At Machu Picchu town (Aguas Calientes) nearly 2,000 tourists were stranded last week after the all land access ways were destroyed by mudslides and flooding. There was insufficient lodging, food, sanitation and other supplies for the thousands of people stranded – most did not even have a change of clothes, extra money, or blankets having only expected to stay for the day. Evacuations were gradually made by helicopters to safe-points in Ollantaytambo and Cusco city, while supplies were brought for those still stranded in the town. PeruRail also did their part to help, offering their train cars and station as dry places to sleep for some of the tourists in the town, as well as providing some food and water.

But in reality, those most severely affected have been the people of Peru who have lost everything. They have stepped up to help each other in this emergency situation, and even those who have little to give are giving as much as they can – but still much help is needed. One of the greater concerns is what will happen further in the future to these people who have lost their homes, their crops – everything. They must begin to rebuild their lives from nothing, and in this current situation while even finding clean drinking water is a struggle, things seem pretty hopeless.Lucre, formerly a popular place to eat duck, is one of the towns in Cusco which has been severely affected. The stream running through the town rose to previously un-recorded heights, flooding over its walls and rushing through the town – flattening all the adobe houses in its path. Huacarpay, a town built on the shores of a small lake, is now a part of the lake itself, with virtually no buildings still intact. The people from these villages have pitched tents and built make-shift shelters on the hills with their few rescued possessions. On the 26^th and 27^th of January, local river rafting guides and police forces helped with evacuations in Huacarpay, but the scene was pretty grim as the adobe houses crumbled one by one.

The Sacred Valley has also seen its share of disaster with the rising of the Urubamba River, entire fields of corn and potatoes, nearly ready for harvest, have been washed away by the raging river. Among other damages in the valley, Pisac, famous for its artisan’s market and archaeological complex, has lost its bridge, and the PNP police station has been washed out as well.

If you would like to make a donation directly to an account which has been set up to deliver aid to the tens of thousands of people in Apurimac and Cusco who so desperately need it, please refer to the account below.

Camara De Comercio Cusco-Damnificados

To: Banco de Credito del Peru,

Bank Address: Av. Sol 189, Cusco-Peru

Account number: 193-1853603-0-61

SWIFT code:  BCPLPEPL

For more information about the emergency situation in Cusco and Apurimac please refer to the following web pages.

http://www.rpp.com.pe/2010-01-26-emergencia-en-cusco-y-apurimac-tema_237978.html (en Español)

http://www.livinginperu.com/news-11341-peru-peru-official-aid-for-cusco-puno-and-apurimac-still-slow-to-arrive

http://enperublog.com/2010/01/29/humanitarian-disaster-in-cusco-abandoned-communities-help-themselves/

Among the fatalities, a Peruvian Inca Trail guide and a tourist from Argentina were killed by mudslides.

The rising of the Vilcanota River this rain-season has been more drastic than ever recorded, rising from the usual 850m3/second to an unbelievable 1100m3/second. The result has been that the railway from Ollantaytambo to Machu Picchu has been severely damaged in more than eight critical places, and it could take until mid-March to restore the railway and begin normal service once again.

Many people in the departments of Cusco and Apurimac have been displaced from their homes due to flooding. The town of Huacarpay, 40kms south from Cusco city, has suffered extensive damages, with estimated 175million dollars of property damage and the displacement of hundreds of families. In both departments, a total of 38,000 people have been displaced from their homes, with an additional 67,000 people affected by the flooding.

Tents, medicines, food and safe drinking water have been sent to the areas most affected in Apurimac and Cusco to help the families who have lost their homes.

For five days, ( starting on the 15th of July), thousands of devotees hold festivals in honor of the Virgen del Carmen, known locally as Mamacha Carmen, patron saint of the mestizo population.  Dance groups, all magnificently masked and costumed in accordance with their respective customs, accompany the Mamacha in a huge parade, gaily dancing down the city streets. Behind them the entire population of the town gathers quietly, forming itself into a pious mass bearing candles, flowers and other offerings. It is a colorful mix of Andean pre-Columbian ceremonies and Catholic religion in which many ancient gods and rites are honored.

