por Jim
I was reminded yet again how educational travel can be when the cab driver taking us to the Inquisition Museum began a little history lesson by telling us that the Inquisition had never tortured the Incas. Instead it was aimed solely at witches, liars and heretics with the aim of getting them to recant. The Incas were simply killed.
Which led to a conversation about who the Jew was, never repaid, who financed the initial Spanish trips to conquer Peru. That opened the door the issues of the Jews here today (there are many more in Argentina), Hitler, who our driver learned most Germans believed to be a crazy person during the four years he spent in Germany as a chauffeur, and whether the children of a Jewish man he knew who married a non-Jew would be considered Jews or not. It was punctuated by his telling of us of his three daughters and how he thinks Alan Garcia will again be elected president, although the cab driver was not a supporter of Garcia's APRA party. But Garcia, he opined, was the only candidate wise enough to tell different constituencies what they wanted to hear.
Ultimately, he said, those with money won. My contribution was to teach him the phrase "money talks and bullshit walks" which he found true and amusing after we translated it using his phone that simultaneously goes from talk in one language to text in another. A pretty impressive piece of technology to be affordable by a taxi driver.
An enjoyable trip, including negotiation over the fare at both start and finish, that was more fun than the visit to the museum itself, which Leslie has described. After viewing the exhibit on waterboarding, I was left wondering whether the American intelligence community paid royalties to Spain (or Peru?)
I was reminded yet again how educational travel can be when the cab driver taking us to the Inquisition Museum began a little history lesson by telling us that the Inquisition had never tortured the Incas. Instead it was aimed solely at witches, liars and heretics with the aim of getting them to recant. The Incas were simply killed.
Which led to a conversation about who the Jew was, never repaid, who financed the initial Spanish trips to conquer Peru. That opened the door the issues of the Jews here today (there are many more in Argentina), Hitler, who our driver learned most Germans believed to be a crazy person during the four years he spent in Germany as a chauffeur, and whether the children of a Jewish man he knew who married a non-Jew would be considered Jews or not. It was punctuated by his telling of us of his three daughters and how he thinks Alan Garcia will again be elected president, although the cab driver was not a supporter of Garcia's APRA party. But Garcia, he opined, was the only candidate wise enough to tell different constituencies what they wanted to hear.
Ultimately, he said, those with money won. My contribution was to teach him the phrase "money talks and bullshit walks" which he found true and amusing after we translated it using his phone that simultaneously goes from talk in one language to text in another. A pretty impressive piece of technology to be affordable by a taxi driver.
An enjoyable trip, including negotiation over the fare at both start and finish, that was more fun than the visit to the museum itself, which Leslie has described. After viewing the exhibit on waterboarding, I was left wondering whether the American intelligence community paid royalties to Spain (or Peru?)
Hard to see what the lessons are here beyond suggesting that everything old is new again and that there are some techniques that defy technological change. Also some musings about human nature and cruelty.
On a lighter note, careful comparison shopping reveals that those cute little stuffed llamas that captivated out grandkids in Quito and led to two purchases are actually cheaper -- by up to 50% -- here in Lima. So if you're out to buy little llamas as part of a South American swing, don't buy too quickly.
After another day in the delightful Lima suburb of Miraflores (and how do you spell oligarphy?), we head for Argentina next week.
Very interesting, it is an educational experience
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