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By Author Arakita Rimbayana
Posted on Last updated: 23rd January 2023
Peru's Sacred Valley – or the Valle Sagrado – receives more than a million tourists every year. Though most of them are passers-by on their way to or from Machu Picchu, those who ignore this stretch of fertile valley north of Cusco do so at their own loss.
At a glance, the area's relaxed atmosphere and tiny market towns may lead you to think it's only a place of transit. But a closer look will dispel this illusion.
Peru's Sacred Valley was an important place to the Inca, whose capital city was in nearby Cusco.
The Sacred Valley of the Incas was named as such because it contained some of the best agricultural land and was therefore owned by the Inca himself. Nowadays, it remains the breadbasket of nearby Cusco, as well as a place of untouched Quechua villages where farming techniques follow those employed by their ancestors and an abundance of archaeological sites dating back to the Inca.
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Whether you're curious about the history of this once-great civilisation or more interested in getting your hands on local handicrafts or pampering yourself with a rejuvenating Peruvian spa, there are plenty of things to do in the Sacred Valley.
The list is ordered according to those closest to Cusco, to those closest to Machu Picchu in order to help you plan your itinerary. You might also want to read our guide to when's best to travel to Peru before you start planning.
1. Learn about the valley's wildlife at Cochahuasi Animal Sanctuary
2. Browse for souvenirs at the Mercado de Pisac
3. Appreciate the finest Inca stonework at Parque Arqueógico Pisac
4. Kayak on the calm waters of Lago Piuray
5. Discover Chinchero's authentic local market
6. Hike to the "birthplace of the rainbow"
7. Escape the crowds along the Sacred Valley's "other" Inca trail
8. Photograph the dazzling white of the Salineras de Maras
9. Visit an Inca laboratory at Moray
10. Explore the Sacred Valley on horseback
11. Raft the foaming whitewater of the Vilcabamba-Urubamba River
12. Sip on the Valle Sagrado's finest craft beer
13. Capture a mystical Sacred Valley sunset from Skylodge Adventure Suites
14. Relax and recharge at an Andean spa
15. Explore the impressive terraces of Ollantaytambo
16. Make pilgrimage to the sacred site of Machu Picchu
17. Follow in the footsteps of the Inca elite along the Inca trail
Want a cheeky 5% discount on the Salkantay trek or Inca trail?
18. Get beyond the beaten trail on the Salkantay
Where is the Sacred Valley and how can you get there?
How can you get around the Sacred Valley?
Where should you stay in the Sacred Valley?
Is the Sacred Valley safe?
How expensive is Sacred Valley to visit?
How can you prepare for visiting the Sacred Valley?
Insider tip: Admissions to some famous places in Peru mentioned in this article are included in the boleto turistico del Cusco integral para turista extranjero. Sold by Cosituc and Peru's Ministry of Culture, the bundled ticket is available at each attraction's main entrance. For S/130 ($34 USD), you get admission to 16 places – mostly archaeological sites and museums – for ten consecutive days from the date of purchase. Some of the sites below require this ticket. You can also purchase a boleto parcial for S/70 ($18 USD), which gives you access to one of three groups of sites. Find out further information about the different tickets here.
Located on the road from Cusco to Pisac, the privately-run Santuario Animal de Ccochahuasi (Cochahuasi Animal Sanctuary) has been rescuing and sheltering wild species since 2007, many of which are endangered and have been taken from illegal hunters or poachers.
While the ultimate aim is for the animals to be returned to the wild, many species are sheltered here, including Andean condors, vicuñas and even pumas. You can see them yourself as part of a three-hour tour of the sanctuary and can get here by taxi (it's a 22-kilometre (14-mile) drive from Cusco) or a colectivo from Cusco to Pisac.
The closest town to Cusco is Pisac, a one-hour drive northeast of the former Inca stronghold. This small, traditional Peruvian town is best known for its craft market, which draws local people from across the valley and tourists alike.
A mix of hand-woven and machine-made textiles in the market of Pisac in the Sacred Valley.
While the quality and authenticity of the products sold in the market have dropped with the increase in tourism numbers (many items are made in China, rather than locally), it's still a brilliant place to browse these wares, which range from hand-woven llama wool scarfs and baby alpaca sweaters to colourful bags. Visit on a Sunday to see the market in its fullest iteration with fresh produce – including guinea pigs awaiting their culinary fate.
Admission is included in the boleto turistico
Not only was the Sacred Valley an important place for agriculture for the city of Cusco, but also a strategic route from Inca-controlled towns further west to Paucartambo, a settlement on the fringes of the Amazon jungle in the east. As a result, Pisac was, and still is, dominated by a looming fortress, which perches on the edge of the valley sides at 3,500 metres (11,482 feet) of elevation.
