Word: incas
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...Islands, Puerto Rico and many other islands in the Lesser and Greater Antilles. But less than 30 years after Columbus' three ocean-crossing ships dropped anchor off the island of Hispaniola, the Taino would be destroyed by Spanish weaponry, forced labor and European diseases. Unlike their distant cousins, the Inca, Aztecs and Maya, the Taino left no pyramids or temples--no obvious signs that they had ever existed. Just about all that remains of their culture is the handful of Taino words that survive in modern English, including barbecue, canoe, hammock, hurricane and tobacco...
...what is usually a three-day tour. All the while they complain of the altitude sickness that often comes with the area's 13,000-ft. elevation. They have seen the famous ruins, but they are probably missing what is still alive in the Sacred Valley of the Inca, cradle of one of the world's great civilizations...
...entire visit. Indeed, time flows at a different rate along the Urubamba River, and getting in the groove will bring greater appreciation for the valley. Trips based out of several hotels in the town of Urubamba are beginning to gain favor among visitors. One spot, the Posada del Inca, offers beautiful gardens, resident llamas and views of peaks. Hikes and horseback rides are available, along with the traditional stops at the ruins in Pisac, Ollantaytambo and, of course, the train ride to Machu Picchu...
...might have been like to live under the Incan lords. Later my guide and I travel up a dirt track through a side valley to Huitoc, a tiny village even further dwarfed by the mountains than Ollantaytambo. The men of Huitoc take turns serving as porters along the nearby Inca Trail, sprinting on rubber-tire sandals or ragged sneakers past winded trekkers while carrying huge boxes and packs. Today is the fair, and the menfolk have gathered to barter for goods while women sit in circles, gossiping and sharing home-brewed chicha, or corn beer. We hike above the straw...
...Inca used to treat headaches by drilling a hole in the skull. The French favored cold compresses. Today we use shelffuls of heavily advertised over-the-counter remedies: aspirin, Advil, Tylenol, Aleve. But how much do scientists really know about headaches and what causes them? Quite a bit, as doctors who gathered in New York City last week for a meeting of the American Association for the Study of Headache can attest...