Cusco: A City of Conquests

Qusqu, or Cusco, or Cuzco is the capital of the Inca Empire with cobblestone streets, Inca stone masonry, and Spanish colonial churches. The city is located in southeastern Peru near the Urabamba Valley. The mountains in the area are rugged and breathtaking. They are challenging to overcome by bike, horse, foot or even bus. This city has been the emerald of culture after culture, conquered and conquered again only to continue to be changed throughout the centuries.

The earliest known culture that occupied the area was the Killke. They occupied the region from 900 to about 1200 AD prior to the arrival of the Incas in the 13th century. The Killkes were highly skilled architects, similar to the Incas, and built massive fortresses, temples and irrigation systems. They built the fortress Sacsayhuaman that overlooks Cusco.



Not long after the Killke built Sacsayhuaman, the Inca came and took over the region that included Cusco and expanded the Killke’s fortress and irrigation systems. Many people believe that the Inca built Cusco to look like a Puma, a sacred animal among the Inca culture.








Cusco became the capital of the Incan empire. The lncan empire was divided into regions which corresponded to the way Cusco was also divided. The four sections were: Chinchasuyu (NW), Antisuyu (NE), Qontisuyu (SW) and Collasuyu (SE).

In 1527, after the death of Emperor Huayna Capac, the empire divided and Huascar, son of Huayna Capac, conquered Cusco. After the city was conquered a third time, the generals of Atahualpa (the last Inca emperor) captured the city. Only nineteen months later, the Spanish conquistadors invaded Cusco.





Francisco Pizzarro, the famous conqueror of Peru, arrived in March of 1534. Pizzarro and his men went to work building over the Inca city. They destroyed many Inca temples, palaces and other buildings. They used the remaining Inca walls as foundations for their new city. The city is a combination of Spanish and Inca structural design.

“Cusco stands on layers of cultures, with the old Tawantinsuyu built on Killke structures, and the Spanish having replaced indigenous temples with Catholic churches, and palaces with mansions for the invaders.” (http://www.cusco.eu/view/spanish-invasion-in-cusco.html)

The Spanish made Cusco the center of colonization and spread of Christianity. They built the Plaza de Armas, or the center plaza, with a church and a cathedral. The city prospered and it became a favorite of the Spanish colonists. Similar to how the Incas built on top of the Killke buildings, the Spanish used the Inca foundations to build their churches, universities, convents and cathedrals.





As I stand in the Plaza de Armas of Cusco, I recognize how much it has changed since I was here 10 years ago. I notice that there is a McDonalds, coffee houses and development spreading its long fingers all the way up the rugged mountains. I can’t help but think that the city is now being conquered by Western culture. Just as the Inca conquered the Killke, the Spanish conquered the Inca, and now western culture is conquering this Peruvian city.

However, I recognize that places change with time. I understand that different people come to inhabit this amazing emerald of a city. It is easy to see that some people want to bring a bit of their own culture to their new home. Perhaps we can find a balance of preserving the past civilizations and bringing in new ways of life.

By: Rayna

Discussion Questions:

Do you believe in preserving your own historical culture? If so, why?

How would the world be different today if European settlers did not arrive to South America?

Do you have any suggestions on how Inca culture can preserve their historical significance?

The girl in the orange dress

There are a wide variety of projects available at PSF, and they all require several steps that aren’t visible to the untrained eye. For building projects, folks come to the office to ask for help, they have an initial consultation which allows us to take down there information. After, we set up a time to visit their home to see where specifically they’d like assistance, and how we might be able to help. After the initial assessment, we decide if we are actually capable of helping and, if it seems so, the last two steps are a technical assessment to make an official (and flexible) building plan, and then we can send out a team to start the project.

Like any good non-profit, this is not a quick process. I’ll start by pointing out how difficult it is to make decisions about who needs help, who deserves help, how we can help and how much time, volunteers and money we can put into any given project. There are a few situations that make it particularly difficult. Two different families we encountered had family members who lived in brick houses with concrete floors. What I mean by this is that the majority of the family lived in the brick house with tvs and beds and dressers and then, just outside the home, there was a shack with a son and daughter in law or vice-versa. In one case, the son and pregnant daughter in law were living on dirt floors, without proper walls, while the remainder of the family lived in the brick house, unwilling to rearrange things inside their home in order to make room for the couple.

