The Contaminated Mantaro Rio of Peru (Revised 1/25/2007))In English and Spanish))

The Mantaro Rio of Peru:
A Coke Stream



When you come to visit the Mantaro Valley, just beyond the huge mountains called the Andes, you will enter a Valley unequaled on earth, and again, I must say, you will be surrounded by the second largest mountains in the world, the Andes, although they are not the huge ones, perhaps only 2000-feet tall, but you are 10,500-feet high already, thus, you are 12000-feet above sea-level. The valley is more beautiful than the Scared Valley I think, and it has the old time touch to it; that is to say it brings you back two-hundred years with its adobe houses, ox and carts, and donkeys, lamas and dogs running up and down the hills, throughout the valley villages. And once in the city of Huancayo (population apex: 325,000), you have all the modern amenities a big city has, so you got a mixture of both, old and new. And the women still dress in their old Wanka garb, with gold and black Wanka hats: a land of intrigue, mystic and romantic Wanka-ism. But there is a sad part to this tale, or story, when you follow the once beautiful river called the Mantaro Rio (and I have been here now four times, and am thinking about living here), you follow a green path, a blue sky, and an infested, contaminated mud stream, sad to say, but a touch of reality: called the Mantaro Rio. It looks more like a coke-a-cola stream than a river that should be blue or green.

Once you gaze upon it, you will not want to swim in it, as the animals do not want to drink from it, both man and beast are wise in this area, for should they, I’m sure they’d not do it twice. Yes, it’s a shame, perhaps those polluting it, should clean it, or drink from it: but that would be murder wouldn’t it, and we are not savages are we not; yet some folks seem to think, otherwise: that being, they have the right, or preference to do as they please with the water of the Mantaro Rio. This was once the problem we had along the Mississippi, where I live (part of the year), in St. Paul, Minnesota, in the United States, until we the people, enforced the government to take action and enforced the folks doing the polluting, to build refineries to clean the water they were infecting. Sounds logical to me.
I’m not sure how hard it is to clean what you dirty, perhaps no harder than cleaning the neighbor’s dirty laundry, you know, the one you dirtied and left for someone else to clean (a lot of us do that don’t we): the Mantaro Rio belongs to the Valley folks, not just those living down by the mines; thus, one may want to call the Core of Engineers in Minnesota, to see how they did it, and perhaps, we can fix what needs fixing.
Now they are even (some Ungodly folks) are sending devilish letters to the Monsignor of Huancayo, saying in so many words: if you don’t shut up, we’ll kill you, or shut you up. Let me simply say this: those saying these things are simply cursing themselves to God, and putting their own, families and lives in danger: with the One they can’t see, but can see them. Why do I say this? I’ve learned in life, what you plant is what you harvest. If it is evil, it will not blossom godly flowers why should it, thus you plant deadly seeds, and you get a deadly harvest, so beware.


Note: written on the way back from Huancayo to Lima, 1/10/2007





By Poet Laureate, of San Jeronimo, Peru Dennis L. Siluk; Awarded the National Prize of Peru, "Antena Regional": The best of 2006 for promoting culture (by: Prens@ndina) and recognized by the Colegio De Periodistas del Peru as: Poeta Laureado Del Valle Del Mantaro, 2007



Spanish Version





Río Mantaro del Perú:

Un Corriente de Coca Cola


Cuando vienes a visitar el Valle del Mantaro, justo más allá de las enormes montañas llamadas Los Andes, entrarás en un Valle sin igual sobre la tierra, y otra vez, debo decir, estarás rodeado por las segundas montañas más grandes en el mundo, Los Andes, aunque estas no sean las enormes, quizás sólo 610 metros de altura, pero tú ya estarías a 3,200 metros sobre el nivel del mar, así, estarías a 3,810 metros sobre el nivel del mar.

El Valle del Mantaro es más hermoso que el Valle Sagrado del Cuzco pienso, y este tiene un toque de los viejos tiempos; es decir este te lleva atrás doscientos años, con sus casas de adobe, bueyes y carros, y asnos, llamas y perros corriendo arriba y abajo de las colinas, en todas partes de los pueblos de valle. Y una vez en la ciudad de Huancayo (población aproximada: 325,000), tendrás todos los servicios modernos que una ciudad grande tiene, así tienes una mezcla de ambos, lo antiguo y lo nuevo. Y las mujeres todavía visten en sus tradicionales trajes Wankas, con sus sombreros Wankas dorados y negros: una tierra de intriga, mística y romántica Huanca-ismo.

Pero hay una parte triste a este cuento, o historia, cuando sigues al que era una vez el hermoso río, llamado Río Mantaro (y he estado aquí ya cuatro veces y pienso vivir aquí), tú sigues un camino verde, un cielo azul, pero una infestada, contaminada corriente de lodo: llamada Río Mantaro; triste es decirlo, pero es un poco de la realidad. Parece más bien una corriente de Coca Cola que un río que debería ser azul o verde.

