Tello and his explorers were hardened travelers. The expeditions took them all over Peru´s remote deserts, mountains and jungles where, come nightfall, they were more often than not dependent on the generosity of locals for lodgings. And as you may suspect, beggars can’t be choosers. In this story Hernan tells us about one particular bed that the archaeologist never forgot.
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| Guaman Poma de Ayala - The Author Travels |
The perfumed bed
In which it is confirmed that some resting places are definitely more desirable than others
Travelling through the small towns and villages of Peru is something of an adventure. One day we could be staying in a comfortable hotel, but the next we would be in a second rate hostel, the next in a hovel or even in a cave. And let me tell you a cave was preferable to some of the hotels we have seen. Tello was always meticulous in
his personal hygiene, but you can imagine the myriad variety of beds in which
he had slept, and the countless bugs and odours to which he had been exposed.
Once, for
example, when he arrived at a small coastal town, an excellent room was made
available for him complete with a bed made up with impeccable white linen.
Unfortunately he was forced to vacate it only a short while after he had
slipped between the beautiful snowy sheets, because a whole legion of insects
had begun a stealthy advance up his body. Happily he had with him his riding
kit, and he was able to stretch out his saddle blanket on the floor and lay
down to sleep there, having first surrounded himself with lit candles to keep
the bugs at bay. Of all
these experiences, there was one that Tello never forgot. His night in the
perfumed bed.
