Banos del Inca 1of 3

Friends & Relatives:

Recently the temple closed for 2 weeks for maintenance and cleaning. Us missionaries were encouraged to clear out and go see the country. Debbie and I got on a bus for Cajamarca. It was a double decker and we got seats in front on top. It was very exciting, interesting and beautiful, winding our way up through the mountains on narrow roads. We skirted numerous rockslides on the road and waited for one to be cleared. The mountains are composed of a crumbly rock mixed with mud, and is very unstable. The cuts in the mountains are steep and come to the road edge, so slides land on the road, not into a ditch. We also waited for an hour for a protesting village to disperse that were blocking the road who did not want a mine (and the resulting pollution) on their mountainside. They will no doubt get it anyway. There's gold in them thar hills. 

Next we waited a few hours because a huge cattle truck filled with bulls on the way to market tipped over after going around a hair pin turn. The truck blocked the road, and some of the bulls slid down the hillside and others wandered around somewhat dazed. It took a couple hours to get the truck moved to one side so vehicles could pass. What was supposed to be a 7 hour ride got turned into an 11 hour ride. Similar events turned the return trip into an 11 hour ride as well. 

We stayed in a small and inexpensive hostal in Banos del Inca (Bath of the Incas). Hot mineral water bubbles out of the ground and is used in pools and private baths in the area. Apparently that is where the Spaniard, Pizarro, captured Atahualpa, the last Inca king. We visited the baths a few times to finish off a day of sight seeing. The area was very lush, green and cool, with a bit of rain at the end of almost every day. It was a nice change from the desert like conditions of Trujillo, where we have also been having more heat than they have had in 50 years.  Cattle, sheep and dairy are the big industry in the area. Some very good cheeses are made there. More than anything we enjoyed long walks in the countryside and just seeing where and how people live. 

Peter & Debbie

1- Road on way up

2- Rest stop and our big red bus. 

3- Rice fields terraced on mountain sides on lower levels.

4- Mining protest

5 & 6- Street scenes that we saw frequently in Banos del Inca. The indigenous people frequently wore these tall broad brimmed hats, and colorful skirts. The hats are  to protect from sun and frequent rain and skirts that could be spotted in fields a long way from home.  The women were more dedicated to traditional dress than the men, but we noticed that a lot of younger women are opting out of the hat wearing. As much as anything I think the hats say,  "I live and work in the country and am proud of it".