seeming out of place in the lush green environment, his demeanor almost alien. The setting- a humid, swampy jungle– didn’t quite align with the costumes, and I struggled to make sense of it.

As I grew older, the film’s premise became clearer: the pursuit of gold and glory for the Spanish Crown. Yet, as someone whose education revolved around North American, U.S., and Meso-American history, I hadn’t connected the story to the Inca civilization or life under Spanish rule. My understanding of geography and human environment interaction was limited. One of my university classmates once mentioned that the rapper Tupac was named after Tupac Amaru, a Peruvian leader, but even then, Peru’s history felt distant and unfamiliar.

Before leaving for Peru, I revisited the film, watching the first 15 minutes. This time, the mist-shrouded green mountains and narrow trails carved on to sheer cliffs captivated me. The imagery was haunting yet magical- a line of soldiers and enslaved men snaking precariously along the trail, their journey echoing the danger of the llama that slipped and fell into the abyss below. As the train carried us to the trailhead, the eerie resemblance between Herzog’s landscapes and the unfolding reality stayed with me.

The train ride itself evoked an odd deja vu. Herzog’s original German dialogue was poorly synced with the English dub, resulting in voices that didn’t match the actors. A performance by the crew in our train car echoed the film’s mismatched dubbing: English voices floated from hidden speakers, out of sync with the actors’ lips. It was as if Aguirre himself were speaking in an unsettling, borrowed voice.

Later, I learned that Herzog had filmed parts of Aguirre at Machu Picchu, on the Huayna Picchu trail, and along the Peruvian Amazon. His main character, based on the historical Lope de Aguirre, led an expedition to conquer Peru via Panama. Defying orders, Aguirre sought to rewrite history in his favor. But his rebellion ended in 1561 when he was captured, dismembered, and executed. Herzog also drew inspiration from Gaspar de Carvajal, a Dominican friar who chronicled a similar journey along the Amazon two decades earlier.

The film, released in December 1972, immortalized these landscapes and themes of ambition, madness and conquest. Revisiting it before my journey added a surreal layer to my anticipation. As I prepared to walk those trails, the film’s haunting imagery lingered, merging history and myth with the undeniable pull of the Andes. For the first time, the Inca Trail felt less like a distant fable and more like a real, living connection to the past I was about to experience.

L.A. Mountain's Call: Prose

L.A. Mountain’s Call

By Armando Ortiz

My mind, 

a nomad’s wooden chest-

untouched mementos

gather dust, long forgotten.

A hiker on the trail,

this old mountain seems frozen,

I walk the long adobe road-

smells of wild weeds

and a cloud of baking dust

engulf my body as I near the turn;

a familiar, forgotten present.

L.A.’s mountainous backdrop, 

their slopes like weathered lemon peels,

fade into the city’s afternoon haze.

I disappear into the clay ground and chaparral

a figure in a timeless portrait.

Along the fireroad

deer forage the slopes.

Sunbathed cactus thirst for water

at the border of evergreen oak’s shade-

this is where I eternally wander.

Butterfly shadows

circle around me.

Signs warn of rattlesnakes,

but nature has its own bustle,

lost in its own pulse.

Only the slithering 

shadows of heat

radiating from the ground

are seen on this ascent, 

enduring coastal desert.

A diamondback lies still,

as silent as a dead branch-

danger at arm's length.

Calm and relaxed, it waits

Startled, I continue.

At the intersection, scents

join the trail to the barren mountain top,

treating me to spectacular views L.A.,

where the landmarks of the past are seen.

Standing at the summit,

a hummingbird zooms past,

reminding me it too is there.

Coyotes, the forever jokesters, play-

hide and go seek, even with the past.

As I turn back and descend

a school of wild quail,

is suddenly heard.

The male stands

on the top of an branch-

wearing a black top hat

and a zebra skin suit.

Strange characters live up here-

a diorama of memories,

Earth's procession of life.

Everything alive before my eyes,

sweaty and accomplished, I reach my car,

tomorrow, the hike will fade; 

my legs will ache,

but already, I hear the mountains call.

A Quiet Retreat: Free-verse Reflections

 

A Quiet Retreat: Free-Verse Reflections

By Armando Ortiz

I sit here along the coast after a thirty minute drive on Pacific Coast Highway, lying on the sand, watching the waves roll in, each one bringing solace.

