Cultures of the Andes

Continuing with our visit to the Cleveland Museum of Art...

After my cousin Gail and I visited the gallery of pre-Hispanic art from Mesoamerica (Mexico and Central America) we moved into the adjacent room which is filled with archaeological treasures from South America, specifically the cultures that flourished in the Andes of Peru before the arrival of the Spanish.

The Incas are the best known of those civilizations, but there were many other cultures which preceded them.  In fact the bulk of the objects in the museum's collection are from those earlier groups.

The Paracas culture flourished along Peru's coast from 800 B.C. tp 100 B.C.  It is best known for its superb textiles which, due to the arid conditions, have amazingly survived the centuries.  Most of these fabrics were found in graves.

The Nazca civilization is best known for its mysterious lines along the Peruvian coast, but it also produced an abundance of pottery.

The Mochicas lived in northern Peru between A.D. 100 and 700.  Their pottery features the most realistic human portraits of any culture in the Andes.  The jars often had distinctive stirrup shaped spouts.

Some of the Mochica vessels portray animals, such as the sea lion pup and the feline below.

This one has a deer's head with a human body and is performing the coca leaf chewing ritual.

These gold beakers are from the Sisán culture (750-1100).

Sisán was conquered by the Chimu Empire (900-1470).  This rare piece of wood carving was the backrest of a litter which was carried by porters to transport a noble.

The Wari Empire flourished between 600 and 1100.  Here you see several examples of Wari pottery.

A double spouted vessel

It is not known if this image is of a god, an ancestral mummy or of a high-ranking noble.  His hands are cupped around holes would have originally held staffs of authority.

A vessel with porters carrying a dignitary in a litter.  The spout extends through the nobleman's body.

There is much more from the Cleveland Museum of Art coming in future posts.

Way South of the Border

After walking the "Ecoducto", I headed into the neighborhood of "Roma Sur", the heart of the Mexico City's South American community.  I wanted to check out a place that I had seen on my previous trip, an upscale food court called "Comedor de los Milagros" (Diner of the Miracles).  You know it's an upscale eatery when there's a valet parking stand on the sidewalk!

Picnic tables are set out in the courtyard.

At the far end of the courtyard there is a bar.

Along either side there are food booths.  There are gourmet popcorn and donut stands, taco and pizza stands.  Most of the food booths, however, specialize in the cuisines of different South American countries.  

I got a chuckle from the name of this Argentinian booth.  It is a play on the title of the old Mexican song "Bésame Mucho".  It's called "Asame Mucho"... "Grill me a lot".

I thought at first that you go from booth to booth and order what you want.  But, no, you take a seat, and a waiter brings you a menu listing the fare from all the different stands.

From the Colombian booth I ordered something called "aborrajados".  They are croquets made of fried plantains filled with cheese.  They are served with spicy fruit dipping sauces.

They were pretty good.

Next, from Venezuela, came an "empanada" (turnover) made a fried corn meal dough and filled with beef, beans, fried plantain and cheese.  It was tasty too.

The disappointment surprisingly came with the Mexican chorizo taco I ordered.  It obviously was not meant to be rolled up and eaten with your hands.  On top of it were soggy French fries.

And where were the garnishes?  No self-respecting Mexican would serve a taco without lime wedges, chopped cilantro, chopped onion, and a variety of salsas!

I might stop by this place again, but I definitely  won't order any tacos!

The Land of the Gauchos

Last month I wrote a couple posts about the tour which I took in 1986 to Brazil and Argentina.  While we were in Argentina, we took an excursion out to the Pampas to visit a cattle ranch.  There we had a chance to learn about the "gauchos", the cowboys of Argentina.  It was very touristy, but a very enjoyable experience nevertheless.

As you see from the bare tree branches, it was winter down there.  It was chilly at times, but when the sun was out, it was like a pleasant autumn day up here.

A number of the gauchos were dressed in traditional attire, including "bombachas", baggy pants tucked into their boots.   The "bombachas" are worn with a coin-studded belt. (In the old days, the belt was a gaucho's portable "bank account".)

Tucked into the back of the belt, the gaucho would have his "facón", a knife which was used not only as a weapon, but for eating meat grilled outdoors on the range.

 

Yours truly posing with the gauchos

 

 

 

 

A couple of future gauchos

 

 

 

We were given a chance to try "yerba mate", a type of tea made from the leaves of a native shrub.  It is the most popular beverage in Argentina and Uruguay.  It is steeped in a hollowed out gourd and drunk through a metal straw called a "bombilla" which has a strainer at the end.  It is rather bitter, but with sugar is not bad.

 

 

 

We were also given a demonstration of a typical gaucho sport, "sortija".  A ring ("sortija") is suspended from an upright.

 

 

The gauchos then gallop on horseback under the upright.  They hold a small wooden peg in their hand, and attempt to grab the ring.

 

 

 

A lunch of grilled meats was prepared for us.

 

 

During lunch we were entertained by a performance of traditional gaucho music and dancing.

 

 





Flying Down to Rio

In my previous post I wrote about a tour which I took in 1986 to Brazil and Argentina.  Our trip began in Rio de Janeiro.  Although Rio is neither the capital nor the largest city of Brazil (those honors belong to Brasilia and Sao Paulo respectively), it is certainly the country's most famous city.  In spite of the poverty of the "favelas" (shantytowns) which cling to the hillsides, Rio has a cachet of glamour with images of beaches and Carnival and samba dancers.  With its coastal location and dramatic mountain peaks, it has one of the most spectacular settings of any city in the world.

The flight to Brazil is almost as long as flying to Europe.  We took an overnight flight on Varig Airlines from Miami.  The next morning we were in Rio.

Our hotel was a beautiful high rise on one of the most famous beaches in the world... Ipanema.

 

Notice the mosaic sidewalks for which Rio is famous.

 

The mountains in the background are called "Dois Irmaos"  (Two Brothers)

 

 

Fortunately, I did not go swimming at the beach.  Not only can the surf be dangerous, but I have read that due to the city's poor waste treatment system, the bacterial level of the water is often dangerously high. 

 

 

One of the most popular activities in the city is to take the train which climbs the 2300 foot high granite peak of Corcovado.  We didn't have to wait long for the train, but I have read that nowadays tourists sometimes have to wait in line for hours.

 

 

 

Atop Corcovado is Rio's most famous landmark... the statue of Christ the Redeemer.  This art deco statue is 98 feet high and its arms stretch 92 feet wide. It was constructed between 1922 and 1931.  In 2007 it was declared one of the "New Seven Wonders of the World".

 

 

 

 

The view from Corcovado on a clear day is amazing.

 

 

 

Rivaling Ipanema in fame is Copacabana Beach.  In the background you can see Rio's other famous mountain, Sugarloaf (Pao de Azucar).

 

 

 

Like Corcovado, Sugarloaf Mountain is a monolith of granite.  It rises from the edge of Rio's harbor.  A cable car takes visitors to the top of this mountain also for more spectacular views.

 

(Yours truly, waiting for the cable car)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Far below, Copacabana Beach

 

 

Corcovado with its statue of Christ as seen from Sugarloaf