Pearù 3: An Gleann Naomh agus na h-Incas

Am mìos sa chaidh bha mi a‘ coimhead air àitichean eachdraidheil anns na h-Andes a Tuath – tha am pìos mu dheireadh seo mu làraichean tarraingeach a’ Ghlinn Naoimh sna h-Andes an ear air Lima. Bha mi toilichte gun do thadhail mi air Peàru a Tuath an toiseach, leis gur ann an sin far am faic thu mòran de na làraichean cultarach ro-Inca, agus tuigidh thu nach do thòisich na h-Incas le canabhas glan – thog iad air muin coileanasan nan linntean romhpa – na Moche, na Chimu, na Chachapoyas is eile. Mar sin bha rathaidean is slighean-malairt ann mar-thà, agus dùin àrda ana-mhòr, uaighean is lùchairtean sòghail. Bha mèinnearachd, uisgeachadh, àiteachas agus cleachdadh farsaing na h-àrainneachd air fàs àbhaisteach, agus bha sgilean obair-mheatailt agus obair-criadha fìor adhartach. An rud a rinn na h-Incas, ‘s ann gun do leasaich iad na cleachdaidhean, sgilean is teicneòlais seo, a bha ann mar-thà, gu ìre iongantach ann an ùine gu math goirid – mu na 100 bliadhna ro cheannsachadh nan Spàinnteach (1563-72), agus gun do chleachd iad iad gus na treubhan eadar-dhealaichte a cho-aonachadh ann an aon ìmpireachd. Faodaidh sinn coimeas a dhèanamh ri leasachadh luath an teicneòlais agus a’ chruinneachais a chunnaic sinn san t-saoghal againne o chionn an Darna Cogaidh.

Thagh na h-Incas Cusco (3,400m), ann an sràth torrach sna h-Andes, mar phrìomh bhaile an rìoghachd, agus shìn rathaidean a-mach bhuaithe mar lìon an damhan-allaidh air feadh a’ phàirt mhòir seo de dh’Ameireaga a Deas. Cuimhnich nach robh eich aca, no buill-acfhainn iarainn, no a’ chuibhle. Cha bhiodh cuibhlean uabhasach feumail sna beanntan no san fhàsach ghainmhich co-dhiù – chleachd iad ruitheadairean airson conaltraidh, llamas airson bathar a ghiùlan, agus neart nan daoine airson togail. Tha e coltach nach robh sgrìobhadh aca, ach chùm iad clàran le bhith a’ cleachdadh siostam shreangan snaidhmte, quipu – buan agus furasta a ghiùlan.

B’ e Holber, an neach-iùil ionadail as fheàrr ‘s a ghabhas dhomhsa, a bha agam airson a’ Ghlinn Naoimh – e fhèin fear de shliochd Inca, aig a bheil an cànan Quechua, le eòlas iongantach air lusan agus an cleachdaidhean, agus tàlant eachdraidh a thoirt beò dhut agus coileanais na h-Incas a mhìneachadh gu soilleir. Mar neach-iùil mi fhìn, dhruidh sin orm agus fhuair mi mòr-bhuannachd às. Thadhail sinn air aon làrach air an raonach àrd aig Moray (3,500m) a bha na “lab” phrobhail àiteachais, far an do dh’ath-chrùthaich iad sònaichean-clìomaid dealbhag le bhith a‘ cleachdadh barraidean is uisgeachadh, gus na seòrsichean gràin, buntàta is eile fhaighinn a-mach a dh’fhàsadh a b’ fheàrr anns gach sòn. Chaidh sinn cuideachd do chlaisean-tèachd salainn Inca aig Maras, a bhios gan cleachdadh gus an latha an-diugh, leis na h-aon dòighean-obrach.

