Mummies and Rafting Down the Rio Chili (12.09.08)

On the 8th of September 1995, North American anthropologist Dr Johan Reinhard discovered a 500-year-old the mummy of a young girl in a crater of the Ampato Volcano that towers over the Culca Canyon near Arequipa. The mummy’s name is Juanita and she was between 12 and 14-years-old when she died. Her significance comes from her well preserved state (buried under snow for centuries) and the purpose behind her death. She was sacrificed on behalf of the Incan Empire to the mountain god Apu Ampato.

From her home town the young Juanita walked to the Inca capital Cusco where she received the blessing of the Inca (Quechuan King). From there she walked (with her noble entourage of chiefs and pagan priests) 200km through the Andes to Arequipa where she climbed the Ampato Volcano (6310m), the last few kms through snow and ice with minimal footwear and inadequate clothing. It’s estimated their journey took two months. Prior to her death she fasted (was starved) in order to increase the effect of a hypnotic substance she was given prior to being clubbed on the temple ending the pagan ritual.

We visited Juanita in her final resting place, a glass refrigerator (donated by Japan - incidentally Japan obviously hadn’t donated a ‘frost-free’ refrigerador, poor Juanita was caked is a layer of frost) at the Museo Santuarios Andinos in Arequipa. We were told that only the most beautiful girls had the opportunity to make the ultimate sacrifice to their gods. Unfortunately then, the years since had not been kind to Juanita who appeared like someone had injected a few gallons of botox into her face and blasted her with a flame thrower. What struck us was how fragile and tiny was her young body when she died - she appeared no older than a 6-year-old. Juanita was buried with various ítems thought needed for her afterlife. Along with the usual ‘must bring’ ítems (pots, cups, golden llamas, coca leaves) was buried her umbilical cord, lovingly preserved and wrapped since birth for use (nutritional?) on the other side.

In the afternoon we took a half day rafting tour on the Rio Chili (meaning ‘cold river’ and it sure was) that runs down the mountain and through the middle of Arequipa. We rafted the Rio Chili through a smallish canyon on the way to Arequipa. We got off the river just before raw sewage from the city limits starts pouring in. Though not the most amazing river for white-water-rafting (not enough water during the dry season and not steep enough), there was one grade-4 rapid (a minor water-fall) and the scenery was impressive. The rafting company was amazingly safety-conscious giving us a helmet, life-jacket, spray-jacket, pants and shoes (very rare for Peru). In addition to that we were giving detailed instruction of when not to fall from the raft – again, impressive for Peru. An American on our raft (whose name escapes me) was so enthusiastic to raft (having just arrived in Arequipa after a long flight) he strained too hard on his aluminium paddle snapping it clean in half. He also kept paddling every time we were told to stop. He was either hard of hearing or thought he knew better than our guide (quite possibly the latter). I’m hopeful the enthusiastic American’s partner (Peggy) emails me the pics of us ‘falling’ over the grade-4 rapid and me flying into the front of the raft landing on Peggy and the paddle-snapper.

Friday night we caught up with Tracy (Peru’s Challenge volunteer who is in Arequipa this week). Eating at a Peruvian/Italian (is the word ‘Fusion’) restaurant we consumed numerous Pisco sours (thought we better make up for the fact that we are leaving Peru soon and this delicious beverage wont be available any more) and dissected our month at Peru’s Challenge (Julia hooking up with a salsa dancing Peruvian is still a hot topic of discussion).