Peru
OKaaay next post: COP20 and Lima and Machu Picchu It was awesome. Lima was nothing like I expected. I was staying in a hostel in the Miraflores area near the coast. The whole area is really new, giant high-rise tower blocks and green parks around every corner. The streets were clean, the people were really welcoming and best of all, the food is incredible. Ceviche is one of my favourite foods from there. It's so simple yet ridiculously yummy. Peru actually won some gastronomy prize last year for its cuisine, which is becoming internationally renowned (particularly in Aus). If you ever get the chance to go (I cannot stress enough how much of a good time you will have or how much weight you'll put on) visit La Mar, Panchita, Astrid y Gaston and make sure you eat heaps of street food. You will not be disappointed. All the fish is fresh (travelled literally ½ a mile), they use the highest quality ingredients and have a serious passion for their food. I don't often get blown away by food but La Mar was just exquisite. We actually had a chefs table booked there for IFAD's Recipes for Change Launch (see below). Instead of the standard ‘near the kitchen’ chef’s table they cleared the whole restaurant and we had all the chefs in the kitchen teaching us to make their dishes. Not only that but to top it off we had the spearfisherman who caught the very fish we were eating come and talk to us about his life and how his livelihood is being affected by climate change. (see photos) Recipes for Change is a programme which through looking at local recipes of different regions globally, we can focus on issues such as climate change, food security and issues relating to smallholder farmers. To read more visit www.ifad.org/recipesforchange . I have been working very closely with this programme over the last three months, designing recipe cards, connecting reporters and organising the launch itself. I am happy to say that it was, and continues to be, a success. COP20 itself was definitely different to anything I have ever experienced. I had a great chat with the Mongolian Minister for Climate. However I didn't manage to see Ban Ki Moon. I was on the stall or writing blogs regarding side events a lot of the time so I was pretty busy. Even so, I did manage to see some cool stuff. The Peruvian government had organised this exhibition called Voices for Climate. It had loads of interactive tech and art installations (obvi I went and played on all the touchscreen stuff). There was loads of info about indigenous peoples and how they are trying to combat climate change, as well as large MNCs like Coke and Nissan all showing the latest developments in climate-smart technology (going to have to be real with Coke though….it was just a PR stunt. I’m not sure exactly how giving out free coke was helping the environment) anyway it was really interesting and attracted a lot of attention, which was the aim of the game at COP.
After COP, myself and my friend Chris (and another girl from work) flew to Cusco to climb Machu Picchu. Honestly it was so great. Though all my wanderlust came straight back and the idea of going back to work in an office filled me with horror. We went on a two-day 12 km hike to the site on the Inca trail . Fortunately we had a private guide (called Ludwig - great guy) so the tour felt super exclusive. We were there in the rainy (aka. quiet) season so even though we paid for a group tour we had Ludwig all to ourselves.
The first day was the 12 km hike through the Andes mountains. It was surreal; A winding dirt track(?) that was bordered on one side by lush subtropical forest and on the other a sheer precipice of unfathomable depth. The experience was exhilarating. When we finally did get to some Incan ruins the sheer quality of masonry was unbelievable. The stone fit together just so. However when I learned the buildings were constructed without the wheel, amazement turned into awe. I cannot comprehend how many years it must have taken to build, especially when my DIY skills are limited to the IKEA £5 LACK side table.
When we arrived at the Sun Gate looking down into Machu Picchu, the weather turned and I had to don my sexy green poncho. The weather there was mad. One second you have saharan-strength sunlight burning your face and shoulders, next second you're swathed in cloud. It was like what I imagine the Greek gods on Mount Olympus would have had to deal with. Honestly you can't see shit. But then the clouds would part before you like wraiths and the sun would stream down again.
Machu Picchu was great, would have been better if everyone had to walk there though. The second day we took the bus back to the site after staying in a local town overnight. The fact that there’s a bus means that (in my personal opinion) that people ‘cheat’. I feel like one can't achieve the same sense of awe if you haven't travelled along the Inca trail and reached the wonder on foot. It’s a journey thing.
The tour on the second day was 3 hours. I learned about Pachamama and the Inca cross, the significance of the Eagle, the Panther and the Snake, and that although the Incas were much more peaceful than their Aztec cousins, they did still perform sacrifices. The sacrificial element of their culture was a much more errrmmm…. ‘civilised’ (if that’s the right word, we are still talking about killing people) affair than the Aztecs though. It was much more religious. The young boys and girls were prepared for years beforehand and then drugged before the actual ceremony. The Aztecs apparently sacrificed their enemies and cut out their hearts while still alive (please don't hold me on this, its what my guide said. Don't shoot me if it’s historically inaccurate).
The journey back (to Rome) was long and sad. Peru is awesome. I cannot stress it enough when I say you should go (If you want a relatively cheap, clean and central place to stay Hostel el Patio is excellent (see photos)).
Until next time xxx For all blog posts and info on COP20 look here: www.ifad.org/climate/cop20