Today we visited a few sites for an initial site assessment, 6 sites to be exact.
The first was not a situation that required our assistance. The family lived in a small house with concrete floors, brick walls and a plywood roof. There were beds, a kitchen, running water and electricity, in fact, there were two TVs. They wanted help fixing up their roof but it was something that we felt they could do with a little bit of team effort.

The second family we visited took a bit of work to find. Addresses are not organized logically and streets are unmarked. As a result, triangulating or estimating based on the addresses of homes nearby is a lost cause. For example, if I were driving down the street in most US cities (except for Ward) I could expect that the house after 52 would be 54 and on the other side of the street would be odd numbers such as 51 and 53. These rules absolutely do not apply here. After asking several people on the street if they knew the family or at least the Manzana (something like a block, but more like a neighborhood, I think) we were looking for, we made it to the right house, or chozita. According to the fellow sitting next to me, a chozita is a, “[poorly built] house made of plastic, cardboard and estera.”

I knew we were in the right place when I saw a small girl just up ahead of us in a beautiful and bright orange dress. She had long dark hair that flowed midway down her back. Shortly after her followed her mother and in her mothers arms her younger sister, buck-naked, interrupted mid-bath.



They welcomed us into their home through a flap in the tarp. Some light shone through the holes in the black tarp and the heat radiated off it to a point of discomfort.

The tarp was unsupported and sunk so low I had to duck or hold it aloft with my hand.

Water was sprinkled on the floor so that as we tread upon it, we did not kick up dust. Because they had no running water, they borrowed water from their neighbor.

Inside their home were only a few things: a large pile of unidentified objects wrapped in a large sheet, a couple of plastic yard chairs, a made bed, and a small table and chair only large enough for a child.

The mother explained that their other belongings had been stolen at various times. People had easily cut a hole in the tarp wall and taken her other furniture: tables and chairs. What we saw when we entered was all that remained.

As was our obligation, we asked the mother several questions to get a better idea of the extent to which she was in need of our support. She explained that she was hoping for some poles to better hold the tarp.

In just a few minutes her mother (for the sake of avoiding confusion, I’ll call her Abuela from here on out) popped up in a pink halter top, purple fleece pants rolled to the knees and a white bucket hat advertising a nearby radio station. She smiled and laughed and helped answer our questions politely and thoroughly.

I liked each of them.
I liked the older daughter in her orange dress, I gave her my orange headband to match.
I liked the tiny daughter whose bath we interrupted because she smiled and was beautiful and still oblivious.
I liked the mother because she was young and doing her best. Her partner was out of the picture because he had issues with drugs. At times he came around to rustle up trouble, but she handled it and moved forward on her own. When asked if she worked to support her family, she said, yes.
I liked the Abuela because she was strong and independent and when asked if there were men around, she smiled triumphantly and explained that they were single women, that they could do things themselves. The Abuela took us to her home where she showed us the bathroom she was constructing herself with the nails she had pulled from boards in other peoples trash. She had a bowl of them. She didn’t know how to do the plumbing herself and didn’t even have running water, but she has a head start.

It seemed clear to me that these women weren’t asking for handouts, they were asking for support.

The mother asked if we would bring her wood to better secure the tarps. Of course, we said.

I hope we can bring her much more. Maybe even a modular home with windows, a concrete floor, and a door that locks.

Looney Ludoteca: laughing with and being inspired by kids

By: Tierra Entre de los Ojos (Emily)

Intro
For the last three weeks we were at Pisco Sin Fronteras, I spent most of my time volunteering at the Alameda Ludoteca. A ludoteca is similar to a daycare center. At the ludotecas in Pisco, Peru kids from 1-16 years old come to play and learn. There are so many children in Peruvian public schools that they can only take half the students in the morning and half in the afternoon. The Alameda Ludoteca provides a place for kids to come when they are not in school.

Have you ever sat in the middle of a room with your eyes closed and only been able to hear the sound of laughing children? If so, what and how did it make you feel?

My Story

The first day of work at PSF, I did not yell my name loud enough to get onto any of the projects I desired. Alas, I was stuck going to a place called the “Alameda Ludoteca,” where I was told I would be attacked by 20 screaming children who would want to climb me like a tree, pull my hair (what little I have now), and paint my face, arms, and legs. Having worked in a daycare, ski coached a group of 13-year-olds, and done a significant amount of babysitting, I was not entirely worried. Kids are kids right? They may have a lot of energy, but they are fun!