The crashing waves blend with memories of hiking the Sierras, where a cool breeze touched my skin as I prepared myself to enter the alpine lake. In the deepest silence, as the waters pulled back, a tiny mosquito pierced my skin with its sharp bite. 

Lost in thought, the crashing waves transform into a gentle rustle of aspen, pulling me back in time. The memory intersects with the present, where the sounds of water and breeze become a delight. 

No need for kegger parties or psychedelic nights; just nature’s embrace heightens the senses, offering deep insights. This mid-July heat wave intertwines with every other summer breeze and every tiny insect that takes flight. 

A single mosquito stands as a buzzing reminder, its bite added to my life's itchy welts. Palm trees and cottonwoods wave gently at the endless stream of people, serene spectators to the flow of life.

If only my tent could transform into a permanent retreat, a place to watch sea lions surfing the dawn’s first light. Or a home nestled among oaks and pines, their gentle shade shielding me from the afternoon’s oppressive heat.

High on a hill, where no buzzing mosquito will dare to exist, a refuge of tranquility. Back at the coast, the sand scorches beneath my feet, but the ocean’s blue embrace offers a cooling reprieve. 

Who needs a retreat when nature’s wonder is just a few minutes away?

Shadow, Shade and Stars

Shadow, Shade and Stars

By Armando Ortiz

Under the shade of the eastern face, 

the shadows of the day gave way

to a flickering sparkle of night; 

a tiny light in the sky appeared.

In the shadow of the mountain,

the sun sank behind the western ridge, 

and the summer winds cleaned the sky; 

more stars began to emerge.

Under the stars, I sat beside a rock 

that shaded me from the wind. 

Towards the eastern horizon,

the moon began to cross the shadow plane.

Beneath the shadow of earth, 

the crescent moon appeared; 

speckles of glass marbles scattered, 

dawn became a portuguese tiled floor.

Inside the shade of the pass, 

a warm breeze swept down the valley. 

The purple shadow became a blue mosaic 

that spread across the dye of darkness.

Under the stars,

the shade of trees 

and shadows of rocks 

merged with the night.

Within the darkness of time, 

shadows roamed the forest; 

fires floated in the shade of an ocean, 

on the horizon, fireflies flickered.

Covered by the shade of sleep,

I dreamt of shadows that blended into each other 

while the northern constellations of night slowly 

ascended and descended from the sky.

Northern Sky: Free-Verse

Northern Sky: Free-Verse

By Armando Ortiz

I was conceived in the heart of a growing city

where youth overflowed and were pushed north,

I was born under the northern sky

towards the west where Aries floats near Perseus.

I gave my first cry to the angels of that place,

while they were busy chasing stars.

I was followed by its galactic embrace,

inside planes and mountain trails.

It’s been a silent shelter,

a deep blue safety blanket. 

It’s protected my journeys,

together we traced the contours of China.

It’s kept me warm under the splendor of night 

and bathed me with the cover of midday light.

Its midwest sun passed me by

as I raced towards the western mesas.

In the endless hours through unknown places,

the suspended constellations were my anchor.

Even as I sailed deeper into the ocean of life’s experiences,

the daily burst of stars became the coast of my youth.

Where the waves of time crash with the moment,

and the sound of the turning universe births each second.

Wherever I was, there it was

a different hue of blue but always true.

Jose Saramago's The Gospel According to Jesus Christ: Book Review and Reflection

Jose Saramago’s The Gospel According to Jesus Christ: Book Review

By Armando Ortiz

Have you ever wondered why many of our holidays revolve around the life of Jesus? Jose Saramago’s novel, The Gospel According to Jesus Christ, explores the missing instances of Jesus’s life and their impact on Earth. His story will make readers reconsider the impact that narrative has had on our lives. In this essay I will briefly summarize key points of the novel and then reflect on its significance alongside the Bible.

The novel presents a unique portrayal of Jesus living in the Fertile Crescent's cultural milieu. Saramago delves into Jesus’ character, emphasizing his inner conflicts about his destiny and the impact he will have on civilizations.