Parque Arqueógico Pisac (Pisac Archaeological Park) features huge terraces high up in the valley sides that were used by the Inca for growing crops.
Parque Arqueógico Pisac (Pisac Archaeological Park) combines a citadel showcasing typically magnificent Inca stonework, as well as mesmerising viewpoints down and through the valley. Don't miss the Templo del Sol (Sun Temple), with its precisely cut dry stone walls.
Keep Reading: The 14 Best Sacred Valley Hotels: From Five-Stars to Budget Stays
A demanding uphill hike takes you from the valley floor up to the site. Alternatively, a taxi from Pisac's main bridge costs S/20 ($5 USD).
Located an hour's drive from Cusco on the road towards Urubamba, the tiny town of Chinchero offers something unique in the Sacred Valley: water activities. The most popular is kayaking or SUP on Lake Piuray.
At the Piuray Outdoor Centre, you can book a tour, with a guide from the local community or from the surrounding area there to help you become acquainted with your kayak or SUP and take you out onto the water.
With its adobe brick houses and scattering of Inca archaeological sites, Chinchero is a typical Andean village that offers a tonne of photo opportunities. But the most attractive place to visit in this part of the Sacred Valley is Chinchero's market.
Witness Peru's culture come alive at Chinchero's traditional market, where everything from ancient produce to handcrafted goods is exchanged.
Held every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday, with the latter being the biggest event, it's a mostly traditional market, catering to locals who come here to stock up on fresh fruits and locally-made textiles. Prices here are the cheapest in the region, although touristy knickknacks such as stuffed Alpaca toys are probably cheaper in Cusco.
About an hour's hike north of Chincheo takes you to an unexpected gem of the Sacred Valley: the Catarata Poc Poc (Poc Poc Waterfall). Though it's quite a challenging hike to get here, the view as the water pummels down a 30-metre (98-foot) drop is more than worth it. After all, according to the Inca, this is the birthplace of the rainbow.
The trailhead starts from the remains of an Inca site in the north of Chinchero and heads northeast.
While most visitors who hike to Machu Picchu do so along the famed Inca trail (although we highly recommend giving the quieter Salkantay trek a go instead), what few people know is that the area is riddled with "Inca trails".
Keep Reading: Everything You Need to Know About Hiking the Inca Trail
One of these starts from Chinchero, heading past Catarata Poc Poc and out into farmlands at the edges of the Sacred Valley, following Inca canals that still irrigate modern farms. You'll clamber down Inca staircases before heading into the base of the valley itself to end at Urquillos. The trail is around nine kilometres (5.5 miles) and takes around four hours. From the end of the trail, it's a 30-minute taxi journey or colectivo to Urubamba.
About a 30-minute drive towards Urubamba from Chinchero takes you to one of the Sacred Valley's most unusual places to visit: the Salinas de Maras.
Local people panning for salt at the centuries-old Salinas de Maras in Peru's Sacred Valley.
These salt pans have been used for over 400 years by local people to harvest salt, with the crumbly pink objects of their labour available to buy in the on-site shop. The best thing to do here is capture photographs of the families at work; you'll see how the ancient technique of collecting and evaporating salt has been preserved and carried on carefully to this day. Admission costs S/7 ($1.8 USD).
Five kilometres west of the Salineras de Maras lies one of the most curious landscapes left by the Inca. A series of concentric terraces have been carved into the hillside and are believed to have been used by the Inca as either a ceremonial centre or as a type of laboratory to see how crops, such as potato, quinoa and corn, would grow at different altitudes across their vast empire.
The concentric circles of Moray, an open-air laboratory dating from the Inca civilisation and one of the unmissable places to visit in Peru's Sacred Valley.
Once you've admired the Inca's use of science to inform their agriculture, stop for a world-class dining experience at Mil. Founded by Peruvian chef Virgilio Martínez (who also owns Central in Lima), this restaurant features an eight-course tasting menu that showcases ingredients grown in the ecosystems surrounding the restaurant. It's not cheap and you'll need to book your spot months in advance.
Whether you're adept on horseback or a real beginning, horse riding is a unique way of exploring the Sacred Valley and accessing some of its less-visited archaeological sites.
Hacienda del Chalán, a 10-minute drive northwest of Urubamba, is the best place to find your stead. They'll take you up into the valley sides and you can even horseback ride from their lodge to the Salinas de Maras. Expect to pay around $160 USD for a half-day tour without accommodation.
