Throughout the Andean region, street-signs often display words that contain bewildering letter combinations and that bear no resemblance to Spanish. This is perhaps the most visible reminder that Spanish is not native to this area, but is in fact, an import. It has been nearly half a millennium since the conquistadors arrived in South America, bringing Spanish with them, but the Quechua family of languages has continued to thrive and boasts millions of native speakers to this day.

Some Quechua words will be familiar to English speakers precisely because they have been borrowed from Quechua. For example, the words condor, llama, and puma all describe animals that only existed in South America, and consequently had never been named by Europeans. Similarly, English is full of words that originated from Native American languages. Some classic examples include: chocolate, hammock, moose, and tomato. Many cities, such as Chicago, Tulsa, and Mobile, and most U.S. states got their names from Native American languages as well. The same is true in South America, where Spanish settlers often adopted local toponyms. Most of these are simply proper nouns whose original meanings, if they ever meant anything, have been lost. However, a few trace their origin to Quechua phrases. One famous (although probably apocryphal) story told in the Peruvian city of Arequipa says that when the Inca emperor Mayta Capac was passing through the area with his army, some of his soldiers asked permission to settle there. He responded, “Arí, qhipay” (Yes, stay) and his authoritative statement gave the place its name.

Aside from a few widely recognized words and phrases, the vocabulary of Quechua is entirely foreign. The last known migration of any people across the Bering land bridge is believed to have occurred around 12,000 years ago. Therefore, Quechua evolved independently of any Old World language, such as English, for at least that much time. The result is a lexicon completely dissimilar to those of European languages. Though a native English speaker can relate the Spanish word for water, agua, with English words such as aquatic, aqueduct, and aquarium, this is not possible with Quechua, whose word for water is unu. This may seem daunting at first, but new vocabulary is often easy to learn because many Quechua words are onomatopoetic. For example, the word for dove, urpi, when pronounced by a native speaker, resembles the sound of a dove’s cooing. Additionally, the regularity of Quechua’s grammar quickly makes up for any difficulty presented by its unique vocabulary, and thus affords the learner an opportunity to master a completelydissimilar language with speed and accuracy. Travelers interested in studying Quechua can easily do so. Most major cities offer courses at very low prices, and locals are always willing to talk with a gringo who is eager to learn.

Unfortunately, the future of this beautiful and unique language does not look very bright. Because of the international importance of Spanish and English, the languages with the second and third highest populations of native speakers (Mandarin Chinese has the highest), many parents do not teach their children Quechua. Children in South American schools are taught in Spanish and study English as a second language, only to later lament the fact that they don’t know more of the language of their ancestors. Perhaps worst of all, the supremacy of English and Spanish has nothing to do with any intrinsic superiority. Inca children learned Quechua as easily as their descendants learn Spanish today, and Quechua may be much easier to master as a second language because its grammar doesn’t present any unexpected surprises. Nevertheless, Spanish and English have the force of greater numbers on their side, and knowledge of these languages is closely linked to earning potential, Though other languages will probably win out in the long run, for the time being Quechua continues to confuse visitors with its unusual vocabulary, and to enrich the culture of South America.

By Christian Casey, Kuoda Travel

In November of this year, Chevrolet plans to release the Volt, a plug-in electric hybrid that GM hopes will restore its image and reduce dependence on fossil fuels.  There is a great deal of anticipation for this technology, in part because these cars will produce far fewer greenhouse emissions, but also because their power comes from coal, natural gas, and nuclear energy, the fuels used to produce household electricity, rather than from oil. The desire to use less oil is understandable. Not only is it a non-renewable resource, but the need to obtain more has sparked conflicts for well over a century, and today, many powerful nations have no choice but to import it at high costs. Producing vehicles that depend on electricity instead seems like the perfect solution to this problem.

Unfortunately, this new technology is not without limitations.  Like many handheld electronic devices, the Volt will store electricity in rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. The lithium used to make these batteries is not scattered all over the face of the earth. In fact, all of the lithium in use today comes from sources in Argentina, Chile and the United States. If the Volt is successful and electric cars become the wave of the future, current rates of lithium production could fail to meet demand in as few as ten years.

