detail from: KRK Art dizajn, Lima, Peru

MY WORLD - 6

SIMO JELACA, Ph.D.

THE CORDELIERS FROM A BIRD'S PERSPECTIVE

The Cordillera is a mountain massif, the longest in the world, which stretches along the South American continent, passing through seven countries: Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile and Argentina. It is about 7000 km long and 200 to 700 km wide. Its highest mountain peak is Chimborazo, Aconcagua, 6961 m high in Ecuador. The Cordillera Mountains resemble the backbone of South America.

Аuthor flew over the Cordillera at the summer on the way from Curacao to Lima. On that way, he flew over the Orinoco river basin, then Lake Maracaibo in Venezuela, then the mountain massifs of Colombia and landed at the international airport in Ecuador. That airport, even though it is in a valley, is at an altitude of 2830 m above sea level and looks like a bird's nest between the surrounding mountains. And during the flight over the Equator, the flight attendants hand you a sticker that says: "I flew over the Equator with KLM". That came to him as a memory and long memories.

LIMA - PERU

The total population was 14.5 million, and in Lima 4.5 million, which means that it doubled in 40 years. Lima is a city located along the Pacific coast, in the central part of the country, in the desert area between the Pacific and the Andes mountain range. The city is 80 km long and occupies an area of 2700 km². It never rains in Lima and the city has a beautiful part of town with a park full of Miraflores flowers. Lima is said to have been founded by the Spanish conqueror Francisco Pizarro on January 18, 1535. Before its current name, Lima was called La Ciudad de los Reyes, which means "City of Kings". Lima has a great climate, great food, friendly people and lots of places to party, so many visitors think it's a city they'd like to stay in for life. Lima is so impressive that it can be talked about for generations. Temperatures in Lima in December are 25-32°S, and in June 12-20°S.

Ethnically, 70% of the Mestizo population (a mixture of Europeans and Indians) live in Lima; 15% white; 10% Ameridians and 5% Asians and Blacks. In Lima, the oldest university in South America, the National University of San Marcos, was founded in 1551. The international airport is Jorge Chavez, and the seaport is Callao. From Lima, there is a train across the Andes to Huancayo, the highest point of the railway pass in the world. The main highway is the Panamericana (North-South) and the Central Highway (East-West), which connects Lima to the Peruvian highlands. Traffic in Peru is on the left. There are gas-powered buses in Lima city traffic since 2010, Lima also has a Metro, since 2012, called Tren Elektrika.

Miraflores, Lima Peru

Peru is one of the most fascinating countries in the world, the land of the Incas of enchanting beauty. Peru has the second largest rainforest in South America. The largest lake in Peru is Lake Titicaca, which is partly in Peru and partly in Bolivia, at an altitude of 3812 m. The water volume of Lake Titicaca is 898 km³. The highest peak in Peru is El Huascaran (6768 m), and the deepest canyon in the world is near Arequipa (3535 m). Thanks to the jungle, in Peru there are about 25000 plant species, about 2000 fish species, 1736 bird species, 1200 butterfly species and 287 reptile species. Llamas and Alpacas are known all over the world from animals in Peru. In Peru, 55 types of corn are grown and they have about 3000 varieties of potatoes. They have potatoes that reach a weight of up to 4 kg. Peru is a famous producer of quinoa. There are 1,625 species of orchids in Peru, of which 425 grow in the Maću Piću region. Hotel Inkatera, along with Maća Pića, grows about 500 species. In Peru, Guinea pigs are raised for meat, while in the US they are treated as pets. Peru is a country with a lot of mineral wealth: copper, gold, mercury, silver, tin and zinc. Peru is the sixth country in the world in terms of gold production. The Incas already knew how to combine gold and silver by forging, they were great lovers of gold, and that cost them their survival, Francisco Pezaro totally destroyed them for the sake of gold, which he enslaved. Until Columbus's conquest, the Incas ruled the regions of South America, and with their headquarters in Cuzco held all the territories from Ecuador to Santiago in Chile. Maću Piću is a hidden city in the jungle, where the Incas had retreated before Pizarro's invasion. Today, Maću Piću is one of the seven wonders of the world and is under the protection of UNESCO. It was built in 1450 and Hiram Bingham found it in 1911. Today, Maću Piću is one of the world's biggest tourist attractions, visited by millions of tourists. Hence, tourism is one of the main branches of the Peruvian economy. Peru also has historical museums and landscaped parks among its significant facilities. Industrial products include: clothing, textiles, food, chemicals, coffee, fish, leather and paper.

