Adventures with Julia

July 4, 2024

It is the 4^th of July and Mark and I are on our way to spend a few days in Lima and then fly to Iquitos in North East Peru for a boat trip on the Amazon River.   We will not be seeing other parts of Peru as I spent 3 months in Peru in the late 60’s visiting Cusco and Machu Picchu by train one time and then another time by horseback over the 16,000-foot Salcantay Pass with a group of Marin photographers on a 5-day adventure that was full of unexpected challenges; including crossing the pass during a snow storm, running to board a moving train at midnight, being rousted at day break for camping in a village market and more.  Quite a story that is good for another time over cocktails.  

Meanwhile, a bit of info about the country.  The Amazon rainforest is divided about 60/40 between Brazil and Peru.  The Peruvian portion covers 60% of that country, is referred to as the Peruvian Jungle and is divided into two ecoregions: the lowland jungle, which has an elevation between 80 and 1000 meters, an average temperature of 82 degrees F, over 75% humidity and 100 inches of rainfall; and the highland jungle which stands between 1000 and 3,800 meters, has an average temp of 75 degrees F and between 59 and 118 inches of rainfall each year depending on the terrain.  The Peruvian Jungle is one of the most biologically diverse areas on Earth.  It has the largest number of bird species in the world and the third-largest number of mammals.  It also has a very large number of species of butterflies and orchids.   

With such hot, humid weather, it is no wonder that only 5% of the population lives in the jungle. The largest group of jungle dwellers are the indigenous people called the Ashaninka.  They survived the European epidemics in the 1700’s and repulsed Spanish military and the Franciscan missionaries attempts to Christianize them.  In the 19^th century they resisted the slave raids during the rubber gathering boom.   A significant and interesting people, the Ashaninka do not believe in a creator, but in a hero called Avireri, who transformed humans into animals, plants, mountains and rivers. 

The largest problems in the jungle today are illegal smuggling of rubber, timber, gold and oil.  In spite of governmental efforts to slow the illegal removal of these products, such activities continue at a great pace.  

For us the adventure will begin in Lima.  From Sacramento we flew to Atlanta, changed planes, and flew on to Lima, a 12-hour trip all together.  The strains of last night’s music at the North Star House were still ringing in my ears.  MIMs July 3^rdperformance has become a deep abiding tradition for us, affecting our activities every year. This year is no exception.  To fit in the music on the 3^rd, we were forced to get up at o’dark thirty on the 4^th for a 7am flight.   Well worth the effort.  

Lima, the capital of Peru, was founded by Francisco Pizarro on January 18, 1535.  Prior to the Spanish conquest, the Peruvian coast was home to the Norte Chico civilization, the oldest civilization in the Americas and one of the six cradles of civilization in the world.  When Pizarro arrived, Peru was the home of the highland Inca Empire, the largest and most advanced state in pre-Columbian America.  In the years between 1524 and 1526, smallpox, introduced from the Conquistadors in Panama and transmitted through the Inca population, caused the death of many people including the Inca ruler, most of his family, and his heir.  This caused the fall of the Inca political structure and contributed to the civil war between two brothers fighting to be the next ruler.  Pizarro arrived at the perfect time to carry out a coup.  On November 16, 1532, while the Inca victor and his army were celebrating, the Spanish lured them into a trap and killed thousands of barely armed Inca soldiers.  By March 23,1534, Pizarro and the Spanish re-founded the Inca city of Cuzco as a Spanish colonial settlement.  Pizarro’s most significant milestone was the foundation of Lima in January,1535.  From there the political and administrative institutions were organized.  In 1541 Pizarro was assassinated by the conquistador, Diego del Almagro.  The Spanish conquest of the Americas is a long and bloody tale.

We arrived at our hotel, the Miraflores Park Hotel, in the heart of Lima in the Barranco neighborhood after an hour drive from the airport and waiting a very long time for our bags to on the appear on the carousel. We had a strong fear we had lost the bags. What a relief to see them at last. Our Lima guide, Sophia Herrera, met us outside baggage claim and accompanied us to the hotel. We visited in the hotel lobby awhile. When she left, we checked out the room and went to the hotel bar for a night cap at 11pm local time (nine pm California time). The bar tenders were charming and fun and we visited with them until midnight and. finally. went to bed.

Sophia and me in the Mirafores Park lobby.

July 5, 2024

Already this morning we have learned that Lima is the second largest city built on a desert after Cairo. Pre colonial civilizations began to build water canals 2,000 years ago. that are still being used today. The population of Lima is 12 million. After a light breakfast we walked along the nearby promenade overlooking the ocean. It is winter here and the temperature is quite chilly. I am not prepared for cool weather. I sure hope it warms up soon. We walked through an outdoor shopping arcade and I bought a sweater that should help keep me warmer. Along the walk we stopped at a small church called Our Lady of Fatima.