The Virgin del Carmen (the virgin of Mount Carmel) is a particular apparition of the Mother of Jesus. Images of the Virgin always show her dressed in brown and tan, wearing a flat crown, and holding the Infant Jesus; both of them hold scapulars in their hands. It is said that all those who die while wearing the blessed scapular of the Lady will be saved from the fires of Hell, no matter how great their sins.

The Spanish introduced the custom of paying homage to the Virgin. The festival comes from the Old World, where the Virgin was honored in seaports as Stella Maris. The tradition has its origins in the Old Testament, when the prophet Elias retreated to a cave in Mount Carmel in Israel. Many centuries later, hermits following in Elijah’s footsteps asked for the protection of the Virgin of Carmen. Mariners and fishermen everywhere soon adopted her as their patron saint.

There is a legend that tells of how the festival first came to Paucartambo: long ago, every year during the first days of July, a wealthy woman called Felipa Begolla would always come to Paucartambo to trade goods. She would come with her mule train laden with goods from her homeland, which she exchanged for Paucartambo’s produce.

One year on July 16th, while she was unpacking her bundles, Felipa found the head of a beautiful woman radiating rays of light lying among the pots and pans. When she tried to cry out, she found that she could not speak, and when she tried to run she was unable to move. Then the lovely head spoke to her, calming her fears and telling her that her name was Carmen.

Felipa put the head on a fine silver dish that she had been carrying with her to trade and, as the head glowedbrilliantly, a crowd of muleteers and neighbors gathered around it. A carpenter was commissioned to carve a wooden body for the head and, mounted on an elaborate litter, the Virgin was carried to the local church where her miraculous image was placed on one side of the main altar.

On July 16th, now the main day of the fiesta, the Virgin, beautifully adorned, is borne aloft in a fantastic procession through the streets to bless those present and scare away demons. Some of the dancers –the Saqras- in a representation of the never-ending battle between the forces of good and evil, daringly perform gymnastic feats on the housetops, showing off their colorful Inca and colonial garb while they try to seduce the Virgin, crying out as if in pain and trying to avoid her impassive stare. Afterwards, a symbolic battle is staged amongst the devout dancers and the demons, with the traditional victory of the faithful.

On the 17th, a feast is held that includes the dead. All the people of the town go to the cemetery to visit their dead relatives and friends. They carry food and drink to celebrate beside the graves.

Preparations for the fiesta begin weeks before July 14th,  since, on that day and the ones that follow it, everybody is dedicated to celebrating and honoring their patron and do not have time to work.

In particular, the 16 groups of dancers, or comparsas, are kept quite busy learning and rehearsing their strict choreography over the few weeks before the celebration.

They all represent semi-mythical characters, derived from Peruvian historical folktales and legends, such as malaria victims, Ukukus (half man half bear), condor-men and warlike jungle Indians. On horseback or on foot they reel through the streets throughout the fiesta.

A few examples of the different comparsas (participants) are:

The Saqras, which are Euro-Andean devils that dress in vivid rainbow-colored costumes and elaborate animal masks. They occupy the rooftops and balconies of the town during the processions in which the Virgin is carried through the streets, vying with her for the crowd’s attention.

The Auca Chilenos represent painful memories left by the Chilean army during the War of the Pacific.

The dancers of the Capaq Negro group, one of the most elegant groups present, honor the memory of the slaves who worked in the silver mines and cotton fields during the colonial period. They dance and sing to a slow, stately rhythm.

The mischievous Maqtas seem to be everywhere at once. These anarchic tricksters are the ones who maintain order during the festivities, policing both the participants and the crowds of spectators, ensuring that whenever the Virgin is present, hats are removed and that there is a brief pause; otherwise the flow of beer is practically never-ending.

