It was no surprise to see quinoa on the menu at restaurants across Peru, including this salad my daughter ordered at a restaurant in Cusco during our recent vacation together.
After all, quinoa (pronounced "keen-wa") is a wonder food that dates back 5,000 years to Peru's Inca civilization.
We were even served a quinoa pastry for breakfast on our train ride from to Ollantaytambo from Aquas Caliente (the nearest town to Machu Picchu, our ultimate destination).
Back home, I recreated the salad, but since the mango I had bought wasn't quite ripe, I used nectarines instead, along with the avocado and maché lettuce that was in the original salad.
The second time I made it, the mango had ripened, and I added some red onion too, something that's used quite a lot in Peru, I found. Whether you use nectarines or mangos (or even a peach or apricot), it's a tasty salad packed with plenty of nutrition. Quinoa is a complete protein in itself, and if you have any gluten intolerant friends, they'll thank you, since it's not a grain, but the seed of a plant that's in the same family as beets and spinach.
The real reason we went to Peru however, was not to eat quinoa, but to visit its breathtaking sights, including the most recognizable icon of Incan civilization -- Machu Picchu.
My daughter had planned for us not only to traipse through the 15th century ruins, but had made reservations for us to hike the large mountain you see in the distance - called "Huayna Picchu," or "Wayna Picchu."
I should have known there would be trouble ahead, after learning that Huayna Picchu means "young person's mountain," while Machu Picchu means "old person's mountain."
More on the trouble later.
As we walked through the site, we couldn't help but wonder how the Incans could have hauled these huge boulders and cut the massive stones without any iron tools, or how they could have created the walls and buildings without any mortar between the stones. Add the sheer height and the thin air to the mix and it becomes an almost unimaginable architectural feat.
Temples and houses are interspersed among the agricultural terraces.
It was one of the most difficult hikes I've ever done, but we were rewarded with stunning sights all along the steep climb.
Including wild orchids growing along the sides of much of the tropical forests along the mountain.
I wanted to turn around several times and go back to safer ground (and terrain that made it easier to breath) but was encouraged to keep going by not only my daughter, but by the people coming down the mountain who urged me to go slow and get to the top. Only 400 people a day are allowed to climb Huayna Picchu, and you have to reserve way in advance.
So onward we climbed, to these narrow, steep steps near the summit.
The steps seemed to get more narrow and more steep as we climbed higher and some people decided to turn back.
But there was no stopping us at this point, when we were so close to the top, even if we had to use our hands and knees part of the way on these ancient stone steps.
When we got to the top, we were rewarded with extraordinary views of the neighboring mountains and the ruins of Machu Picchu.
Very little is known about this archeological site that was hidden from most of the world until 1913 when National Geographic Magazine published an article by American professor Hiram Bingham, who two years earlier had "discovered" it. Bingham wasn't the first Westerner to have stumbled on it though. That claim is thought to have been attributed to Augusto Berns, a German adventurer who looted the citadel's gold and other artifacts.
After making our dizzying way to the summit of Huayna Picchu, we had unparalleled, spectacular vistas of the Andes mountains with 360 degree views. It seemed as though you could touch the sky.
Although it looks like she's at the edge of the mountain, my daughter is sitting on a ledge with a small landing of grass beneath her feet, overlooking Machu Picchu and the zig-zaggy road used by vehicles to drive there.
After soaking in the almost mystical feeling of being in this ethereal place, we had to start our descent, and part of it was navigating through a tight crevasse in dim light, with jagged rocks hanging at eye level. For tall people like me and my daughter, we were crouching the whole time through the narrow passageway.
And so the descent began, on steps that were wide enough for only one person. Anyone coming in the other direction had to wait at the one of the platforms, where there was room to two or more to maneuver.
Careful as I was though, shortly after that last photo, I unfortunately slipped and injured my ankle. Nonetheless, I had no way to get down except to walk on my own. One kind stranger, seeing my distress, thankfully gave me her walking stick for the descent.
For two more hours, I took careful, slow and painful steps until I got to the guard shack at the entrance, where we had started earlier in the day and where we needed to check out.
My daughter called for paramedics, who came to my rescue a short while later. I am so grateful to Cristian and Riccardo, for the gentle way they cared for me, even if it meant an embarrassing shot in the rear in the mountain hut to help relieve the pain. Muchas gracias amigos.
Back at home now, I've had time to reflect on this trip, and how special it truly was to see Machu Picchu and other sacred sights in Peru, and to have my daughter as my companion the whole way.
My daughter might say otherwise, given the handicap I thrust on her the last couple of days of the trip, but as for me, if I had to do it all over again - torn ligaments and sprained ankle included - I wouldn't have missed it for the world.
But for the record, I may confine my exercise to swimming pools in the future.
Maybe.
Stay tuned for more adventures and recipes from Peru and in the meantime, try this delicious salad:
Peruvian Quinoa Salad
printable recipe here
1/2 cup quinoa (I used a mixture of white and red quinoa)
1 cup water
2 Tablespoons olive oil for sautéing
1 mango (or 2 nectarines or peaches or apricots), diced
1 avocado, diced
a couple of slices of red onion, minced
salt, pepper
3 T. olive oil for dressing
juice of one lime
Cook the quinoa in the water for about five minutes. This is less time than most packages call for, but in Peru, the quinoa was crunchy, and a waiter told me that the chef had sautéed it in some oil after it was boiled a bit.
Let the boiled quinoa cool a bit, then heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet and toss the quinoa in the oil for a few minutes.
Remove to a bowl and let cool, then add the rest of the ingredients, adjusting seasonings and adding more lime juice (or white wine vinegar) if necessary.
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