What I did not know going into they day´s work was that Vitalina, the Professora, was sick. This meant that we, 3 volunteers who spoke little to no Spanish, would be attempting to keep the children not only entertained, but also under control for the day. Needless to say, I felt like a substitute teacher from another planet. For the first hour I was able to play volleyball with a group of girls while the other two volunteers drew and worked on puzzles. However, childrens´ attention eventually grows weary and they want new things to do. Additionally, children in the neighborhood can come and go as they please, so those we were to oversee grew from about 10 to 35 by the end of the day. At this point, we were not only spread too thin to be able to play with everyone, but also unable to keep materials from being scattered and toys from being broken. In addition, a boy who I was told was troubled started picking fights and when I tried to break it up he swore at me in English.

Its true that kids will be kids, and I have never seen a substitute teacher that wasn’t taken advantage of at least a little. Regardless, I felt there was something more that I could provide. At the end of they day one little boy came up to me and asked if I was ever coming back. He looked a little sad and said, “Susie nuca regresa,” which means Susie never came back. I enjoyed all the hugs I got that day, and I loved playing with the kids, no matter how rowdy, but I could see there was a lack of stability as volunteers come and go.

That night, I expressed my concerns at PSF’s bi-weekly “all hands meeting.” After the meeting Bryan, PSF’s grant writer and now a friend of mine, asked me if I would like to help run a new project that would be starting at the Ludoteca in just a couple weeks. It seems I arrived at PSF at just the right time. Recently, Bryan wrote and received a $5,000 grant to fund the Alameda Ludoteca. The funds, which were granted by the Mandala Trust, would provide a salary for Vitalina and a weekly budget for project materials.

Christelle, a volunteer and friend at PSF who set up many things for the Ludoteca, sat down with Bryan and me, and we discussed how we could best use the MandalaTrust funds to create a better Ludoteca for the children of Pisco. Our goal with the new project was to set up a more structured schedule with art projects, music, activities, English classes, passport day (a day dedicated to learning about places around the world), and a project leader.

I was the project leader off and on for the last three weeks and it was an incredible experience. We made paper maché balloons, friendship bracelets, decorations for a Christmas tree, taught about the seasons in English, learned songs about bananas, and traveled to Cuzco and Arequipa, Peru and Spain. Passport day was the most exciting. To start, we made pretend passports for all the kids and put their pictures inside. On this day a volunteer comes to the Ludoteca and talks to the kids about a place they have been or where they live. The volunteer shows pictures of this place, talks about the culture there, and makes a food native to city or country. When we talked about Peru, we made arroz con leche (rice pudding), and when our friend Carlos from Spain visited, he prepared a Spanish omelet made of potatoes and vegetables.

We are here in South America to help students in the United States gain a broader global perspective, but I constantly find my perspective being broadened. And what I gained from the students in Pisco, opened my mind. I see children who grow up with next to nothing. While I have heard about places like the poor communities of Pisco, I have never had the opportunity till now to really see how happy the children are. I think the help I provided at the Ludoteca added to the fun the children had for a few weeks. They were excited when I brought in elaborate colors of string, and their attention was glued for hours on making bracelets. When my friend Elise taught them The Banana Song, one boy insisted on writing all the words down and singing it over and over again. I saw their eyes light up when we taught them about the places they had never seen in Peru and the places they had never imagined, across the Atlantic in Spain. One boy told me he would have to ask his dad, but that he thought it would be fine to go on a trip with us to wherever we would take him. This made me smile.

In fact, I think I was smiling much of the time I was at the Ludoteca. Just hearing the children laugh and seeing them so happy made my day, every day. Rayna and I created PEDAL for Change because we want all children to have the same opportunities we did growing up. I am glad I could make some kids in Pisco happy for a day. But I continually remember the saying, “Feed a man a fish, he eats for a day. Teach a man to fish, he eats for a lifetime.” Thus, even more so, I hope I sparked their interest, even one student, to do more. I hope that the excitement they showed during passport day lasted for longer than that moment, and that they will be inspired to take advantage of the opportunities the world has to offer.

I see how happy these children are, living the lives they have always known. I also see how excited they get about what else is out there, beyond Pisco. I hope they will reach those places and those dreams. I know it is much much harder for these children than it is for those in a challenging situation in the United States. I also know that with enough inspiration and drive, anything is possible. And Pisco Sin Fronteras proves that every day.