While the Sacred Valley looks striking from all angles, a unique way to approach it is along the pounding foam of the Urubamba River, which flows along the length of the valley.
Keep Reading: 41 Incredible Places in Peru You've Probably Never Heard Of Before
Depending on where you go, you can find various different levels of difficulty ranging from Class II to Class IV rapids. Expect to pay around $160 USD for a full day's rafting experience.
The Inca might not have known about the beer brewing process, but the communities along the Sacred Valley have more than made up for this lack of knowledge. Nowadays, almost every big town has its own brewery but the best is the award-winning Cerveceria del Valle Sagrado.
With its unique brews and use of sacred water, Cerveceria Valle Sagrado is a must-visit if you love your craft beers.
Located in Pachar, a 10 minutes drive from Ollantaytambo, this place has its own taprooms serving artisan beers brewed using water sourced from the Sacred Valley itself. Enjoy a cold beer or two (or three!) in this peaceful brewery on the edges of the Urubamba River.
Among all hotels in the Sacred Valley, there's one that stands out – quite literally. Skylodge Adventure Suites' rooms are suspended from the sheer valley sides, some 400 metres above the ground. Built almost entirely from glass, they grant the perfect views of the Sacred Valley. Just imagine being spoiled by unobstructed panoramas of this mystical place during sunset!
Not for the faint of heart: the Skylodge Adventure Suites high above the Sacred Valley.
Visible for miles around, these pods are a once-in-a-lifetime experience, particularly because a via Ferrata or hike and zipline are required to get here. At the end of your stay, you'll zipline down to the valley floor. This ziplining fee is included in the nightly rate, along with a breakfast and gourmet dinner.
Few visitors know that spas are a crucial part of Peruvian culture, especially in places with high altitudes. In fact, Andean people have used herbs to help cure illnesses for centuries. Among them are uña de gato (a woody vine with high levels of alkaloids helpful to the immune system) and huacatay (minty, basil-like leaves used for aromatherapy).
From local spa parlours to luxurious wellness retreats, you'll find plenty of options where you can indulge in local natural remedies. For those with an affinity for luxury, Relais and Chateaux's Sol y Luna (S/1,980 or $523 USD double) is the perfect place for a spot of post-Machu Picchu pampering. If you've got a smaller budget, Aranwa Sacred Valley Hotel & Wellness (S/665 or $170 USD double) has an array of local treatments and a gorgeous setting on the Vilcanota riverbank.
Admission is included in the boleto turistico.
Visited by many as the gateway to Machu Picchu, Ollantaytambo houses two significant Inca sites worthy of exploring. Built high up into the valley sides, both are visible from the town's Plaza de Armas.
The main archaeological site, the Sitio Arqueológico de Ollantaytambo comprise an Inca fortress with imposing stone terraces climbing up the mountain. At the top lies the unfinished Templo del Sol (Sun Temple), which has been built from lumps of red granite. Across the site, you have panoramic views back down the Sacred Valley and a reminder of how much the Inca loved to build high up into the sky.
Ollantaytambo – a 15th-century Inca village with terraced hillsides and towering stone temples that reach up to the sky.
Situated directly opposite are the ruins of Pinkuylluna, which are thought to have been used as granaries. These can be visited for free by taking the steep path from the intersection of T'ilka Kiklla and Lares K'ilkllu.
At the far western edge of the Sacred Valley you'll find the giant of all the ancient sites in Peru: Machu Picchu. One of the ultimate places to visit in South America, Machu Picchu is the jewel in Peru's crown and its most visited ancient site.
Keep Reading: The Best Time to Visit Peru, According to the Weather
Since being introduced to the world stage by US explorer Hiram Bingham in 1911, this former citadel has captured the minds of adventurers and travellers across the globe. It's not hard to see why. Sitting atop a mountain saddle at 2,492 metres (8,165 feet) of elevation and ringed by sky-spearing peaks, its location is sublime.
And that's not to mention the remarkably precise stonemasonry of the vast terraces and temples that characterise what is believed to have been both a ceremonial and agricultural centre.
Machu Picchu as seen at dawn as mist clings to Huayna Picchu, the mountain that towers above the sacred site.
With over a million making pilgrimage to this site each year, Machu Picchu has perhaps lost a little of the magic experienced by the Inca and the explorers who've come in their wake. To recapture it, book a bus ticket from Aguas Calientes and an entry ticket for Machu Picchu when it opens at 6am; our guide to the best time to visit Machu Picchu can help you plan, as well as help you avoid the rainy season on your trip.