Una vez que lo veas, no querrás nadar en este, así como los animales no quieren beber de este; tanto el hombre como la bestia son sabios en esta área, porque si lo hacen, estoy seguro que ellos no lo harían dos veces. Sí, esto es una vergüenza, quizás aquellos contaminándolo, deberían limpiarlo, o beber de este: pero esto sería asesinato ¿no?, y no somos salvajes ¿verdad?; aunque alguna gente parece pensar de otra manera: es decir, que ellos tiene el derecho, o la preferencia de hacer lo que a ellos les parezca con el agua del Río Mantaro. Una vez este era un problema, que nosotros tuvimos a lo largo del Río Mississippi, en San Pablo, Minnesota, en los Estados Unidos, donde yo vivo (parte del año), hasta que nosotros la gente, forzamos al gobierno para tomar medidas y obligar a la gente que generaba la contaminación, de construir refinerías para limpiar el agua que ellos infectaban. Me parece lógico a mí.


No estoy seguro cuan difícil es limpiar lo que ensuciaste, quizás no más difícil que limpiar la ropa sucia del vecino, tú sabes, el que ensuciaste y dejaste para que alguien más lo limpiara (muchos de nosotros hace eso, ¿no?): el Río Mantaro pertenece a la gente del Valle, no solamente a aquellos viviendo por las minas; así, uno podría querer llamar el Núcleo de Ingenieros en Minnesota, para ver cómo ellos lo hicieron, y quizás, podamos arreglar lo que necesita ser arreglado.

He oído que ahora ellos (alguna gente Impía) incluso están enviando cartas diabólicas al Monseñor de Huancayo, diciendo explícitamente: si usted no se calla, lo mataremos, o lo haremos callar. Déjame simplemente decir esto: aquellos diciendo estas cosas simplemente están maldiciéndose ellos mismos a Dios, y poniendo sus propias vidas y la de sus familias en peligro: con El que ellos no pueden ver, pero El puede verlos. ¿Por qué digo esto? He aprendido en la vida, que lo que plantas es lo que cosechas. Si es malo, este no producirá flores piadosas, por qué lo haría, así si plantas semillas mortales, y consigues una cosecha mortal, entonces ten cuidado.


Nota: escrito en el camino de regreso de Huancayo a Lima, 10 de Enero del 2007.

Por el Poeta Laureado de San Jerónimo, Perú, Dennis L. Siluk; premiado con el Premio Nacional de Perú, “Antena Regional” como: El mejor del 2006 promoviendo la cultura (por: Prens@ndina).







“The Magic of the Avelinos,” by Poet Laureate Dennis L. Siluk.
A book on the: culture, customs and traditions of the Mantaro Valley of Peru.


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A Brief Overview of the Historical Wanka
(An Introduction)


The Wanka culture is rich in the Mantaro Valley of Peru, and perhaps we could start at any corner in the Valley and present (or come out with) a good history surrounding the Kingdom of the Wanka. So let’s start right from the beginning, 10,000 BC, known as the Litico Period. Here we find Archeological sites called Callavallauri, and here we find nomads and hunters for the most part.
From there we can shift to the Arcaico Period, or 4000 BC. A time when agriculture appeared in the Valley, and throughout; here we can find ruins called Chanchas Puquio (Huancan0.
Now we shift another 2000-years down the timeline, a period of the Ceramic, along with the growing of corn, and an archeological site nearby the Andean city called: Conception (Junin).
Now we take a big leap, to 600-1460 AD, the Medium to Late Horizon periods; this is really the Wanka Period at its brightest. A time for breeding stock, agriculture, more villages, and of course war (the Huari)
The Huari Empire in the Mantaro Valley connected with one another, that is, the valley consolidated for the most part. The Huari disappeared and was replaced with the Wanka Kingdom about 1000 AD, although everything was somewhat really interconnected prior to this.

Now we must go to about 1200 AD, the Wanka development is well on its way, I shall call it its middle glory: here we see Jauja, San Jeronimo, Sicaya, Chorgos Bajo connect with one another.
The Capital of the empire was Tunanmarca and the Huari culture, perhaps between 500-900 AD—was predominated in the area. After their influence disappeared, the Wanka got more independent and adopted what may be considered the God of the Wanka’s. Huallallo Carhu (The Great Wanka Warrior). He was punished by Pariacaca, and made to eat dogs for his last defeat. It has been said; the God of the Wanka’s ate human flesh, which was really not that uncommon back then for that background (environment and/or societal surroundings and way of life); and to repeat myself, He was to eat dogs for penitence.

And so you see, we have looked at the Wanka from a few different historical angles, let alone, a few obscure ones: let me bring you into his home, the places the Wanka, in the later years in the Mantaro Valley called home, that is; for example: Arhuaturo (ruins): Cajas; Wariwilca; Huancayo; Pacara; Sapallanga; Chaclas; San Jeronimo (Unish koto); Quitcas (Ushucoto) and Tambo. All these places I’ve visited. There are of course more places they called home, in the valley, but this will do for this book, perhaps I will discover some more in the near future.

Note: written on the way back from Huancayo to Lima, 1/10/2007