Andean Experience Ch. 04: Missing Person

Jaguar's Andean Experience transports tourists to ancient sites across Peru.

In Chapter 1, "Jaguar's Curse", an especially obnoxious passenger, Wayne Rasmussen, is badly injured in a fall at one of the sites. Was it an accident or had Jaguar's secret incantations caused it?

In Chapter 2, "Marina's Choice", Rasmussen's wife must decide whether to return to America or continue the tour. Again, Jaguar appeals to the spirit world to shape her decision. And, he finds a new passenger, one who leaves Jag wondering if it was a big mistake.

Chapter 3, "A Shining Path", features that traveler, Lorenzo Martinez, who is in fact a wanted domestic terrorist using the tour group as a means for escape to Bolivia. Jaguar must find a way to have him taken down without any harm coming to his other passengers.

I invite you to read these stories before or after Chapter 4, which is the final chapter in the series. Please rate the series or comment. Thanks.

It was early morning and Jaguar was having one of those wonderful dreams. A beautiful woman was sprawled across him, her warm body pressed tightly against his. Her bare breasts rested on his chest and one of her legs was wrapped over his. She was nuzzling into his neck, then kissing his cheek. It almost seemed to be real. Then he opened one eye, and it was!

"How's my man feeling this morning?" Marina whispered seductively.

"Good," then looking down at her skin against his, he upped that to "Great, in fact!"

"I can see, Jag. Is all of that for me?" she teased, glancing down at his groin, "We have some time before breakfast, you know."

"Sure. Wait a minute 'til I brush my teeth."

"I'll save you the trouble with a hero's wakeup."

With that, Marina reached down for his stiff member. She gripped it tightly, then swung one leg over him, taking a kneeling position on either side of his body. Slowly she lowered herself until their bodies were locked together. This was how she meant to wake up her hero.

"Just lay back and enjoy this, baby. You deserve it!"

Jag couldn't remember ever being awakened this way before, and he already hoped that it would happen again! There was one problem though- afterward he felt ready to go right back to sleep.

"Wake-up sleepy-head!" Marina admonished as she pulled him from bed and into the bathroom. "You shower first and then it's my turn. Too bad that little enclosure isn't big enough for both of us!"

As Jaguar was drying himself, he could hear Marina in the shower humming a Peruvian song he had been playing frequently in the Mercedes. His mind began to wander, thinking about how much he enjoyed having her here with him. She was sweet and warm- just delightful. Too bad the tour would be finished in about a week and she'd be going back to the U.S. There was something special about Marina that made him wish that she could stay in Peru.

When the two of them came downstairs for breakfast, the other four passengers were already there. Mike looked at Jaguar with pleading eyes.

"Finally! Jag, these three have been at me since last night about what happened in front of the basilica yesterday. I told them everything I know, which isn't much at all. Help me out here!"

"OK, fire away, one at a time," Jaguar smiled.

Chloe: "Why did the police shoot Lorenzo just after we pulled away?"

"That wasn't his real name- he was using a stolen passport. He was a wanted man, using the tour bus to escape into Bolivia."

Zezy:" But why would he be shot down in cold blood like that?"

"He was a Shining Path terrorist, a radical group that killed at least thirty thousand people in Peru. They wanted him dead or alive."

LeeAnn: "How did you know all that?"

"I overheard him on his phone a few times to a contact in Bolivia. I gave his name to a police friend in Lima. He ran a check and found out who Lorenzo really was- Julio Gutierrez, domestic terrorist and drug exporter."

Chloe: "Mike said he had a gun. We all could have been killed!"

"That's why I pulled away from the basilica the moment he was dropped off. I thought the police might just cut him down like that, and I didn't us to be part of it."

Then Marina spoke up.

"Jaguar is a hero, though he won't admit to it. I knew about this a few days ago, and he told me that he didn't want any harm to come to us. The way he worked it out, Gutierrez, Martinez, whoever he was, went down without any of us being hurt." Then she surprised him by turning and kissing his cheek, "Thanks, Jag."

Everyone broke into cheers, adding their own thanks for how he had handled a potentially fatal situation. Jaguar was embarrassed by the recognition and stepped away to get some coffee. When he returned, everyone was grinning at him. He figured that it was as good a time as any to plunge into a little talk about what lay ahead, another normal day for the tour group's new hero.