If arriving at Machu Picchu by train doesn't feel sufficiently ceremonial, then there is another option. Instead, relive the pilgrimages undertaken by the Inca themselves by trekking the Inca trail to Machu Picchu. While there are many trails built by the Inca across the Andes, the path to Machu Picchu was part of the Qhapaq Ñan ("Royal Road") used exclusively by Inca royalty and pilgrims.
Alpaca Expeditions are not only one of the most sustainable companies offering Salkantay and Inca trail treks to Machu Picchu, but their guides, porters and chefs are the ultimate hosts.
They're now offering Worldly Adventurer readers a 5% discount on all of their hikes – just mention Worldly Adventurer when you enquire!
Book your trek to Machu Picchu
This trail generally takes four days to complete and is strenuous thanks to the altitude, which peaks at 4,215 metres (13,828 feet). Joining a guided tour is a requirement; read our extensive guide on what you need to know before hiking the Inca Trail to find the best company for you, and who will handle all of the logistics, including food and accommodation. We recommend Alpaca Expeditions, who offer a 5% discount if you mention Worldly Adventurer.
While the Inca trail is undoubtedly one of the most famous hikes in all of South America, the route itself has suffered as a result of its popularity. Numbers are capped at 500 people per day but even then, it can feel busy and far from the magical trekking experience you might have imagined.
Sublime dawn views from the Wayramachay campground on the Salkantay trek to Machu Picchu.
For a completely different adventure, opt instead for the Salkantay trek. This 66-kilometre (41-mile) hike starts in the sleepy hamlet of Soraypampa and ends at Aguas Calientes, the town below Machu Picchu. Taking five days, it passes through superlative scenery deep in the Andes, switching between sticky cloud forest and high-altitude mountain passes on its winding and remote route to Machu Picchu.
Keep Reading: How to Hike the Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu, the Alternative Inca Trail
Because you don't share campgrounds with other groups, you can expect to have the path practically to yourselves: when founder of Worldly Adventurer, Steph, did it, she saw just six other hikers. Read about her experiences in this complete guide to hiking the Salkantay.
Just like for the Inca trail, we recommend Alpaca Expeditions, who offer a 5% discount if you mention Worldly Adventurer when booking the Salkantay trek.
Peru's Sacred Valley is located north of Cusco, about a thousand kilometres (620 miles) from Lima. Alejandro Velasco Astete airport in Cusco is the main hub that connects travellers to the Sacred Valley. From Lima, take a one-and-a-half-hour flight (normally less than $50 USD) to get to Cusco. Note that the city sits at 3,400 metres (11,000 feet) above sea level, which can cause altitude sickness; take it easy, drink plenty of water and avoid alcohol for the first couple of days.
To get to the Sacred Valley, you'll need to take a colectivo (a public van), bus, or taxi from Cusco. The former is the cheapest and easiest option. They leave every five to minutes from Calle Puputi for Urubamba (S/4-10/$1-2.5 USD; two hours) and Pisac (S/10/2.5 USD; one hour) or from Calle Pavitos to Ollantaytambo (S/10/2.5 USD;1.5 hours-two hours). Note that you have to take a different colectivo from Cusco if you're heading to Chinchero.
Insider tip: Whichever route you choose, you'll have to go through the winding roads of the Sacred Valley Valley. If you have significant issues with motion sickness, do bring preventative medication.
The only public transportation available in the Sacred Valley is a colectivo, a small van that operates from Cusco to Chinchero and Cusco to Urubamba and Ollantaytambo. One usually passes every five to ten minutes and stops in every town in between. They will also take passengers from the street if there are any empty seats.
Another way to get around is by taxi. Getting one within the towns is easy, especially in touristy locations such as Ollantaytambo. But if you're in between towns, it's best to call your hotel to arrange a pickup. Don't want the hassle of arranging your transport? Take a Sacred Valley tour from Cusco and they'll take care of all the logistics.
Along the Urubamba Valley, you'll find accommodation catering to all kinds of travellers. We've handpicked the best options in our article about the best Sacred Valley accommodation for all budgets.
Yes, although like anywhere in Peru, if you're flashy with your belongings, you'll attract attention. So, dress casually and keep your belongings safe when walking around the Sacred Valley.
Peru, in general, is an affordable destination. Dining at a high-end restaurant can cost less than $50 USD for two, even in the capital city of Lima. In the Sacred Valley itself, things are usually cheaper. Entrees tend to cost no more than S/20 ($5 USD), although you will certainly not find the same quality of restaurant as you will in nearby Cusco.