Saramago’s Jesus is attempting to come to grips with his existence, and his desire for guidance creates empathy for him. He is rejected by his family and embraced by his companion Mary. He questions the need for rituals, as when he purchases a lamb to take to the temple, and then questions the eventual sacrifice of his body. 

In one scene, Jesus attempts to help out the communities he visits, but ends up adversely affecting the other surrounding towns of the lake. Scenes like these will make you think of our own choices and actions with the reactions that occur.

While in the middle of the Sea of Galilee he confronts his creator. During that meeting the fallen angel who announced his birth, and taught him to become a shepherd appears. The devil’s appearance is not intended to incite but to observe and study the deity- turned human. The pastor, in his own way, assumes a role offering alternatives, and raises questions about the evolving realities. This prompts Jesus to contemplate his existence and the path his life has taken. Saramago’s devil isn’t the horned demon that we’ve all come to know from the bible and ideas that orbit Western thought. Satan shows up to observe and to ask questions.

Furthermore, Saramago’s character is open to learning and following. Jesus is autonomous, although not so free from the perspective of the devil. The novel makes you question the existence of Jesus. Whether for good or bad, his life and ideas ended up having an impact on human history. Saramago’s character lets himself be taken by the flow of experiences, getting as dirty as we get. He never claims to be free of sin, and religious piety is non-existent in light of the unreasonable religious demands. He has a clean spirit, but is physically impure. He becomes like one of us.

Nevertheless, the lingering question posed by this novel is whether the scenes from the Bible being portrayed are fiction. This renders all associated ideas within it as fictional. Heaven and hell, good and evil, and all other beliefs connected to the bible are turned upside down by Saramago. After reading the novel I wonder what premises would horror movies have to use if the Christianity did not exist. Morality and sin would be seen from a different perspective. The land where all these events supposedly happened wouldn’t be as sacred and holy as religions claim it to be.

All we have seen in the last two thousand years has been a shadow, the end result, of a narrative that’s had a deep effect on all humanity. Millions of people have been forever affected by the doctrines that emerged in that region of the world. Ideas that sprouted from there altered the trajectory of humanity. 

We only know of Jesus from what the bible tells us, the miracles made, but we don’t get insights into his intentions or into his mind. Saramago’s tale takes place, behind the scenes, the events that were not written down as Jesus became the savior, the perfect lamb to be sacrificed. He places us in the mind of Jesus. For example, Jesus refused to sacrifice his first lamb, refusing to follow the traditions of his people. Yet, what if Jesus had lived the way described in the novel, and what if his mundane interactions and miracles were acts to help those around him. If his attempts at making peace with humanity were true then it would be another story in the series of narratives that describe his life.

Building on this idea, if the impact of Saramago’s tale were similar to the narrative found in the bible, all our belief systems would be different. The conquest of the Americas and the ideas that Natives worshiped the devil would have to change. The religious narratives that emerged out of the bible to justify religious traditions, conquests, and massacres would have been different. Love would be interpreted from a kinder, sympathetic and empathetic perspective like in Saramago’s novel. The beliefs of the second coming of Jesus, Judgement Day and the resurrection would be canceled forever.

Jesus experiences love, family rejection, gossip, town controversy. He has difficulties managing the powers bestowed upon him by the maker. He knew the die was cast and had to follow through with the guilt of knowing what had happened. The visits by a magical being, his father’s cowardice and desire to keep him alive. His unwillingness to make an offering at the temple, experiencing human compassion, kindness from people one would least expect, and falling in love. These scenes and events are left out from the stories found in the Bible. 

In much the same way that the world’s savior narrative emerged, Saramago weaves a narrative that aligns with our preconceptions of who Jesus was- just a person living his life. A man trying to orient himself in the realities that he was living under. Born out of thin air into a milieu of beliefs and traditions, like a puff of smoke, that only reinforced the beliefs of orthodox ideas of other traditions intimately connected to the bible.

In conclusion, Saramago prompts readers to ponder Jesus’ beyond the traditional narrative, challenging established beliefs. His character undergoes love, rejection, controversy, and compassion, humanizing the figure we know today. The novel invites us to explore the impact of second-hand ideas on a global scale. Yet, the narrative also lets us consider the aspects that make us human on a daily basis, showing compassion, helping those in need of help, loving those around us, and sharing time with those that love us back.