CuscoPeru.com

By Ellen R. Gordon

Coca Leaves

Colorfully-dressed Incas greet us with cups of hot tea as we enter the airport terminal. “¡Bienvenidos a Cusco!” A delightful welcome to the two-mile high Andean city, but the tea also serves an important purpose—the prevention of altitude sickness.

The tea we are offered at the airport, and again in our hotel lobby, is mate de coca—brewed from leaves of the coca plant. Coca is best known to North Americans as the source of the drug cocaine, which is actually a highly processed derivative of the coca leaves. Because of its association with the drug, coca is banned in the U.S. Continue reading

Potatoes

What is your first thought when you hear the word “empire?” The Roman Empire? The British Empire, on which the sun never sets? “Star Wars?”

At the time Europeans arrived in South America the Incas had the largest empire in the world, covering as much territory as had the Romans, five centuries earlier. From Ecuador to the center of Chile, the dominion of the Incas stretched almost 3,400 miles.

Like the Romans, the Incas had an extensive network of highways. Although they never developed the wheel, the Incas built 25,000 miles of roads. These highways, many of which were stone-paved and up to 24 feet wide, carried couriers, armies and cargo-laden llamas throughout the sprawling territories. Their use was restricted to those on official government business.

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