Accommodation can cost from as little as S/20 ($5 USD) up to $400 USD, depending on the type of hotel, guesthouse or hostel in which you stay. Luckily, there are plenty of choices to match your budget.
Getting around is also quite cheap. A one-kilometre trip usually costs around S/4 ($1 USD). Note that taxis are unmetered, so it's best to ask and agree upon the fare amount before you set off.
The Sacred Valley sits at an elevation of around 2,400 metres (8,000 feet) above sea level. As a result, altitude sickness can be an issue among travellers, especially those coming from lower elevations, such as Lima. That said, the Sacred Valley is at a much lower altitude than Cusco (3,399 metres/11,150 feet), so it can be a great place to let your body adjust to these new conditions.
Typically, it takes two weeks to completely overcome altitude sickness (known as soroche to Peruvians), however, a couple of days of adjustment is better than nothing. Drinking plenty of water and having enough sleep usually help with altitude sickness. You could also consume coca leaf tea and apply herbal oil made for this type of sickness; both are available in most local markets in Peru.
Besides your personal medication or anything else you need to help you adjust to altitude sickness, it's also important to pack the right type of clothing. To visit Machu Picchu, pack something light and comfortable, but waterproof as there's a high chance of rain (we love the Patagonia Storm waterproof jacket). Sunblock is also important as the sun is very intense in Cusco and the Sacred Valley. Packing a wide-brim hat is also useful. Check out our complete South America packing list for more suggestions.
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We couldn't help but smile when we saw this little girl's face after spotting her own photo on a gallery wall.
Celia Furtado, a 5-year-old with Down syndrome, was recently diagnosed with lymphoma. Since then she has lost her hair, as well as some weight. So when she saw herself a year ago, with a full head of hair, she couldn't stop smiling.
"When she saw it, she started screaming and pointing to herself," Celia's mom, Katie Furtado, said. "I think the whole world looks at Celia differently now since she doesn't have any hair and she's lost a lot of weight, but I was relieved that Celia still sees Celia."
Her photo, along with other Down syndrome kids, was taken by Laura Kilgus for a gallery event in honor of Down Syndrome Awareness Month.


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Q: ERROR TypeError: Cannot read properties of undefined (reading 'nativeElement'): How do I resolve this? The state of my current code is like this:
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However, the menu doesn't open and that specific console error stays on. I was wondering what might be wrong in this case? I am very new in Angular and programming in general so it would mean a lot to me if you write the correct code down :)

A: You can add null checking(?) before your nativeElement
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A: You're attempting to use @ViewChild in the property asmStateServ, which I'm guessing by the name is an injected service. @ViewChild('menu') only works in the property initializers of the component class, not inside of an injected service. You can easily pass this element as a parameter to these methods though. Note this passes an HTMLDivElement not an ElementRef.
I'm just showing the relevant parts here.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Q: Select User By Name and all related entities in one query? I have
Users(Id, Name)
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How can I select a user with all related entity by name in a single query?

A: It sounds like you just want to join the related tables, and if so maybe something like this is what you are looking for:
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WHERE U.Name = 'name' -- or @name or whatever way you pass the variable...


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WSCUC Policies Combined
Use category:
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Friday, March 1, 2019 - 11:12am Updated to reflect the combining of two former policies (Regard for Decisions of other Agencies Policy and Sharing of Accreditation Information with other Agencies Policy) into a single policy, Sharing of Accreditation Information with other Agencies Policy.. (Box comment by Siobhan Williams on 2019-03-01T10:21:55-08:00, ID: 249671281)
Tuesday, August 21, 2018 - 10:49am No Revision Message
Tuesday, August 21, 2018 - 10:49am Updated with the June 2018 revisions to ALO Policy, DUal Degrees Policy and Joint Degrees Policy. (Box comment by Siobhan Williams on 2018-08-21T10:49:01-07:00, ID: 215850713)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Ramona Mitrica- interview with a foreign friend - about the place Romanian creativity occupies in the imagination of the artistic world
Romanian version published here https://revistacultura.ro/pdf/Cultura_613_compressed.pdf (CULTURA Magazine, nr. 613, page 130; July 2020)
I want this interview to tell a story - a story about you Mike Phillips - and the story begins with who you are and how you came to be interested in Romania. What comes next is how those two things are connected - where is the connection? Finally how has your experience of Romania and Romanian arts, especially as it concerns the work of writers like Buzura, affected and influenced your views as a critic and an author. So let us begin.
