Saqsawaman y Mas

Hey y'all.

The souvenir market at San Blas

Sorry I haven't been that prompt in the blogging department.  Anyway, my beloved Bridge Year compatriots are updating their blogs as well, so to avoid redundancy, I won't talk about absolutely everything.  I've only been here a few days, but I've already encountered some of the things that are often perceived as quintessentially Peruvian.  Like cuy (salty roasted guinea pig), tea de coca leaves (since I came to Peru I have drunk more cups of tea than I had over the course of my entire life, I think), los menus (a popular choice for the traditionally heavy Peruvian lunch; menus consist of a salad/appetizer, soup, and main dish, usually with meat and papas fritas), llamas (self-explanatory), quinoa (an Andean staple grain), breathtaking views of the hills (photos below), parades (political and religious) architectural marvels (the Inca were truly ingenious) and altitude-related sensations (luckily nothing more than occasional shortness of breath and increased heart rate).

Loyal supporters of a mayoral candidate at the Plaza de Armas

Today was especially special for me, so I'm going to go into more detail about my adventures.  In the morning, we (the Bridge Year students) had an orientation session with Stephanie, our fearless leader.  We talked about some of the "building blocks" of cultural values.  For example, the concept of self, which can range from individualist (the needs of the individual are satisfied before that of the group) to collectivist (one's identity is in large part a function of one's membership and role in a group), is often shaped by the society in which one lives.  We also discussed the spectrum of the locus of control, which ranges from internal (the feeling that one can dictate his/her life path completely) to external (the belief that certain things cannot be controlled and must therefore be accepted).  Among things to be or not to be controlled are time and nature.

Que marvelloso!

I have always been very interested in these concepts, especially the individualist/collectivist contrast, and the morning discussion made me very eager to find out where Peruvian culture lies on the spectrum.  What I didn't realize was that I would get some insight only a short while later, when I visited Saqsawaman with Stephanie and my Bridge Year buddies.  At this site, located right here in Cusco, is what remains of an Inca fortress.  Constructed in the 13th century, these ruins are constructed of massive limestone bricks...some over four meters tall and 160 tonnes in weight.  And what is awe-striking is not just the sheer enormity of the boulders, but the fact that they were transported nearly twelve kilometers--in a society where the wheel had not yet been introduced.  These structures, unlike the work of the Spanish conquistadors who took over Cusco in the middle of the last milennium, the Incan constructions have been made to withstand the constant threat of earthquakes in Peru.

The largest stones

As our guide, Carlos, explained the process by which the Inca built Saqsawaman, it became evident to me that the Incan society was incredibly collectivist.  Working in teams of one hundred to two hundred men to drag and fit the massive stones into place, the Inca people understood that the survival and success of the group ensures the well-being of the individual--and therefore the group gets priority.  Carlos told us about a n Incan concept called "Ayni."  This translates to "today you, tomorrow me."  In other words, it implies a sense of faith in others/the group.
 
I was also struck by Carlos's comments when we visited an ancient temple in the vicinity of Saqsawaman.  He explained how the Inca considered nothing more sacred than nature...the sun, the moon, the stars, rainbows.   Unlike other societies, they acknowledged nature's power and accepted the fact that it cannot be controlled.  The fact that such a wise people were pillaged, enslaved, and destroyed by the Spaniards is unreal to me.  Is it inevitable that individualist societies will prevail?

On a lighter note, our group found ourselves in the midst of a spontaneous salsa lesson this afternoon!  During Spanish class, Alex jokingly asked our teacher if he could show us some salsa moves, and to our great surprise, the five of us were soon learning the basic moves.  So much for subjunctive and preterite and all that.  Hopefully we'll get to try out our skills at one of the Peruvian clubs in Cusco before we depart for Urubamba!

The view from the top