Road to Ruins

Most people who are interested in the Incans believe that visiting Macchu Picchu is a must. I have to agree with them, but the train journey through the Urabamba Valley may very well be the best part of the entire trip. If you have all the money in the world then take a helicopter from Cuzco to Macchu. My suggestion is that you take a dining car on one of the old Romanian trains and kick back and watch the old Incan Empire pass outside your window. It’s an experience that you’ll never forget!

Hat styles haven’t changed in Cuzco, Peru for more than a century. This hat style is one of the areas most popular. The flat round style frequently seen in the Urabamba Valley has been around since before the invention of the camera.

Mata de coca is the drink of choice in Peru, Bolivia, and other South American nations deep in indigenous roots. It is consumed in the same way that we consume coffee in the United States. When you arrive in Cuzco, Peru the first thing they will do is offer you a cup . They say it cures altitude sickness. This is also the main ingredient in the soft drink Coca-Cola. Consumed as a tea it is probably no more harmful than coffee. However, once it is processed into white powder it becomes the dangerous drug known as cocaine. Approximately, 10% of the county is dependent on coca production for their livelihoods. Only about 10% of the coca production in Peru is legal and the Peruvian authorities themselves are very aware of the horrors of drug addiction. Because they recognize the seriousness of the problem they will punish you severely if they catch you with this form of the drug. This woman is selling leaves for tea in the Blue Box Ghetto.

If you’re still hungry for more ruins after visiting Tikal, then you might consider a river trip. I was first introduced to the Rio Passion and its great treasures by Dr. Jorge Santana(Spanish Professor at CSU Sacramento) and Dr. Lilia Sanchez(California Dept. of Education) The Guatamalan government sees the potential in tourism that this area offers for those looking for a “Raiders of the Lost Ark” type of vacation. It is about forty miles from Tikal to Sayaxche. From Sayaxche, you must hire a boat and travel seven miles up the river. The boat ride takes about and hour and a half. This river system was a major trade route with the Mayans. The river is filled with crocodiles, and you will get to hear a lot of howler monkeys imitating the sounds of jaguars. These ruins date back to 800 BC. Most of the ruin sites along the river are covered in jungle. So far, the government has excavated one area exclusively. This is the new national park now called Ceibal. The stela at the Ciebal site are considered some of the most important in existence. Here we find Aztec gods on Mayan stela. This is proof positive that the Mayans of Tikal traded with the Aztecs of Tenochtitlan.

There are very few trips that a person can take that are better than the journey from Cuzco to Machu Pichu. No matter how you travel, you will never forget your first time there. However, one must not overlook the ruins of Pizac. Pizac captures the Inca past better than any of the other ruins. Pizac is in amazingly good condition, and from the ruins you will get a clear vision of how the Incan culture thrived before the conquest of Pizarro. The Incans at this time (1500) had much more land under cultivation. Also, the weekend market in Pizac offers some great photographic oppurtunities.

The steep mountains of the Urabamba Valley made farming very difficult for the Incans. To create enough land for farming they carved a series of terraces up and down the Urabamaba Valley. Today, the terraces are still in use by the modern day Incas. Hiram Johnson reported that when he re-discovered Machu Pichu in 1911, there were three Incan families living there. He went on to say that they were surviving by growing crops in the terraces.

I’ve visited the ruins of Malinalco at least twenty times. One indigenous culture after another has occupied this area over the past four thousand years. The Aztecs were the last. They defeated the Malinalcans in 1476. These ruins were constructed by stone masons from Tenochtitlan. Those who refused to work on it were thrown in jail. Cortes’s invading men halted construction in 1520. All of the major sructures have been uncovered. The town of Malinalco is beautiful and the centerpiece is an old convent that is also rich in its history. Most importantly, you can get an excellent meal here. One of my favorite restaurants in all of Mexico is located here. It is called “Las Palomas.” My favorite dish is the “Pollo Anna.” Recently, UNAM (University of Mexico City) constructed a museum at the base of the ruins. The climb up to the ruins is paved all the way. It’s 450 feet straight up. So far, five temples that have been uncovered. What is more incredible is how much above it has not been uncovered.

Historically, all of the Native American cultures featured here have shared similar characteristics. Human sacrifice is the first commonality that enters most scholars minds. This is almost always followed by the fact that they were all conquered by the Spaniards. Some people who are closely familiar with these cultures might add that they all share a diet rich in starches. Still others will enlighten us even futher by telling us how each culture has produced richly detailed textiles for centuries.

I can tell you that after twenty years of photographing these cultures that the first similarity that enters my mind is the overwhelming poverty that they all share. To my knowledge, almost every single person depicted in this website starts the day by wondering how they are going to feed themselves. Very few of us will ever experience the daily hardships that these people face.

Perseverence is the second characteristic that comes to mind. They all held on to their religious beliefs and cultural traits no matter how great the adversity. Today, we find that all three of the mother cultures have shamans that are still practicing the same rituals that have been practiced for centuries. Most importantly, most of the rituals are still focused on each cultures respective reciprical relations with mother earth. According to their beliefs no one takes from mother earth without giving something back in return.

Sadly, the last characteristic that they all share is discrimination. This discrimination comes because these people hold a firm desire to maintain their own traditions and shun the western melting pot lifestyle where everyone dresses and acts the same. Throughout Latin America indigenous languages are being replaced by Spanish. In almost every indigenous village the men have already given up their native traje for the western style of clothing. Blue jeans, t-shirts, and tennis shoes are the norm now. At this time I can think of only one village in all of the Americas where the men still wear traditional clothes and that would be the village of Solala, Guatemala. This also happens to be one of the last places on Earth where men wear dresses. It is only a matter of time before everyone on Earth dresses the same way.

We are so excited about Mel Gibson’s new movie! You can check out our brief history on Mayan culture untill their website catches up!

Mels Website: Apocalypto Website

If you like shooting photos of flowers, then Tenancingo, Mexico is your place. I’ve lived in nearby Villa Guerrero for almost fifteen years. There are probably more than 60 square miles of flowers surrounding our house. The Tenancingo Flower Market opens at 5 A.M. Some mornings are bigger than others. Flowers come and go all morning. Pickup trucks bring the freshly picked flowers from the fields to the market. There they are purchased by a broker and loaded into much larger diesel trucks. Once the trucks are filled they leave immediately for the Mexico City Airport where the flowers are distributed all over the world. Accomodations in Tenancingo are slim because very few tourist come through this part of Mexico. Metepec, which is considered Mexico’s most modern city is only twenty-five miles north. If you are coming from Mexico City it would be best to end up spending the night in Malinalco (ruins) or Ixtapa de la Sal (water park). Especially, if you want a good meal and comfortable lodging.