R. Who are you? How did you come to be interested in Romania?
I was born on the South American continent, in the republic of Guyana. At the time it was a British colony, British Guyana. My memories of my childhood are fragmented, incoherent, a kaleidoscope of impressions. On the other hand, I have a clear impression about the sort of culture which nurtured me, about the attitudes and beliefs of my family, and about our position within the world around me.
We lived in a village which was an adjunct of the capital city, Georgetown. Nowadays it is a suburb of the capital, but in those days it had a distinct identity. Our population, like most of the country's, was intricately mixed. In the 18th and 19th centuries Guyana had been a colony of African slaves, producing sugar for Europe. After slavery ended, the need for cheap labour had brought in poor Europeans, mainly Portuguese, followed by Chinese, then, towards the end of the 19th century, a flood of South Indian labourers and their families.
We lived cheek by friendly jowl. Our neighbours were Chinese, Hindu, Muslim, Portuguese, and the occasional exotic Armenian (Charlie Kazatakan, who minded flocks of sheep in a nearby pasture.)
Every morning, at the age of six and seven, I walked, on my way to school, to the nearby Muslim orphanage and waited for my friend Ali.
The language we all spoke, our language, was English. Our English, however, was interspersed with words and phrases from various other languages, notably Urdu. On the other hand, it was the rules, the attitudes and the deep concepts of the English language which dictated our understanding and our instinctive grasp of how language itself was constructed.
The general point is that I grew up in a context where the meeting and the mixture of cultures was normal and inevitable. Equally inevitable was the fact that these cultural collisions took place within a framework of shared values. When, in later life, I began to encounter the mythologies and the belief systems of Eastern Europe, it was as if they belonged to a similarly universal structure, and were simply an unfamiliar way of arranging the same world.
Of course, my understanding about the nature of cultures and their role in constructing identities, was, of course, not simple or direct. At the beginning of the fifties, my parents migrated to England, and I followed them some years later, which was the start of a very different cultural experience.
At that point, it was the language and the use of specific language patterns which to a large extent, defined my identity – who I thought I was. I grew up steeped in the iconic English and European classics. By the time I arrived in England as a teenaged schoolboy, I was familiar with the work of Shakespeare, Dickens, Tolstoy and Dostoevsky, together with the usual assortment of poets, sculptors, painters and philosophers. Guyana had given me a conventional colonial education, which put me a couple of years ahead of the English classmates I was about to meet. At the same time I was haunted by a developing suspicion of what I knew and of what I was being taught.
At first the source of this suspicion was concerned with my own background, and with the sense that my education, and therefore my grasp of the world, had somehow evaded any consideration of my own historical circumstances.
Let me give you an example of how I began to understand certain cultural gradations in my world. I had grown up as a member of the community of black artists in Britain and I understood very well the exclusions we faced there. On the other hand, I had also grown up exposed to a view of culture which located Western Europe in the centre of the imagination, while exiling everything else to its periphery.
I remember giving a lecture in London, a short while after returning from a trip to Sibiu's theatre festival. I talked about that experience and afterwards one of the participants approached me, and after a few remarks, she said, "I had no idea that Transylvania was a real place. I thought they'd made it up as a location for the Dracula movies."
Having just returned from Transylvania, I was staggered. On the other hand, I was suddenly conscious that I had paid little attention to the history and significance of names I had heard, only half consciously, Brancusi, Eminescu, Buzura. At the same time, there was something else, a nagging memory from my first years in England, and of the exhaustion I'd felt at having to explain over and over again, that Guyana was a country in South America, not Africa, that it wasn't to be confused with Ghana, and so on and so on and so on…..
One problem was the fact that my language, English, constituted a barrier which was difficult to surmount. In some ways this sounds illogical because belonging to the family of English speakers opened access to a broad variety of cultures around the world. But this was precisely the difficulty because this access was led and dominated by the academic and literary traditions of Western Europe and the United States. Given the exclusive nature of translated texts and visual artefacts, finding a pathway into other cultures, other ways of thinking, presented huge difficulties. Turn the situation around and imagine, for a moment, that your only access to the culture of English speakers was through classical books and artefacts – Shakespeare, Dickens, leavened by the odd international prizewinner. From that position, try grasping the origins and significance of new or revolutionary movements, like, for example, Dadaism.