The famous Inca city in Peru is Cuzco, at an altitude of nearly 3500 m, with an international airport, it is the place where the narrow-gauge train to Maća Pića departs. It is a city with many specialized restaurants and facilities, which are remnants of the Inca culture, worth a visit. In Cuzco, there is the Custodia de la Merced monastery, in which there is a golden statue 130 cm high, made of 22,200 g of 22-karat gold, made from 1720 to 1804 in the style of French Neoclassicism and Baroque. It contains 1518 diamonds and brilliants and 615 pearls composed of rubies, emeralds and topazes. The Incas loved gold and left behind a golden civilization. The official languages in Peru are Spanish, Quechua and Aymara. Quechua and Aymara are Inca languages. In Peru, 84% of the population speaks Spanish, 13% Quechua and only about 1.7% speak the Aymara language. The national holidays of Peru are three days, related to the liberation from the Spanish, which are collectively called "Patriotic Holidays" (Fiestas Patrias). These holidays fall on the following days: National Day (June 24); Independence Day (July 28) and Army and Police Day (July 29). The Peruvian currency is the Sol.

Lima is a city where New Year's Eve is specific and unusual. It never snows in Lima, and on New Year's Eve, the streets turn white with finely chopped pieces of paper, which are thrown from all the windows, and decorated Santa Clauses are placed in the windows.

Peru is a country that has its own problems: Too rapid population growth, which is uncontrolled, high unemployment, almost uncontrolled city traffic, excessive air pollution, lack of rain and many social problems. Some of the city streets are life markets, for many a place of work, for many also a place to stay. One is born and dies on those streets. There are thieves in Lima who can steal your eye. They are unsurpassed in their operations.

Peruvian Carlos Vilachica patented the process of extracting gold from sand without the use of mercury. Biodegradable chemicals are used instead of mercury. Peruvians have also invented an artificial tree that prevents air pollution.

Spanish bullfighting is very popular in Lima. At the bullfight, many fans fall into a trance with excitement, and only a few foreigners cheer for the bulls. In Peru, the sun goes to the left and confuses newcomers for the first few days. And Miraflores and the Pacific beach are a magical paradise.

The author stayed in Peru for three months in 1976/77, as an expert of the Yugoslav government for technical assistance in the development of the bakery industry. He worked at CONAPS, at the University of San Marcos, saw with his own eyes a potato weighing 4 kg, enjoyed the beaches of the Pacific, made wonderful friends among the Peruvians, stayed in Cusco and visited the surrounding Inca sites, climbed to the very top of Machu Picchu "Huayna Picchu''. He was both in the jungle and in the desert, and packed all his impressions to keep them for life. He has already published a lot of them. They are unforgettable. The feather grew close to his heart.

PANAMA CITY - REPUBLIC OF PANAMA

Panama City is the capital of the Republic of Panama, with about 1.5 million inhabitants, located at the entrance of the Panama Canal to the Pacific. The city is the political and economic center of the country. It abounds in tall office buildings and is surrounded by jungle. Its international airport, Tocumen, is also located in the jungle, and is the largest airport in the Central American states. Panama City was founded by the Spanish conqueror Pedro Arias Devila on August 15, 1519.

The Panama Canal was built by the United States of America from 1904 to 1914, on which 25,000 workers worked. The canal is 65 km long and 33 m wide. It connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean, and around 280 million tons of goods pass through it every day. Before the construction of the canal, the journey from New York to San Francisco was less than 20,000 km and took 67 days. And after the construction of the canal, the road was shortened by almost 13,000 km.