****

In a short time, they were on their way to Tiwanaku, a temple complex located a few miles south of Copa, within sight of the sacred lake, Titicaca. Like most temple sites, it was built high on a prominent mountaintop. The minibus chugged slowly but surely up the twisting road leading to the place. The air was thin and the sky a bright blue, so intense that it hurt the unprotected eye. The morning air was still cold because they were more than 12 000 feet above sea level!

Eventually the tour group was standing in front of stone temple buildings almost two thousand years old. It was the centre of a once-great capital city of the flourishing Tiwanaku civilization, a people who dominated southern Peru and Andean Bolivia, expanding their power through conquest.

Jaguar put the Tiwanaku into context for his travelers by telling them about the Five Ages in Inca cosmology. In the first ages, the creator god Viracocha and other gods ruled the world from the islands in nearby Lake Titicaca.

" By the fourth age, Viracocha had formed the early civilizations," Jaguar told them. "They included all the societies you've seen so far, including the Tiwanaku, where we are standing now." He continued.

"Then, in the fifth age, Viracocha created the Inca, who spread their civilization along the Andes by conquering other groups, bringing them their beliefs. That final age ended with the Spanish conquistadores and their Christianity."

"Is that as far as the Inca ages go? I mean, their ancestors still live here, don't they?" Mike asked.

"You're right. The Inca believed that there would be a revival. Their cruel Spanish masters would be thrown off, and the last Inca emperor, Inti Raymi, whom they had executed, would rule again."

"But if they beheaded the Inca ruler, how could he return?" Zezy wondered.

"The Inca buried his head in the belief that it would grow again, like plant seeds do. Just water it and 'Voila!' Inti returns."

They all laughed, but no-one was more absorbed in the story than Marina. Initially keen to learn about ancient Peru, she had become fascinated by the Andean past. Perhaps her growing interest was fed by her continual close contact with Jaguar; however, it seemed to go beyond that. She found that her own thought was changing.

Back in Wisconsin, Marina's life had shaped itself within the narrow confines of marriage to Wayne. His increasingly demanding temperament hemmed her in and limited her perspective. Here in Peru, she felt free, able to see the world on her own terms. Like the sixth age, the predicted Inca revival, she had overthrown him and reasserted her own power. Now she wanted to learn all she could about the ancient world around her.

"Go look around the site for the next few hours," Jaguar told them. "Be careful and don't climb up on any walls or high places. We've had enough bad falls for one trip, right?"

"No more Waynes!" Marina joked, and everyone knew she meant it at different levels.

"The Tiwanaku were excellent builders. Look closely at the walls they put up, and remember, this was all hewn out of rough stone pieces using the simplest of tools. They didn't find them so perfectly cut."

They were all set to go when Jaguar raised his voice to say something more.

"One more thing. Watch for stone carvings like those you've seen before. We'll talk more about those after. I'll use the whistle to call you back to the bus for hot coffee. OK, enjoy the place."

Exploration of Tiwanaku was different for Marina than any of the other sites thus far in the tour. This time she noticed that Jaguar set out with her, rather than staying back, then moving between small groups. They were a team now, their growing affection for each other evident to all the others. Marina was as happy to have Jag by her side as he was to accompany her.

"I'm glad that you're spending time with me, Jag, but I hope you'll help the others too. It makes their visit better when you steer them to things they might otherwise miss. Give them some time."

Jaguar smiled. That was one thing he liked about Marina- she cared about others.

"Tell you what. We can do that together. I have this crazy thought about us doing this together from here on in."

What did he mean by those words? Was Jag referring to the rest of this tour, with about another week to run? Or was he thinking beyond that, about the two of them in the future?

Marina didn't really concentrate much on Tiwanaku for the next little while as she pondered his meaning. The words had set her to wondering if there was a future for them after the end of the tour. She already knew that she would find it hard to leave Peru and return to America- for a variety of reasons.

They moved together between groups, taking in the bubbling enthusiasm, with Jag patiently directing his people to go here or there to see something more. Marina could see how much he enjoyed his work, even after having been here countless times. He seemed more like a teacher than a tour guide to her.