In an effort to solve this problem, scientists have turned to the Uyuni Salt Flats in Bolivia, which are believed to contain half of the world’s lithium reserves. As a result, several international companies have tried to get permission to mine here. But until recently, Bolivia’s president, Evo Morales, was demanding that investors manufacture lithium-ion batteries within the country, and that 60% of all profits be returned to Bolivia, citing the history of exploitative mining practices in his country by industrial nations. So far, only Japan has been granted the right to mine lithium in Bolivia, and only after pledging billions in foreign aid. At the same time, the national government has begun work on its own small factory. Ironically, the entire discussion may be irrelevant, as some scientists have begun to question the feasibility of mining lithium at Uyuni.

Even if all of these obstacles are overcome, there is still the question of what industry will do to the pristine environment of the Salt Flats.  Because the area is so hostile, it has historically been spared the effects of human habitation. Most of the people who do wander here are tourists coming to experience the unusual scenery, people who have an interest in preserving the beauty of Uyuni and leaving its ecosystem unharmed. It is impossible to predict the effect lithium mining will have on one of the world’s most unique environments; however, if history tells us anything, so long as the demand for production continues to rise, we shouldn’t expect industry to stop and look at the view.

By Rachel Parkinson, Kuoda Travel

The situation in south-central Chile is dire after the massive 8.8 earthquake that hit near the city of Concepcion on February 27^th.  Since then there have been several other smaller-scale earthquakes, as well significant damages have been caused by tsunamis in costal towns.

LATA Foundation is coordinating a response to the devastation in Chile on behalf of the members of the Latin America Travel Association in conjunction with the Chilean Embassy in London. The LATA Foundation is a registered charity which works closely with embassies, airlines, tour operators, travel agents, local travel specialists, tourists and travelers, as well as many other businesses and organizations involved in Latin America.

If you are interested in making a donation which will go directly to helping the people in Chile, visit:

www.justgiving.com/lata

Please mark your donation “Chile Appeal” in the comments box at the end of the process.

By Rachel Parkinson, Kuoda Travel

Recently at Kuoda we have been redesigning our website and maintaining our image for creating private, luxury travel in Peru and South America. We customize and personalize itineraries for our clients, and all of our trips are in private – but perhaps some more clarification is necessary on this subject.

It’s true, we do have sample itineraries posted on our web page – so what are they there for, if they aren’t set tour packages? Simply put, these itineraries are posted to give you a good idea about some previously enjoyed Kuoda vacations. These are real itineraries which have been enjoyed in the past by our guests, and you can look through them to inspire your own dream vacation. You can mix and match destinations and activities, or simply start from scratch by speaking with your Kuoda travel design specialist.

At Kuoda Travel we specialize in personalized, private itineraries. That is to say; we design and shape each itinerary individually for each client. No two Kuoda itineraries are ever exactly the same, just as no two clients have exactly the same interests, personalities, and time frames. We try to keep things fresh and interesting, and we do our research on the areas we visit, so that our clients are always visiting the best destinations possible for the specific day or week they are there.

We like for our clients to be “responsible travelers”, rather than “tourists”, and some of the destinations we recommend to our guests are places which are far off the beaten path, and often in communities which are not generally exposed to tourism. We always try to travel in small numbers so that these environments and peoples remain unaltered unexploited by tourism. It’s our mission at Kuoda Travel that the benefits of travel – both to the traveler and the areas visited – should always outweigh the costs.

The morning of Saturday, February 27^th an earthquake with a magnitude of 8.8 on the Richter scale hit Chile. As of today, at least 799 bodies have been found, and it is estimated that more than 2 million Chileans have been left homeless from this devastating earthquake.

Concepcion, the second largest city in Chile is located just 115km south from what was the epicenter of the quake. Only now are water, electricity and communication services slowly beginning to return to normal in Concepcion. Although there are most likely still more bodies to be retrieved, security has been a huge issue, holding up rescue and aid efforts. Looting, which at first was sporadic, grew violent as the hours passed following the earthquake in the devastated city of Concepcion.