Native Americans of both South and North America have historically revered and held such sites as sacred. Evidence has been found that attest to the frequent use of these springs, some of it dating back over 10,000 years! The mineral rich waters of hot springs, which may contain sulphur, iron, lithium, calcium, phosphorus, arsenic and other minerals, have been used for centuries to aid in healing such conditions as arthritis, rheumatism, skin conditions, hepatitis, and even cancer. The waters are used to clean and promote healing of wounds, and have been ingested to help clear toxins from the body.

People have long held the belief that special guardian spirits reside at these springs, spirits that offer cleansing and healing to those who approach the springs with the correct attitude of humility and reverence. To this day, people visit such springs in pursuit of both spiritual and physical healing from the stresses and issues we all accrue from the mere fact of living on a planet whose systems are out of balance.

People may frequent hot springs for a variety of reasons. Some experience a sense of communion with nature, and marvel at the fact that the Earth is so kind as to provide sojourners with comforting hot baths, many of which are set in idyllic natural surroundings. Others seek the profound shift in consciousness that may accompany a long soak. (I once spent most of an entire week in a particular pool) Others wish for relief from skin or blood ailments, or comfort for muscle sprains and strains. Hot springs are good places to meet people and visit in a relaxed setting, to spend quality time with family and friends, and to shift away from routine.

There are some simple rules visitors to hot springs should be aware of. People should remember to approach a hot springs experience with respect for nature and concern for fellow travelers. Glass should not be used at hot springs, nor should alcohol be consumed. Trash should be packed out or thrown into proper receptacles. Photos should not be taken of people without their permission. Noise should be kept to a minimum out of respect for people who are there to meditate. And people should instruct their children, not to urinate in the springs!

There has been some controversy at times over the use of nudity in hot springs. There are those who enjoy the sensation of bathing au natural, feeling that entering the waters as nature made them adds to the experience. In developed hot springs, bathing suits are almost always required or customary. In some less accessible hot springs, visitors may be in the habit of bathing in the nude; however, this does not mean they come to be gawked at. Most people who visit hot springs are coming to have a close experience with nature, and some come seeking a profound spiritual experience. Nude bathers, are not, as a rule, coming to put on a show for others.

It is not surprising that Peru has many hot springs, some more accessible than others, to offer both to the traveler and the local resident, a respite from stress and a cure for what ails them.  A few of the most highly regarded hot springs, or baños termales, of Peru are described below:

Cajamarca Hot Springs: Found 6 km east of the city of Cajamarca, these springs are famous for having been used by the Inca Atahualpa at the time of the Conquest.  In fact, legend has it that he was soaking in the springs with his family at the moment that Pizarro arrived in the city to seize his kingdom. The original pool, called Poza del Inca, has been preserved intact, and new pools have been built for individuals and groups. These waters are known for their medicinal properties.

Lares Hot Springs: Accessed after a two hour drive from the town of Calca, through some of the most beautiful countryside anywhere in Peru, Lares Hot Springs are set alongside the Lares River Canyon. There is a luxuriously large warm swimming pool and cascading showers which provide an instant natural water massage, plus four pools, which range from tepid to very hot.  Camping, private indoor Jacuzzi, changing rooms, and showers are available.

Aguas Calientes Hot Springs, located a 10 minute walk from the town of Aguas Calientes at the base of Machupicchu, these springs have been recently rebuilt and refurbished. There are several pools, ranging in temperature from cold to moderately hot. There are changing facilities, showers and a small snack bar on site.

It is important to remember to approach hot springs with respect and to preserve them intact, so that people may continue to enjoy them for years to come.

The word shaman is derived from the word szaman from the language of the Tungus tribe, who dwell in Siberia. Although linguists are uncertain of its exact meaning, one possible translation is “pathfinder.”
The history of these healing wizards in Peru appears to start with the first major temple-building culture, Chavin. Chavin was a religious cult and demonstrates the first unified and widespread cultural movement that built sacred architectural sites.

