week3—Stars, Cusco, and Me—
experience blog #3 –
My last night in Cusco, we went to the planetarium. We met the staff at the park—which is a common experience, I’ve now learned—and our group, along with the rest of the tourists were herded into vans.
We drove up the windy ways up to Saqsaywaman and went along the bumpy, rock-ish backroads towards the planetarium. I would describe the views we saw at this point, however there wasn’t much to see other than dimly lit trees, the road ahead, and the pitch black.
We arrived a few paths away from the hut-like complexes that made up the planetarium—I learned later that the entire complex is solar-powered. Once we entered, we were greeted with blankets and a very fun yet informative presentation about Inka astronomy from Shonda. (I think that’s what her name is). Shonda told us about the various stars, the El Niño year(s), and her boyfriend, the Sirius star. I can’t quite remember why Sirius is her boyfriend, but I believe it has something to do with the fact that Sirius is the brightest star in the sky and also the potato growth cycle. It was here that I learned that the Inka empire only lasted 95 years. Qollqas were essentially a kind of Inka fridge, which allowed them to preserve food for much longer—35 years for a potato!
We learned the Inkas’ astrological assignments as well; where in Western/European modes we have constellations based off of Greco-Roman mythology, the Inkas had constellations based off the things and animals they possessed/knew about. There was mama llama constellation, baby llama constellation, one that was a compass, and a mosquito. They have other names for constellations as well—i.e., the big dipper is the ‘big deeper’.
Later on, we went into the dome, which we then saw the star projections, constellations, and their (generous) artistic renderings. After this we went outside with our blankets and looked at the starry skies with both our naked eyes and big telescopes.
My time in Cusco was eventful, to say the least. It began with an unreasonably early flight, a sick roommate thugging it out, then a quick trip to the hospital where I was arguably not thugging it out. I think things began to take a positive turn when I went to Saqsaywaman. There was something healing about learning the stories embedded in nature. It felt grounding. And after my goblin eras and the gnarly trip to the hospital, grounding was exactly what I needed.
I felt serendipitously lucky to integrate the knowledge we were learning in class and apply it to the stars. I felt blessed to see Saqsaywaman twice in the sun and now I got to see it in the moonlight. I remember eating my beloved alfajores while looking at the Southern Cross constellation; my neck happily hurting and my head eagerly contemplating. It was truly a magical last night in Cusco—the place where I felt my absolute worst and my best.
That being said, I do wonder about biases being implied throughout these presentations and numerous tour guides we go on. The one that Shonda did was fun, educational, and light, whereas the one the lady did at the LUM was arguably the opposite. Yet, both are directed to non-Peruvians and tourists. How do we differentiate or contextualize these biases? Is it required/expected/necessary for us, as tourists, to question the information given—or rather, sold—to us?
6 replies on “week3—Stars, Cusco, and Me—”
Hi Jasmine! I loved going to the planetarium with you guys. Everyone’s enthusiasm (except Jon’s)made the experience much more enjoyable! I am also happy to have witnessed your healthy recovery, you and Emma and truly soldiers (not more than Andree though, shes the toughest). Regarding your question, I think it is very important to be mindful of the biases that are being presented to us, and that being exposed to a wider range of these perspectives helps us make more informed opinions.
Hi Jasmine,
Thank you for this beautiful retelling of our evening at Planetarium Cusco! It was such an incredible night (I’m also biased because they told me I’m a superstar aslkdfjdslkflf). I’m glad to hear Saqsaywaman was a grounding experience and I’m going to try to learn more stories about the nature for you <3 (you are welcome to hold me to this promise).
I've also been thinking about how extensively we should be critiquing the information sold to us. We tourists are in no way objective outside observers. We also bring our own contexts and biases. I'm not saying we should take what is told to us at face value, but I think we should recognize we are limited in our ability to point out holes. I think we don't have the lived experiences that our tour guides might have.
Thank you again for the wonderful post!
Take care,
Cissy
Hey Jasmine,
Thanks so much for sharing your experience, especially the part about the planetarium. I usually tend to procrastinate on assignments and, unfortunately, missed out on what sounds to be a pretty cool experience.
To your question, yes, we should question everything we are told or sold. When you used the word sold, it immediately made me even think of the education we are getting at University. It is being sold to us, and just as we question what a tour guide tells us here in Peru, we should also question the things we are learning in class.
I really enjoyed reading your blog this week Jasmine. I felt similar ways about our time at the planetarium and I think it was really special to get to experience sacsayhuman by day and night. For me, I try to remember things are always going to be presented with a bias. We’re human, it would be impossible to not have some element of bias. On top of that, I also like to remind myself that usually these biases are not malicious. The presentation at the planetarium was designed for tourists but also I think she genuinely loved doing that and she was really good at it! Sometimes yes, bias is a big deal but also I think sometimes it’s okay to just accept what they are trained and excited to talk to you about.
“And after my goblin eras and the gnarly trip to the hospital, grounding was exactly what I needed.” Your final questions are too acute to answer now. The distrust that arises in you when faced with the information you receive is understandable. There is a set of affects that each place we visit seeks to mobilize, certain empathies or rejections that are marked by institutional narratives (national? nationalist? mercantilist?). Hence the clash between that framework and the specific person who represents it. (On the other hand, the ancient Greeks thought that a physical and emotional purge was necessary to begin a new cycle, and the Aztecs spoke of the need for prior destruction so that a new sun, a new era, could emerge).
I am very glad to have shared so many of these moments with you. I too found our visits to Saqsaywaman and the planetarium quite healing. I’ve always found it very grounding being in nature, but the vastness of the places we have visited seed such a beautiful environment for learning, reflection, and connection.