Day 10 Squished heads and public loos

We visited the Museum of Machu Picchu today which was quite interesting.  They had all sorts of artefacts recovered from the sight but one of the most shocking things learned today was a practice that was all the rage with the Incas -head binding. This was a practice that they did to young babies and much like Japanese women used to bind their feet as they saw small feet as a sign of beauty, the Incas would bind very young babies heads tightly, causing the skull to elongate and give their heads a different shape.  It is very shocking to us, but apparently this was not so back then.  

The Inca’s didn’t have a written language as we know it, stories and information was passed on orally.  They did however, have a system for recording information needed for recording keeping - this was known as the Quipu System. The Quipu consisted of coloured threads and knots, suspended from one horizontal rope.  Each colour, knot type, and their placement had a specific meaning which could represent numbers or items for example.  They were used for keeping track of agricultural records, tracking census data and military information.  

                                                     A Quipu

Let’s talk Peruvian public loo’s!  Today was something I have never seen before.  Whilst at the museum I did visit the loos, and thought nothing unusual of them other than the loo was squeezed into a very small cubical, but hey ho.  There were 2 loo cubicals and after the previous Peruvian ladies had come out, I could hear they were probably talking about me as I understood the word “touristica”.  Unbeknown to me, the loo paper dispenser was on the wall outside the cubical, so you had to take whatever you thought you were going to need before entering the loo!  Luckily, as any well prepared traveller knows, tissues are essential packing in ones hand bag, so all was not lost.  I shall however be aware in the future to check for loo paper in the communal area before entering the loo!

It was packing day again this evening, tomorrow we leave lovely Cusco and fly to Arequipa.  Much suitcase emptying and repacking ensued this evening.  My packing cubes have been a god send, if you haven’t used them before, I can highly recommend.