Before them, there is no real evidence that Peruvian cultures ritually used hallucinogens, or power plants. Artifacts and relics have been found formed into or have painted on them the image of the central Chavin deity (represented as a demonic-looking feline deity, with fangs, a stern face and sometimes with serpents radiating from its head) holding a large San Pedro cactus in his hand. A Chavin ceramic bottle was discovered with a San Pedro cactus “growing” on it; and, on another pot, a feline sits surrounded by several San Pedro cactuses.

The Inkas, after the Chavin, were also known for their use of power plants. As well as coca, their “divine plant”, the Incas had their own special hallucinogen: Vilca (meaning “sacred” in Quechua), which grew in the cloud-forest zones on the eastern slopes of the Peruvian Andes. The Incas used a snuff made from the seeds, which was used to bring on visions and make contact with the gods and spirit world. The Vilca tree was probably what we know today as Anadenanthera colubrine.
In present day Peru many of these plants are still commonly used amongst Shamans, or curanderos, on the coast and in the mountains of Peru. The Coca is very widespread and is not only used by the curanderos but also by almost all of the natives of the northern Andes. It contains various vitamins, helps one adjust to the high altitude and is a great supplier of energy in general.
The San Pedro cactus (Trichocereus panchanoi) is a potent hallucinogen based on active mescaline. The curandero administers the hallucinogenic brew to his or her clients to bring about a period of revelation when questions are asked of the intoxicated person, who might also be asked to choose some object from among a range of magical curios which all have different meanings to the healer. Sometimes acurandero might imbibe San Pedro (or one of the many other indigenous hallucinogens) to see into the future, retrieve lost souls, divine causes of illness, or discover the whereabouts of lost objects. Most have their own San Pedro plant, which is said to protect or guard their homes against unwanted intruders by letting out a high-pitched whistle if somebody approaches.
Another plant that is commonly used in the jungle regions of present day Peru is the Ayahuasca, which is used to induce altered states of consciousness and to induce visions and dreams, which the practitioner may hope to utilize to change and improve his or her way of living.
Shamanic medicine is based on knowledge that has been collected for over four thousand years and transmitted from generation to generation and from village to village. One of its most central underlying principles is harmony and unity with the natural environment. To a shaman, the elements of nature are an extension of his or her own body and mind. His relationship with these elements is one of respect and interdependence; shamans ask for and receive consent from the plants and animals that they use for food and medicine. In turn, shamans protect the forests, rivers, mountains, plants, animals, etc. since they know that they are an integral part of life, and, indeed, cannot be said to be separate from themselves.
Many shamanistic healers get their most potent magic and powerful plants from a small zone in the northern Andes. The mountain areas around Las Huaringas and Huancabamba, north of Chiclayo is where a large number of the “great masters” are believed to live and work. But it is in the Amazon Basin of Peru that shamanism continues in its least changed form.  In the Amazon jungle, native shamans are the only real specialists within indigenous tribal life. They are thought of in their traditional societies as healers, masters of ritual and mythology, interpreters of dreams and visions and sometimes, as controllers of the flora, fauna and weather. They are often also a major conservative force for their own culture and the environment, particularly in the face of encroaching development and consumerism.