As it happened I had already begun my writing career in a self consciously rebellious mood. I had completed my degree in English literature, and then drifted, by various circuitous routes, into journalism. I had started to make my living from the practice of writing, but I was more and more conscious that even my favourite authors had little or nothing to say about me, or the circumstances in which I lived. No one had written about growing up as a black teenager in London, or about the clash of values and cultures I had experienced. I wrote my first novel as a way of filling in the gaps, in my picture of the literary world, and I was genuinely surprised when it was published. Nowadays I read that it was 'groundbreaking', but Blood Rights was actually a reflection of one strand of my reading, the authors I read for pure pleasure – Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler, Eric Ambler. To me, their stories seemed to exemplify a method of exploring and describing hidden and neglected roles in a society which was violent, oppressive and hypocritical. This was the world I knew, a prison which had locked me inside a role other people had invented, but this was also the world that gave me the context in which I could explore my identity as a writer. It had been the cinema, however, which had offered me an escape, and a new source of knowledge. As a child growing up in North London, there was something magical about leaving a grimy street in Hackney or Islington, and being transported to Rome or Paris or Berlin. For a few hours I was Fellini, I was Marcello Mastroianni, I was free, but another issue was the fact that this new cultural arena also had its limits.
I was also a child of the anti colonial struggle, which had defined my understanding of politics. One of my earliest memories was about standing by the side of the main street in our village and watching the lorry loads of white soldiers who had come to dissolve our government and jail our politicians. There was a direct link between such experiences and the cinematic fantasies of the great Polish director, Andrzej Wajda. I first saw Ashes and Diamonds almost sixty years ago, but I still have vivid memories of being the boy in dark glasses, choking to death with a gun in my hand, fighting for freedom.
Of course I had no idea about what all that meant, apart from the fact that here was yet another part of the world to which my access was forbidden. By the final decade of the last century, however, many things had changed. Thanks to the series of crime fiction novels which followed Blood Rights I received a grant from the Arts Foundation to work on my next novel. By then I was desperate to do something different, and I set out to achieve a novel based the experiences of a former African student in Eastern Europe. I began work on A Shadow of Myself by visiting Prague, then Moscow and Warsaw, travelling, notebook and tape recorder in hand, listening carefully, looking for stories which would put flesh on the vague impressions that impelled my interest.
At the time I knew nothing about Romania, apart from what I'd read in history books, and my first meeting with a Romanian happened after a conference about literature and culture in Prague. It was my third visit to the city, and as a "popular" English writer, I was a guest of the British embassy. During the first evening I was standing in the bar sampling a glass of Polish vodka when a man came up beside me and, without preamble, asked me who I was and what I was doing there. I didn't know who he was but he had a raffish, slightly swaggering air which set me at my ease. He spoke English fluently, and he said he was an actor. Hearing his voice made me think of the cinema of my youth – Marcello, Alain Delon, Belmondo. Leaning against the bar I found myself telling him about the Ghanaian politician whose experiences in Moscow had set off my interest in the book I was writing, and he listened to my stories about travelling in Russia with a flattering interest. I had assumed, at first, that he was, like myself, a mere fellow labourer in the arts industry, but as the evening wore on various people kept on interrupting us, and it gradually dawned on me that he was someone much more important.
"Come to Romania," he said eventually.
The British Council organiser, slightly less inebriated than I was, drove me back to my hotel, and I took the opportunity to ask – "who was that guy?"
"Caramitru," she said. "Minister of Culture in Romania. Very important in their revolution."
"He said I should go to Romania."
She looked round as if she was seeing me for the first time.
"You should go," she said. "I'll arrange it."
This was how my Romanian adventure began.
End of first instalment
Dr Mike Phillips OBE FRSL, FRSA
Mike Phillips was educated at the University of London (English), the University of Essex (politics), and at Goldsmiths College London (education). He worked for the BBC as a journalist and broadcaster between 1972 and 1983 before becoming a lecturer in media studies at the University of Westminster. After a spell as Resident writer at the South Bank Centre in London, he was appointed Cross Cultural Curator at the Tate Galleries in Britain, and then worked as Acting Director of Arts (Cultuurmakelaar) in Tilburg in the Netherlands. Later on, he lectured in Milan and worked as a freelance curator in London, Belgium, Venice, the Netherlands and Los Angeles, notably with the Belgian artist Koen Vanmechelen.
He was awarded the Arts Foundation Fellowship in 1996 for crime fiction, and the OBE in 2006 for services to broadcasting. He served as a Trustee of the National Heritage Memorial Fund, but he is best known for his crime fiction, including four novels featuring black journalist Sam Dean: Blood Rights (1989), which was adapted for BBC television, The Late Candidate (1990), winner of the Crime Writers' Association Silver Dagger Award, Point of Darkness (1994) and An Image to Die For (1995). The Dancing Face (1998) is a thriller centred on a priceless Benin mask. A Shadow of Myself (2000) is about a black documentary filmmaker working in Prague and a man who claims to be his brother. The Name You Once Gave Me (2006) was written as part of a government sponsored literacy campaign.