After a time, the two of them went back to the Mercedes to set up the portable stove. They brewed coffee and warmed up some Peruvian snacks Jaguar had brought along for the group. Marina took the time alone to talk more about "from here on in."

"The tour is over in a week, isn't it, Jag. Then what?" she asked, a broad question that invited many answers.

"Then, after a couple of days in Cuzco, I meet my next group there at the airport there, and I take pretty much the same trip in reverse order for three weeks."

"Do you just keep going back and forth endlessly? It must be tiring?"

"It is. When I get to Lima about a month from now, I'll hunker down and recharge for about four weeks before doing two more groups. Those are already starting to fill up now."

"Like an endless wheel, isn't it?" Marina commented.

"Yes. Sometimes it feels like it," Jaguar said a bit sadly.

"And your life back in Lima. Anybody there for you?"

"Nothing really. Some friends. Business contacts. The company."

Jaguar conveniently neglected to mention that some of his friends were other women, like his hot neighbour, Miranda and museum expert, Elena. He had been intimate with both of them, and others too, always the stealthy jaguar.

"Have you ever thought beyond that, Jag?" she asked, looking for meaning in his eyes, and finding what she searched for there.

"I have to admit it, Marina. Lately I've been thinking that way."

"Is that what you meant when you said we'd do things together from here on in?"

"Well... I guess maybe I did, Marina."

"Let's both keep those happy thoughts! Oh... everything is ready now, so blow the whistle."

Over a hot drink and some food, Jaguar talked with the group about what they'd seen and what it meant.

LeeAnn: "We saw the Staff Diety god carved into stone above the entrance into the temple. It looked just like the one we saw at Huari, the Wari city ruins."

Chloe: "And there were carved three-dimensional heads arranged all along the temple walls, so maybe they were a decapitation cult, like other places."

Mike: "But they were much better builders than the Wari. Those stone blocks were cut so perfectly that a piece of paper wouldn't fit between them. I tried it!"

Zezy: So, they were like the Wari in some ways but different in others, right Jag? Why?"

The tour leader smiled and commended them on their observations and conclusions.

"You got a lot out of this place because everything you say is true. The Wari and the Tiwanaku were both great powers who extended their empires by conquest about the same time. One was in the north, the other in the south, with a sort of 'No Man's Land' between them.

The Wari and Tiwanaku were the same in their beliefs. Both had the Staff Diety and both were decapitation cults, with ritual sacrifice to satisfy the gods around them. Volcanoes and earthquakes, the weather, the cycle of food crops- all of these gods had to be kept happy."

Afterward, they returned to their hotel and met for a festive meal to wrap up their time in Bolivia. Tomorrow they would be returning to Peru, their destination the ancient Inca capital city, Cusco

.

****

"This is like heaven, isn't it?" Marina whispered, and Jag had to agree.

"Yes. We're so good together."

"I've been thinking the same thing myself- a lot," she admitted, waiting for Jag to pick it up, but, to her disappointment, he just lay there deep in thought.

They had been making love again that last night in Copa, trying to be quiet in a room sandwiched between the other two the group was occupying. So, they took it slowly and gently this time, making it last. Times like this with Marina were unlike anything Jag had ever known, except with his late fiancee so many years before.

Gentle as it was, their passions soon bubbled up. Then they were locked together, on their way to nirvana. Jaguar was her man now and Marina gave herself completely, holding nothing back. He felt the same way, loving her with unabated energy, while her strong body pushed back against him. Soon, both were sated, their strength sapped by the intensity of their desire.

Jaguar wanted this to last. But there was only a week left. He decided to leave the matter in the hands of the jaguar god that had come through for him many times before. He quietly rose from the bed when it seemed like Marina had fallen asleep. Sitting in the chair, he concentrated hard on the image of the Lanzon in the temple at Chavin de Huantar.

Then he began to chant softly.

"Marina debe quedarse."... Marina must stay.... "Marina debe quedarse."... Marina must stay.... "Marina debe quedarse."... Marina must stay.

Unknown to him, she stirred from her sleep at the sound of her name. She lay quietly listening to the Spanish phrase he repeated so often as his voice rose and fell. It sounded like a prayer, and Marina wondered what he might be asking for. When he finished, she pretended to be sleep as she lay for some time seeking meaning.