The Shipibo, for example, are a tribe from the central Peruvian Amazon. They are famous for the beauty of their excellent ceramics and extremely complex weavings of geometric patterns. It is not generally known, however, that the spirits originally gave Shamans (male or female) these geometric designs. To directly contact the spirits they use Ayahuasca. The shaman imbibes the hallucinogen, whose effect is described as “the spirits descending.” The spirits teach the shaman songs, or chants, the vibration of which help determine the shaman’s visions. The geometric designs used on pots and textiles, which are highly valued as healing agents, are his or her material manifestation of these visions. Traditionally the Shipibo painted their bodies with these geometric designs to maintain harmony in their lives as well as health and beauty. Similarly, painting a sick person from head to toe in the designs was seen as an important part of the healing process.
In modern Peru these healing shamans offer an alternative to the rational scientific perception of the world. Recent developments, publications and studies have begun to posit that shamanism and science can be seen as complementary, and not contradictory, forms of perceiving reality.
In The Cosmic Serpent, by Jerome Narby, studies of Ayahuasca and DNA have produced evidence that these world views may not be as mutually exclusive as previously thought. For those of us who live and act on this planet, there is a need for further study to explore the possibilities that a synthesis that includes elements of both science and shamanism, may, by increasing the understanding of practitioners of both schools of thought, contribute to a mutually enriched body of knowledge with applicability for facing the challenges of surviving and thriving on this planet in sustainable ways.

Located in the Amazon jungle, just outside the city of Iquitos in Peru, the animal orphanage and butterfly farm are separate projects that share the same home on a forest farm on the Nanay River. Pilpintuwasi, which means “the home of the butterflies,” is the only butterfly farm in Peru, and contains and breeds various species of butterflies.

The farm is set up so that visitors are able to see the life cycle of the butterflies and learn about their development; you will be shown each stage of metamorphosis, from caterpillar through the complete cycle to butterfly. During a short walk through their enclosed environment you will see butterflies fluttering around a lush, plant-filled garden.
Each plant is selected according to the needs of the insects; each species of caterpillar and butterfly feeds on only one or two kinds of plants. The caterpillars and the plants they eat are collected from the forests surrounding the farm.

If you have a keen eye you might spot tiny eggs the size of pin pricks on the underside of leaves: after mating, the females lay their eggs on particular plants, which are referred to as “host plants.” The larva will start to eat these plants immediately after hatching in order to grow.

Depending on the species, it takes between two and ten weeks to become fully-grown. During this time, the caterpillar sheds its skin four to six times. After making a cocoon and emerging from it, the adult butterfly starts to move its wings up and down in order to pump blood and air into them. When the wings are fully expanded, the butterfly is able to fly and the cycle starts again. The life span of the butterfly is completed in less than two weeks.

All of the butterfly cocoons and eggs are stored in a small pavilion. As a security measure against parasites, eggs and cocoons are collected from the leaves and branches of the garden on a daily basis, and stored in a smaller room where they are disinfected with a light chlorine solution and dampened periodically to simulate the rains that would moisten them if they were on a leaf in the forest. Some insects, such as flies and mosquitoes, lay eggs inside the butterfly eggs or inside the caterpillars; because of this the cocoons and eggs are monitored in a separate room, so the flies that sometimes emerge from a cocoon won’t enter the butterfly farm.

Forty-two species of these most colorful (and least dangerous) insects of the Amazon thrive at Pilpintuwasi. Visitors learn about the challenges involved in finding a host plant for each caterpillar, the life cycle of butterflies, problems with predators, etc.

At Pilpintuwasi, you will be able to see the Giant Blue Morphos, Helicons, Owl Moths, and Swallowtails as well as some poison-haired caterpillars. The caterpillar of the brilliantly colored Blue Morpho pokes out two horn-like prongs from its head if it feels threatened. The Buho, so called for the large, dark spots on its impressive wings that resemble owl’s eyes, is one of the few aggressors on the farm. They pull at each other’s wings with barbed feet to defend their piece of fruit, and consequently, most have torn wings.

Gudrun Sperrer and her partner Roblar Moreno, who are passionate about their work and educating others about Amazonian flora and fauna, are the proprietors of this charming farm.

Gudrun came to Peru 22 years ago from Austria. She had completed her studies as a social worker, and settled down in the Peruvian jungle, in a remote village, to teach. It was well known that she was an animal-lover and the kids of the village used to bring her orphaned, abandoned or hurt wild animals to care for. She would look after them and help them to recover before setting them free in the jungle once more.

