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Richard Malotky: Peru
Our summer trip this year was a medical/dental volunteer excursion to Peru. We signed up through an organization called ‘United Planet’ which tries to match students and professionals with a destination in need. It was great since we got to stay with a host family — wonderful people — and took Spanish lessons in the a.m. and clinic work in the afternoon.
Everyone seems to refer to these folks as the Inca people, but technically the term ‘Inca’ was reserved for the very small population of people who served as the ruling class. All the others were known as Quechua (catch-wa) and most people who live outside of urban areas still speak dialects of this language exclusively. They are still pretty mad at Pizzaro.
We were based in the city of Cusco, which, at 10,800 feet, is apparently the longest continually inhabited city in the Western Hemisphere. When Pizzaro conquered the city in 1532 he had already ransomed the Inca king for two rooms of silver and one room of gold. Once ransomed, of course, Pizzaro killed the king and his entourage and took over. Some historians consider Cusco to be as close as the Spanish ever got to finding ‘Eldorado’ - the fabled city of gold.
The ruins of the old city, what remains of it, are really pretty impressive. The Quechua saved their best construction for their Inca ruling class, and their walls were large chunks of irregular basalt and granite , scribed together without any mortar. Amazing, really, if you consider they never smelted iron and did the whole thing with stone tools. Peru is along the Pacific ‘ring-of-fire’ - but the earthquakes since the Spanish arrived only knocked down the colonial buildings, not the Inca walls.
Contemporary Cusco relies almost exclusively on tourism for its economy. Brilliantly colored wool is woven into all kinds of garments and crafts, and it’s practical since none of the buildings are heated and the average temperature is around 50 degrees.
In this city of 300,000, there is very little private auto ownership but lots of taxis and buses and walking.
We loved the people. My wife and daughter did a lot of extractions and root canals and were also able to do some cosmetic restorations, much to the delight of the local staff. I was basically helpless without an interpreter, but still managed to get some things figured out and kept my eyes open to the local herbal treatments, which were legion.
The first chest x-ray I saw made me jump just a bit. After the first hour in country I knew the locals had big hearts, but one look at an x-ray confirmed they literally had big hearts, too. The most amazing four-chamber enlargement I have ever seen. And she was just there for a stubborn pneumonia. Someone years ago had donated an oximeter, and I stuck it on her just to check. Resting pO2 of 72%!! And not even breathing hard.
Anyway, for having so little oxygen to breath they sure work awfully hard. We saw more proof of this when we spent a weekend in Macchu Picchu, the most famous tourist destination in Peru and close to Cusco. Another ancient, intricate city with the marvelous stone walls and elaborate terrace farming and irrigation channels. Another case where the pictures don’t even come close. I can’t imagine them building those cities at that altitude without iron or hydraulics. Amazing.
We got called home three days early. My father-in-law, a dear gentleman of 85, fell and broke his neck and died. Fortunately, he didn’t feel a thing, and nearly the whole family was able to get together. Despite our grieving, we were able to feel that special good fortune about being Americans. Being able to see, touch and temporarily feel how the majority of the world’s population lives reminds us just how lucky we are, and how hollow our complaints sound when we voice them. It also reminded me why our native Americans might still be a little upset.
And they are still pretty mad about Pizzaro.
Richard Malotky is a family practice physician and devoted outdoorsman who lives in Redding.
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Richard :
What a great mission. I really enjoyed your article. As peruvian ,I am very proud of my ancestors , a beautiful culture, very humble individuals in desesperate need of doctors and basic services.
Thanks to you and your family for such beautiful gesture. yes, we are still mad about Pizarro.
Where is Redding ?
All the best
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Doni Greenberg Reply:
September 28th, 2009 at 8:54 am
Dr. Malotky is probably busy taking care of patients this morning, so I’ll answer your geography question: Redding is in Northern California, north of San Francisco by about a 3-and-a-half hour drive inland. Come visit some time.
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richard malotky Reply:
September 29th, 2009 at 4:14 pm
thanks doni! you are right…we have the influenza craziness going right now. zoila, thanks for your imput and thoughts. and you DO have a beautiful culture…seemed like everyone i met wanted to give me something, and most didn’t have much of anything. so many smiles! doni is right…come and visit some time.
richard
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What a wonderful trip, and I love that this was a family affair. You’ve all certainly chosen a terrific way to use your skills to help those in need. I enjoyed your article, and am so sorry about your father-in-laws accident. Blessings to you and your family.
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I always enjoy your articles in the Redding hometown paper, and now can read you on anewscafe.com. Thank you for keeping our community in touch with your good thoughts and deeds.
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Thanks for the info on Peru! I’ll be going there (and Ecuador) as part of the California Agricultural Leadership Program’s international trip in Feb 2010.
I am the ‘appointed’ person in our class to help develop an international service project while we are there. I’ve located a few groups in Lima & Cusco… we’re still on the drawing board, nothing firm yet. Any other suggestions are very helpful…. we’re a group of 24 California farmers & ranchers, we have a pretty full agenda so we unfortunately don’t have much extra time…
Anyone have good leads- email me at- rickertjames@yahoo.com
Thanks!
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richard malotky Reply:
September 29th, 2009 at 4:21 pm
james…i don’t know any ag stuff but we saw all kinds of things on the trip. close to town some tractors and bigger farms, further away family plots, and still further away(along the urubamba river) there was plowing with a team of oxen. the fruits and veggies in the markets were big and beautiful…8 inch diameter avacados…and everything seemed very fresh at roadside stands. you will love to walk through a market. in cuzco go to the san pedro market…all the cabbies know it. have fun,
richard
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I throughly enjoyed the article. I am thrilled it was a family affair. Our world has such diversity in language, customs, and daily life. I will keep your family in my prayers for the loss of your father-in-law.
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thanks so much for the article. I have visited Peru several times and am always struck by the lovingness and fortitude of the people there.
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I would like to add comments to the 24 California Farmers and Ranchers. I could help you organize this trip. I have contacts and relatives in the North part of Peru (Chepen, Chiclayo) and Lima - In the North they grow rice and beans. In Huacho, two hours from Lima, they grow asparagus.
I am a great organizer and make things happen. A local professor from a well know University from the Northeast was organizing a trip to Peru for her students. One email to my 45 high school classmates and things just happen.
I will need to know
WHAT
WHERE
WHEN
WHY
HOW
HOW MANY
TRIP EXPECTATIONS
my email zbricciardi@earthlink.net
Great connections Dr. Malotky!!!
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