I share a short video from one of my walks in the Andes mountains and Inca ruins.
Standing under the hot spray of the shower after a long day in nature, I suddenly realize I am being watched. There is a big spider in the corner.
I had almost started getting used to my neighbour under the sink, but this one?! Well; I guess I have to put up with this one as well, having promised myself not to kill the creatures living side by side with me along the trip. A promise I have not managed to keep all the time, but tred to maintain all the same.
Living in the rural South American areas I have made a pact with nature. This contract has led me to a world of discovery. I am surrounded by so many different living creatures. Every time I discover a new one that I have not seen before, it makes me realize how little I actually know about nature. Not being able to distinguish between which living things are dangerous and which ones are not has from time to time made me feel uneasy.
This time I just watch the fellow in the corner, dancing up and down on its invisible thread. When I take a closer look I see the huge invisible spider web which must have been there the whole time. Yes, we miss so many things in everyday life because we are in our heads or emotions, totally ignoring the small details around us.
Under the hot water, I breathe in the majestic grace I have been surrounded by the whole day. The Andes! The adorable power of it has been an inspiration and I want to know more about the mystical nature I have been exploring for the last two months of my trip in Bolivia and Peru. In Bolivia, I learned that mountains are viewed as sacred, and there are different myths connected to how mountains were created. Before mountains were like human beings, but by misbehaving they woke up God´s rage. God responded by turning them into mountains. Mountains are also viewed as protectors in Peru. Have the high mountains been protecting the inhabitants from other warriors and enemies? Have the peaks covered by snow and ice been providing the settlers with water? A knowledgeable local guide in Sacred Valley told me that the natives have different names for each level of height on their mountains. That is because each elevation level is home to different plants and animals.
Being in the Sacred Valley with these enormous cliffs as my scenery, I wonder how harsh life must have been in this environment during the Inca civilization or Pre-Inca period, without all our modern tools and machines. No wonder they were so connected to nature, the source of their survival. Something that has become almost lost in our modern world.
The Inca civilization flourished in ancient Peru between c. 1400 and 1533 CE, and their empire eventually extended across western South America from Quito in the north to Santiago in the south, making it the largest empire ever seen in the Americas and in the world at that time, according to the ancient history encyclopedia.
I also find out that The Andes, running along South America’s western side, is among the world’s longest mountain ranges. It which stretches over 7,000 km and spans seven countries. From Venezuela in the north, the range passes through Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina and Chile and boasts some of the highest peaks. Aconcagua is the highest peak in South America, at 22,841 feet (6,962 meters) above sea level. Its varied terrain encompasses glaciers, volcanoes, grassland, desert, lakes and forest. The mountains shelter pre-Columbian archaeological sites and wildlife including chinchillas and condors.
The nature I am living next to is just so wonderful and the beauty of it forces me be totally present. Nature is absolutely in us and we are part of nature. I wish Trump could understand it.
Thank You, Parisa for sharing yet another of your experiences on your journey. What always strikes me is your awe about nature and your ability to express it both in text and video (and music). Continue to discover and share. Your enthusiasm is contagious.
/ Lars
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