Ach ‘s e na togalaich-chloiche an ìomhaigh as ainmeile de na h-Incas, agus chunnaic sinn eisimpleirean druidteach gu leòr. B’ e Ollantaytambo (c. 3,000m) – dùn, teampull is ceumannan, a’ chiad cothrom a bha agam na blocaichean ana-mhòr rèidh fhaicinn, air an cur ri chèile gun bheàrnan faicsinneach idir eatarra. Dh’ionnsaich mi gun robh iad air an chumail ri chèile le siostam cnag-is-socaid nam broinn, mar Lego, agus cho-fhreagair iad cho dlùth air sgàth mheasaidhean mionaideach agus le bhith a’ cleachdadh mhodailean ro làimh. Chleachd iad rampaichean, geamhleagan agus sgiobachd gus an socadh a-steach dhan àite cheart.  Chunnaic sinn barraidean a-rithist gus àiteachas tairbheach a dhèanamh comasach sna beanntan, cuideachd aig an làrach Inca faisg air sin, Pisaq, far a bheil margaid glè mhòr ann fhathast. Tha sràth torrach na h-aibhne Urubamba gu tur fo àiteachas gus an latha an-diugh. Shiubhail mi tron t-sràth thaitneach air an trèana-turasachd Vistadome.

Bha e ri fhaicinn sa bhad gun robh fada barrachd de luchd-turais an seo na bha ann an ceann a tuath na dùthcha – nàdar de sheoc a bha sin, ach bha fios agam roimhe gum biodh Machu Picchu co-dhiù glè thrang, agus abair gun robh. Tha baile Machu Picchu fhèin, ged a tha e ann an suidheachadh brèagha air abhainn ann an gleann cumhang, dìreach coisrigte do thurasachd. Bha na h-àireamhean a bha ceadaichte san làrach eachdraidheil cuingichte air sgàth Covid ach bha buidhnean gu leòr ann fhathast. Bha mi toilichte gun robh neach-iùil agam fhìn agus a bhith nas sùbailte mar sin.

Bidh bus gad tar-aiseag dhan làrach agus às dèidh sin bidh thu a’ coiseachd  agus a’ dìreadh – tha ceumannan gun chrìoch ann. Dhìrich mise pìos air ais suas air an t-Slighe Inca gus an sealladh ainmeil thairis air an làrach gu lèir fhaighinn. Tha tobhtaichean susbainteach air fhàgail den lùchairt rìoghail samhraidh (mas fhìor), de thogalaich chràbhach is chathaireach, àitichean-còmhnaidh is taighean-stòir, a h-uile rud na shuidhe ann an seòrsa nead creagach, aig 2,500m, air a chuairteachadh le sgurran dramataigeach – seallaidhean neo-chreidsinneach anns gach àird. Bha mi air fèitheamh fad mo bheatha gus seo fhaicinn agus chan e briseadh-dùil a bh’ ann idir. Is coltach gun deach an làrach a threigsinn seach ionnsaigh air a bhith oirre, agus leis nach robh eòlas oirre san t-saoghal nas fharsainge gus a’ chiad turas le Hiram Bingham ann an 1911, tha i air a gleidheadh cuimseach math.

Tha tèoraidh ann gun do thog na h-Incas far an robh fios aca mu shuidheachaidhean geòlasach sònraichte, mar sgoltaidhean domhain, a cheadaich tochladh na creige gu furasta ann an sliseagan feumail, dìreach aig an làrach togail, gun fheum air an uiread de ghearradh no de chòmhdhail – cha chuireadh sin iongnadh orm. Tha na taighean-tasgaidh fiosrachail ann an Cusco sgoinneil (mar a tha ann an Lima cuideachd), agus ‘s e baile brèagha eachdraidheil a th’ ann e fhèin, le fianais de gach linn aige. Tha fiù ‘s dùn ana-mhòr Inca aige os cionn a’ bhaile, Sacsayhuaman, a-rithist le blocaichean tomadach air an cur ri chèile gu foirfe.

B’ urrainn dhomh fada, fada a bharrachd a sgrìobhadh mu Phearù àlainn eachraidheil, ach tha mi a’ creidsinn gu bheil dealbh math gu leòr agaibh a-nis. Air a mholadh gu mòr!