The idea to start a butterfly farm came to her to her during a holiday she was spending in Austria, when she was visiting a zoo and saw the butterfly section. Since she loved butterflies, she decided to build a sanctuary with the purpose of showing people the life process of butterflies. She started looking for caterpillars and breeding butterflies in 1995.

Almost immediately after she had finished constructing her house and had started the butterfly farm on a recently purchased piece of land, it became a shelter for many endangered jungle animals; the routine of delivering sick animals to Gudrun had resumed almost immediately. Veterinarians that could not host wounded or sick animals called her for assistance. She also received orphans whose mothers had been killed by hunters, and animals sold to people who could not properly take care of them. So many animals were dumped or donated to her that she, together with Roblar Moreno, decided to create an Orphanage. It is a great place to get a close-up look at animals, and an opportunity to help endangered, uncommon and fragile animals. The organization became an Official Rescue Center for endangered animals in the summer of 2004 and now the farm is home to some 20 animals, including:

• Rosa the Giant Anteater, who is an orphan and belongs to an endangered species. Another younger anteater also lives at the Orphanage. They were both brought in by students. Rosa had been living in captivity and the student was concerned that the animal was not getting sufficient care.
• Chavo is a red-faced Huacary monkey, an endangered species that exists only in the flooded Amazon region. When he arrived at the Orphanage, he was skin and bones and had a broken foot due to a fall suffered when his mother was killed. Chavo has recovered well, and is now “King” of the Orphanage.
• Zeke and Florian are black Huacary monkeys that were given to the Orphanage - one by a neighbor, the other by a veterinarian. Zeke, the female, was dehydrated and had a severe infection. Florian weighed only 230 grams and was equally ill.
• Lolita, the tapir’s mother was killed, and the people who killed the mother tried raising the tapir baby. To keep her from escaping, they tied her feet with nylon fishing line, which cut into her feet and legs. The owners brought Lolita to the Orphanage to raise.
• Pedro Bello is a magnificent jaguar that a man bought from local people with the idea of selling it in Iquitos. He tried to do so for a month (without taking care of or feeding the poor animal), and then left him in Pilpintuwasi
• Tony, the capuchin monkey, used to live with street children. A tourist happened to see him in his weakened condition, when he was so ill that he was almost unable to hang on to a little boy’s neck. The tourist gave the children some money and brought the animal to Pilpintuwasi. The little monkey had 3 different kinds of parasites, but is now healthy and developing well. A curious thing about Tony is that he seems to have been trained to steal: when people with earrings arrive at Pilpintuwasi, Tony climbs onto their shoulders immediately and takes their earrings!

Gudrun set all this up out of her pure love for animals and nature. What is most important to her is to educate local people to understand the importance of preserving their natural habitat. She teaches about wildlife, their natural habitat, and how to respect and preserve it in schools, kindergartens and universities.

“It is really inspiring to see how…they…manage all this, and how happy the animals are with them,’’ commented one impressed person.

Maintaining a project like Pilpintuwasi is not easy. Funding is scarce, and the need is enormous. Gudrun and Roble cannot afford to employ many people to help them in management of the orphanage, so they do most of what’s needed by themselves. From time to time they take volunteers in, but it doesn’t always work out smoothly. Volunteers need to be trained, and many of them cannot resist the heat and the harsh conditions of the jungle.

They are in serious need of funding to help support the animals, particularly Pedro Bello who eats 3-4 kg of meat everyday. For Pilpintuwasi, feeding this Jaguar costs $250-300 dollars a month, which Gudrun covers with her salary teaching at the University of Iquitos (UNAP). If somebody helped to finance Pedro’s food, Pilpintuwasi would be able to rescue and maintain quite a few more animals, which now have to be rejected because of the lack of financial support. The government leaves confiscated animals at the farm, but it doesn’t provide any money for food, cages or veterinary care. If you want to adopt the jaguar (you’ll get a plaque with your name on Pedro’s cage) or make a donation to this worthy project, please go to www.amazonanimalorphanage.org