The drive from Copa to their final destination, Cusco, Peru was a long one, about ten hours along the length of the Altiplano, the high plains. Jaguar knew that his travellers were tiring now, after two weeks on the road. He was tired himself, especially from the tension of Wayne Rasmussen's serious injury the first week and Julio Gutierrez' execution by the police the second.

Apart from his growing attachment to Marina, it had been the trip from Hell. Could anything else possibly go wrong? Little did he know what was just around the corner.

When they arrived late in the evening, everyone went straight to their rooms and only a few of them came down to the cantina for some food. Jaguar always booked the best accommodation for the last nights of his tours. And, they'd be staying for three nights, taking day trips from the hotel the next few days.

When Jaguar went down to the front desk to get an extra key for Marina, he encountered an old friend. A good-looking, thirty-ish woman had come in for the night shift on the front desk. She spoke to him in Spanish.

"Hi Jaguar. Remember me? Two months ago. I haven't forgotten you!"

He did recall their time together, but had to glance at the plastic tag on her blouse to pick up the name.

"Oh, Mercedes.... Of course I remember you. I'm tired after a long drive today, so I'm not too sharp right now."

"I could help. Sounds like you could use a backrub or something...." she hinted with a knowing smile, and he recognized what that "something" meant from prior experience with her.

"No, I'll be fine, thanks. I came for an extra key for my lady friend."

Mercedes' manner instantly became chilly.

"Sure. Room number?"

"Same as mine, Ten."

Mercedes took the extra key from the slot behind her and dropped it onto the counter.

"There you go. Enjoy your stay in Cusco, sir."

The next morning at breakfast, Jaguar gave a run-down on the remaining days of the adventure. They were in the heart of the old Inca Empire, so most visits would focus on them now. There were two full days to explore the area in and around Cusco, using the bus.

Then after the next two nights in the mountain city, they would board the train to take them up the sacred Urubamba River valley, to the base of the peak upon which Machu Picchu is situated. Afterward, they'd return by train to Cusco, and fly back to Lima the next day.

The first stop of the day was right in the core of Cusco. The group was surprised when they reached an old Catholic church, Santo Domingo. First Jag had them walk around the outside of the building to examine its foundation. It seemed strange, but they quickly recognized the same precise fit of building stone which they had very recently seen at Tiwanaku.

"So, why do you think that the Spaniards would build their church right on top of the most important temple complex in Inca civilization?" Jag asked.

"To show domination over the Inca, I suppose. Their religion was replacing Inca belief," Marina answered quickly.

"That's not fair," Chloe challenged playfully. "Pillow talk!"

"Like you should point fingers, Chloe," Lee-Ann reminded her of her intimacy with Mike.

"Let's go inside and you'll see that quite a bit of the Inca temple complex remains in the church basement. It's a pretty amazing place, called The Sacred Corichanca."

Jaguar explained that Cusco was the capital of a huge Inca empire that flourished before the arrival of the conquistadores 600 years ago. Corichanca was the supreme ceremonial centre for the empire, a place once laden with silver and gold.

As they walked through the bottom of the church, they saw six big square worship chambers, each of which once held a large image of a different Inca god, including the creator, Viracocha, and the sun god Inti.

There were also special Temples of the Sun and the Moon. Jaguar told them that the Sun temple once had sheets of gold covering its walls, all taken by the Spanish. Between these two temples was a garden area with silver and gold statues showing life forms created by Viracocha.

"How do we know all this, Jag?" Mike asked.

"The Spanish recorded everything in great detail when they arrived. The Spanish king ordered that the local governors gather any information they could learn about these people."

"Yeah, enough to make them want to take it all for themselves, right?" Mike commented sarcastically.

"Yes, they did that, alright. And enslaved the Inca to work in silver mines."

Jaguar told them about the first contact between Spanish explorer Juan Pizarro and the Inca emperor, Atahualpa. Pizarro had his priest hand the emperor a Bible, while an interpreter explained that he must convert to the powerful God in the book. Atahualpa had thrown the Bible to the ground and pointed to the sun defiantly: "My god still lives!"

The Spanish had the last word. The emperor was captured and executed, after a room filled with gold and silver from Corichanca had been gathered for his ransom.