After returning from our trip to Cancun in June, I made a quick journey to Cuenca, Ecuador, on August 4th to retrieve valuable manuscripts which I had stored some years ago in a safe deposit box. These pages, over 450 years old, were written by a Spanish priest who accompanied the expedition of the Conquistadores to South America. The priest was killed by Incan forces during a battle, but the manuscript fragments were saved and passed down to the family of Don Jose Vargas Quesada, to whom I am eternally indebted for gifting me these records. My trip to collect these papers was made urgent due to the impending eruption of the Sangay volcano, which could ultimately devastate the highlands surrounding Cuenca. Unfortunately, the fragments had partially decomposed due to water leakage and some are in tatters. I now have the project of translating the text and hopefully perpetuating the essence and spirit of these documents. Forget about the Disney film released last year, which incorrectly portrays the Inca city of El Dorado being attacked by Hernando Cortez. This would suggest a location in the Yucatan or Central America. EL DORADO is actually located somewhere in the jungles of Ecuador, east of the snow-capped Andes in the region that is referred to as the "Oriente." Far away from Quito, the northern kingdom of the Incas where he was born, Atahuallpa, the last Sapa Inca, was put to death in 1533 by Francisco Pizarro, the leader of the South American incursion of the Spanish Conquest. Legend states that Manco Inca, the last descendant of the royal Inca line, led his defeated people into the jungle and set up the stronghold of EL DORADO (The City of Gold) in a last-ditch attempt to restore the Inca empire. Because they understood the Spanish thirst for precious metals, the Incas secretly hid a cache of gold in the form of plates, vessels and other items used in the ritual worship of the Sun God, INTI. Gold was considered by the Incas to be the "Sweat of the Sun." These golden treasures were secluded from the Spanish and carried into exile by Manco and his followers after their expulsion from the Inca royal city of Cuzco and their homeland in the Andean Highlands. To this day, the Quechuan indians still await the restoration of their empire...and the return of VIRACOCHA, the mystical creator of culture in both Central and South America. It is not my attempt to uncover the actual location of EL DORADO. My journey is spiritual, as I seek to connect with the ancient wisdom passed down to the Incas from Viracocha and other demi-gods of Mezzo-America. This wisdom speaks of the incredible countdown to eternity evident in the Mayan calendar, whose last entry is 4 Ahau 3 Kankin, which translates to December 23, 2012: the last day of recorded time.
A COUNTRY GEOGRAPHICALLY AND CULTURALLY SPLIT
My exposure to the culture of the Incas started with my first trip to South America in 1976. Before this, my only knowledge of Inca civilization came from historical references to the Spanish Conquistadores. In particular, William H. Prescott's HISTORY OF THE CONQUEST OF PERU fueled my interest in studying the Inca culture. Witnessing firsthand the division of civilizations and societies in Ecuador, my attraction to the beauty and depth of Incan art, music and customs would ultimately exceed my interest in Spanish culture. TAHUANTINSUYU (The Four Quarters), is the Quechuan name by which the Inca empire is known. PERU is the general name given it by the Spanish. By the time the Spanish arrived, the empire had expanded outward from its capital at Cuzco, Peru to encompass the region stretching from Quito, Ecuador in the north to parts of Chile in the south. The entire Andean Highlands were connected by the INCA ROYAL ROAD that roughly corresponds with the present-day Pan American Highway. Like the Roman roads in Europe, the Incas built with stone and masonry that, in many places, is still intact. Ecuador is geographically divided in two. The COASTAL area from the Pacific Ocean to the base of the Andes is climatically hot and humid, with temperatures normally reaching 90 to 95 degrees by day with 100% humidity. The ANDEAN HIGHLANDS, commonly referred to as "La Sierra," encompass the highest peaks and valleys of the Andes, with temperatures reaching 60 to 70 degrees by day and plunging to the 40's and 30's (or lower) at night. Since EL ECUADOR (The Equator) runs across the country at Quito, the Sun rises around 6 AM and sets around 6 PM. Ecuador is also nicknamed LA MITAD DEL MUNDO (Middle of the Earth). Ecuador is also culturally divided in two. The coastal areas are controlled by Spanish culture and customs, while the highlands are strongly influenced by Inca culture. For example, driving up from Guayaquil, the major seaport on the coast, to TOMEBAMBA, the Quechuan name for the city of Cuenca in the highlands, the radio stations changed midway. The stations on the coast exclusively play a Salsa and Cumbia music format. In the highlands, soft flutes and Inca dance music called "San Juanito" after the feast of St. John the Baptist (June 24), indicate a very strong Indian influence. You enter a land of enchantment when you reach the top of the Andes. So, there are two Ecuadors to choose from. HOT or COLD, SPANISH or INCAN. I hasten to point out that the most respected universities are up in the sierras. This is only one reason why I choose the highlands. Another reason is that I detest the heat and humidity on the coast. But, there is something about the Inca culture that hooked me. It's very spiritual, with great respect shown for the rights of the individual. I look forward to the project ahead, as I decode the fragments from the 16th century.
FOOD FOR THE JOURNEY
Each time I return to Cuenca, Ecuador, I always stop by a restaurant I helped start in the spring of 1984 which I named SENOR QUESO (Mr. Cheese). Food has always been a passion of mine, so it was my hope to add a little bit of good Italian American cuisine to the already superb Andean diet. I bought a patch of land at the entrance to Cuenca on the Pan American Highway, right next to a successful ice cream establishment by the name of HELADOS PINGUINO. I liked the quaintness of the large statue of the penguin atop my neighbor's shop and hoped that it would auspiciously bless my business as well. My alternative would have been to locate Senor Queso down on the coast in the city of Milagro, where the acceptance of Pizza and other Italian food is profound. But, my heart belongs to the Andes. So even though I sold the business due to flagging sales, I still visit Helados Pinguino, and the taco stand that sits on the site of the now defunct SENOR QUESO. SENOR QUESO'S signature entree was a lasagna dish I created in honor of a past president of Ecuador by the name of Velasco Ibarra, who had the nickname "El Flaquito" (The skinny one) because he was as thin as a rail. The Andean diet is by and large vegetarian and low in fat, so I made my lasagna with compatible ingredients.
LASAGNA IBARRA:
16 ounces creamed COTTAGE CHEESE
8 ounces shredded MOZZARELLA CHEESE
32 ounce jar of SUN-DRIED TOMATO SAUCE
8 ounce package of frozen CHOPPED SPINACH
3 tablespoons of grated ROMANO CHEESE
16 ounce box of ribbed LASAGNA pasta
1 tablespoon of OREGANO
Boil the pasta according to the directions on the box. Coat a glass lasagna pan with a small quantity of the tomato sauce and set aside. In a medium saucepan, combine the cottage cheese, thawed (drained) spinach and Mozzarella cheese. Heat on low flame until it starts to simmer and remove from the stove. Drain the water from the pasta and pour a small quantity of cold water into the pot (this will assist in handling the lasagna noodles). Lay a row of pasta on the bottom of the baking pan and cover generously with the mixture of cheeses and spinach. Spread on some tomato sauce and sprinkle with Romano cheese and a pinch of Oregano. Lay a second row of pasta and repeat the previous step (save a small quantity of tomato sauce). Lay a top row of pasta and spread the remaining tomato sauce on top and sprinkle with Romano cheese. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and put in a slow oven for 30 minutes.
Buen Provecho!
NEXT INSTALLMENT: Avenue of the Volcanos - Into the heart of Ecuador
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