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Peru 3: The Sacred Valley and the Incas

Last month I looked at the historic sites of the Northern Andes – this final piece is about the stunning remains in the Sacred Valley and area, in the Andes east of Lima. I was glad I’d visited the north first, as that’s where many of the pre-Incan cultural sites can be seen, and you realise the Incas didn’t start from scratch – they built on the achievements of the past – the Moche, the Chimu, the Chachapoyas and others. There were already roads and trade routes, massive hilltop fortresses, and sumptuous tombs and palaces. Mining, irrigation, agriculture and general management of the environment were already the norm. Metalwork and ceramic skills were advanced. What the Incas did was to develop these existing practices, skills and techniques to an astonishing extent in a relatively short period – the last 100 years or so before the Spanish conquest of 1532-72, and use them to unify the various Peruvian tribal areas into one cohesive empire. We might compare it to the rapid development of technology and the globalisation that we ourselves have seen since World War ll.

The Incas chose Cusco (3,400m), in a fertile valley in the Andes, as the centre of their domain, and roads reached out from it like a spider’s web throughout that huge part of South America. Remember they had no horses, no iron tools (just bronze), and no wheel. Wheels would not have been that useful in mountainous or sandy terrain anyway – they used runners for communication, llamas to move goods, and man-power for building. It seems they didn’t use writing, but detailed records were kept via a system of elaborately knotted strings, quipu – durable and easy to transport.

I had the best possible local guide for the Sacred Valley area, Holber – himself a Quechua-speaking descendant of the Incas with a vast knowledge of plants and their uses, and a gift for making history come alive, and making the Incas’ achievements clear and comprehensible. As a fellow tour-guide, I was very impressed and made the most of his knowledge. One site he took me to was the experimental Inca farm “lab” up on the high plains at Moray (3,500m), where different climate zones were recreated in miniature via terracing and water management, to test what kinds of grain, potato etc grew best in each. We also visited Inca-period salt-pans at Maras (3,200m), still producing today using the same methods.

But what is most associated with the Incas is their stone buildings, and we saw some wonderful examples. The first site was Ollantaytambo fortress, temple and steps (c.3,000m), my first chance to see the famous huge, smooth blocks of stone built together with no visible gaps. I learned that they were held together by an internal spur-and-socket system, like Lego blocks, and fitted so well due to careful advance measurement and the use of precise models. They used ramps and levers and man-power to move them into place. We also again saw terracing used for optimal farming in the mountains, also at the nearby Pisaq site, which still has a huge market. The valley floor, along the Urubamba River, is still fully farmed. I travelled along part of it in the scenic Vistadome train.

There were noticeably far more tourists down here than in the north, which came as a bit of a shock, but I had known that Machu Picchu would be the busiest, and it was. The village below is extremely touristy, though still pretty, set on a small river in the steep valley. Visitor numbers to the ruins were limited due to Covid, but there were still plenty of groups going around. I was pleased to have my own guide and more flexibility.

A bus takes you up to the site, then you walk and climb – I climbed back up a bit along the Inca Trail to get the classic view from the top. There are substantial remains of the (probable) royal summer palace, religious and civic buildings, houses and storehouses, sitting in a kind of high rocky nest at 2,500m ringed by spectacular peaks – breath-taking views all round. I had waited all my life to see this, and I was certainly not disappointed. The site seems to have been abandoned, not attacked, and was unknown to the wider world until Hiram Bingham’s first expedition in 1911, hence its fairly good preservation.

A recent theory is that the Incas knew to build where there were certain geological conditions, e.g. deep faults and fissures, that allowed rock to be quarried easily at the building site in usable slices, reducing the transport and the cutting required – it would not surprise me.  The informative museums in Cusco are wonderful (as they are in Lima too), and it’s a beautiful historic city in its own right, with remains from all periods. It even has a massive Inca fortress above the town, Sacsayhuaman, with impressive walls made again of huge, perfectly fitting blocks.

I could write much, much more about historic, beautiful Peru, but I think you’ll have got a good impression by now. Highly recommended!

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