Beginning as a justified and desperate need to acquire water and food, the looting turned into city-wide vandalism and theft. After the supermarkets and shops had been looted, the theft moved on to houses. To defend themselves from the violence and looting, hundreds of people had taken refuge outside their homes, armed with sticks, knives and even firearms. A forced curfew to end the violence was implied Saturday evening, and from Concepcion the curfew also was applied to the cities of Talca, Cauquenes and Constitucion. “Restoring public order is an urgent and pressing need, and for that we must use all means at our disposal,” Sebastian Piñera, Chile’s president-elect, told reporters.

Following the earthquake, a tsunami warning was issued for all countries on the Pacific coast. Many towns along the Chilean coast have been affected, and according to Chilean President Bachelet, shortly after the quake a giant wave hit Robinson Crusoe Island, 700km from the Chilean coast, engulfing half the lower part of the island. A small amplitude tsunami hit the Gambier archipelago in French Polynesia also on Saturday, but no significant damages were caused.

In terms of tourism; Northern Chile, including the Atacama Desert and the Altiplano region has not been significantly affected by the earthquake, and all roads are still open. The city of Santiago has suffered some damages, but the general tourist area remains unaffected, and all roads to the north of the city are still in good condition. The wine region, including Santa Cruz and surroundings, has been heavily affected, both because of the magnitude of the quake, and also due to the fact that adobe is the prominent material of construction in the area. Many old houses and buildings have suffered severe damages. Although international flights have been interrupted in Santiago, they should return to normal schedule today.

It has been announced that the ancient citadel of Machu Picchu will again be open to national and international tourism on April 1, 2010. The Peruvian Minister of Foreign Trade and Tourism, Martin Perez said “We hope that from April 1^st to begin receiving again the millions of tourists who have always come.”

Yesterday, February 23^rd, FTSA (Ferrocarril Transandino S.A.) released information regarding the progress of the repairs on the railway. They stated that significant progress has already been made on the railway from Cusco to Aguas Calientes, and there are eight teams working simultaneously on all sections which have been damaged on the route. Among the repairs which are being made, there has been significant progress from Km 82 in Piscacucho and onwards to Aguas Calientes. The progress has been mainly in rebuilding the embankment from the railway to the river with fortified stone walls, and in many places the rail has been moved several feet towards the side of the hill to avoid damages in the future.

At this point there is a total of just 10 kilometers of rail which needs to be repaired and/or moved in the section between Piscacucho in the Sacred Valley, and Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu pueblo). Given the rate of current progress this stretch of rail will be completed before April 1^st. With this route completed, tourists will be able to reach Machu Picchu by taking a bus or car from Cusco or Ollantaytambo to Piscacucho, approximately 2 hours from Cusco, ½ hour from Ollantaytambo, and the regular train from there to Aguas Calientes. The route from the hydroelectric station (km 122) to Aguas Calientes (km 110) has already been completed and is currently under observation.

It should be noted that the ancient citadel of Machu Picchu itself has, in fact, not been affected by the extremely heavy rain fall this year, and is still in perfect condition thanks to the hydraulic ingenuity of the Incas. The other archaeological sites in Cusco have also not been damaged, including Sacsayhuaman, Pisac, Maras, Moray, Ollantaytambo, and many more. The Inca Trail as well has not suffered any major damages, but is closed annually in February for repairs and clean-up. The Inca Trail will re-open this year with Machu Picchu on April 1^st.

Along with the progress which has been made on the Cusco-Machu Picchu route, repairs have been also been completed on the Cusco-Puno route, and regular tourist service resumed on Monday February 22^nd. All repairs on both routes are being made as quickly as possible, with a focus on quality and more stringent safety standards.

Kuoda Travel will begin operating private tours to Machu Picchu on April 1^st again as usual, and clients with trips booked in April and later this year should not be concerned about the status of their vacation. In a number of weeks Cusco will return to normal, again as one of the top destinations for archaeology and ecology in South America.