Mike Phillips also co-wrote Windrush: The Irresistible Rise of Multi-Racial Britain (1998) to accompany a BBC television series telling the story of the Caribbean migrant workers who settled in post-war Britain. London Crossings: A Biography of Black Britain (2001) is a series of interlinked essays and stories, a portrait of the city seen from locations as diverse as New York and Nairobi, London and Lodz, Washington and Warsaw. Recently he wrote a series of libretti for the compositions of musician Julian Joseph, culminating in a version of Tristan and Isolde, performed at the Royal Opera House.
Together with Romanian arts administrator and facilitator Ramona Mitrica, Phillips has worked over the last two decades to establish the cultural consultancy Profusion, which created the annual Romanian Film Festival in London. During that period he co-authored, with Stejarel Olaru, a history of the life and times of the notorious serial killer, entitled Rimaru - Butcher of Bucharest. In addition, as joint director, editor and translator, he worked on and helped to publish a series of Romanian works, including books by George Arion and Augustin Buzura. In 2019 he was awarded the Trofeul de Excelenta of the Augustin Buzura Cultural Foundation by Academician Professor Dr Jean-Jacques Askenasy, at a ceremony in the Military Circle in Bucharest.
Tags: Mike Phillips


Tom Isaac endorses Deb Bamesberger for Pitkin County assessor. Isaac has been the assessor for years. For almost seven years, Isaac has been training Bamesberger to continue his tradition of fairness, courtesy and caring for the people of Pitkin County. I'm following Isaac's advice and voting Deb Bamesberger for assessor.


TRS Devi Prasad interview on TRS Vs Congress..
Telangana Rasthra Samithi (TRS) leader, Devi Prasad made it clear that they are not seeking votes from the people for the next elections, by slamming Congress. They are not provoking but definitely in the face of provocation they are expected to give counters, he said. Congress party in Telangana is frustrated and is living on slamming TRS leaders, he said. About verbal duels between both the parties, he said that the Congress leaders are all old and will anyway retire, so there is no need to fear their words.


text:
Nicholas Percy (* 5. Dezember 1994 in Glasgow) ist ein britischer Leichtathlet, der sich auf den Diskuswurf spezialisiert hat.

Sportliche Laufbahn
Erste internationale Erfahrungen sammelte Nicholas Percy bei den Jugendweltmeisterschaften 2011 nahe Lille, bei denen er mit einer Weite von 58,95 m den siebten Platz belegte. Anschließend gewann er bei den Commonwealth Youth Games in Douglas mit 62,96 m die Silbermedaille im Diskuswurf sowie mit 64,96 m auch die Bronzemedaille im Hammerwurf. Im Jahr darauf nahm er an den Juniorenweltmeisterschaften in Barcelona teil und erreichte dort mit 57,79 m Rang acht und 2013 gewann er bei den Junioreneuropameisterschaften in Rieti mit 62,04 m die Silbermedaille. Im Jahr darauf nahm er erstmals an den Commonwealth Games in Glasgow teil, schied dort aber mit 56,71 m in der Qualifikation aus. 2017 nahm er schließlich an den Weltmeisterschaften in London teil, erreichte aber auch dort mit 56,93 m nicht das Finale. Zwei Jahre später belegte er bei der Sommer-Universiade in Neapel mit 60,92 m den siebten Platz. 2022 siegte er mit 63,23 m beim Meeting Iberoamericano und anschließend schied er bei den Weltmeisterschaften in Eugene mit 63,20 m in der Qualifikationsrunde aus. Im August belegte er bei den Commonwealth Games in Birmingham mit 63,53 m den fünften Platz und verpasste bei den Europameisterschaften in München mit 61,26 m den Finaleinzug.

In den Jahren 2016 und 2017 sowie 2019, 2020 und 2022 wurde Percy britischer Meister im Diskuswurf. Er ist Student an der University of Nebraska-Lincoln und wurde 2016 NCAA-Collegemeister.

Weblinks

Diskuswerfer (Vereinigtes Königreich)
Teilnehmer an den Commonwealth Games (Schottland)
Universiadeteilnehmer (Großbritannien)
Teilnehmer der Sommer-Universiade 2019
Britischer Meister (Leichtathletik)
Sportler (Schottland)
Brite
Geboren 1994
Mann

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Scarce group of 7 German uniform chits. These were used by stores to keep track of every bit of uniform issued to the German soldier during the 2nd War. I have rarely come across these. They were sourced from a household in Germany.