The author, on his way back from Peru, flew over Ecuador and Colombia without landing, and he only stayed at the Tocumen airport until passengers from Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica and Panama boarded, on their way to Curaçao and Caracas. Out of curiosity, he got off the plane, went through transit, just so he could tell himself that he had touched the soil of Panama with his foot. He saw the Panama Canal from the plane, when landing when the first city lights came on and when taking off in pitch darkness, when the canal with ships looked magical in the starry night.

INDIA

The Republic of India has an area of 3,287,590 km² and a population of 1,203,710,000 (2011 census). There are 15,200 km of land borders, and 7,516 km of sea coasts. The highest mountain peak in India is Kanchenjunga (Kanchenjunga) 8,595 m. The capital is New Delhi (New Delhi), with about 14 million inhabitants, the central part of the city has only about 300,000. It was built on the banks of the Yamuna River in 1912, when the capital was transferred from Calcutta. The most numerous city in India is Mumbai (formerly Bombay), officially with 15 million inhabitants, although objectively there are significantly more. New Delhi is one of the greenest cities, about 20% of its area is under forests. Of the 14 existing gates on the walls around New Delhi, five are permanently open. New Delhi has the largest open air market in Asia and probably the largest in the world. New Delhi is a city of mixture of old and new. The central part of the city has three avenues, where Parliament and India Gate are located. The city also has a modern Metro, hospitals, sports facilities and the international airport "Gandhi". In recent times, the "Lotus" temple was also built, with 27 giant petals.

Taj Mahal, Agra, india

Some historians consider India the cradle of human civilization. It is the second country in the world in terms of population, after China. In India, about 125 million people speak English. The largest number of vegetarians live in India, about 20-40% of the total population. India is the country where diamonds were first discovered. In India, the cow is considered a sacred animal. Hindus made a significant contribution to the development of mathematics, they were the first to introduce the decimal system, around 100 BC.

Alexander the Great (356-323 BC) was the first to bring India into contact with the Western world, with Europe. Great Britain had a very large influence on India since 1858. In India, religion is very influential on the population. The main religions are Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism. About 87% of Hindus are Hindus, while there are about 13% Muslims. The official languages in India are Hindi and English. There is one time zone throughout the territory of India. In India, extensive rains, "Monsoons" (summer and winter) fall every year. India is the world's largest producer of beans, tea and milk. In India it is considered polite to eat with the right hand. In India, white is a sign of mourning.

India is a Sovereign Social-Democratic Republic with a parliamentary system of government. Their public holidays are: January 26 - Republic Day; August 15 - Independence Day and October 2 - Mahatma Gandhi's birthday. Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948) dedicated his life to the peaceful secession of India from Great Britain. His name means "Great Soul" in Sanskrit, the whole of India has due respect for him and his birthday is celebrated as a national holiday.

India has about 297 million hectares of cultivable land, of which about 60 million hectares are irrigated. In recent times, India meets its own needs in the production of grain, over 104 million tons, of which 72 million tons are wheat. There are 89,451 species of plants and 91 species of animals in India. The national fruit in India is the mango, the national bird is the peacock and the national animal is the Bengal tiger. Now there are about 4000 of them. In India, the fig tree is considered a symbol of longevity and is mentioned as such in many myths and legends. India is also rich in iron ore and coal deposits. Industrial branches of steel, cement, oil, zinc, bauxite, lead, silver and precious stones have been developed. In recent times, electronics and scientific research have developed rapidly, so since 2005, India has had a growth of about 11.7%.

India also has interesting places to visit, the "Jantar Mantar'' from 1724. Then the monuments ``Qutub Minar", "Red Fort" and "Humayun's Tomb". There are several museums in Delhi, including the "Toilet Museum''. The most attractive monument in India is the Taj Mahal, a monument of love, built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Johan (1592-1666) for his wife Mumzat Mahal (1593-1631). The monument was built by 20,000 workers over twenty years.

Mumbai (Bombay) is the main commercial city of India, the city that is said to never sleep. It is named after the goddess Mumbai Devi Mandir. The city lies on seven islands, some of which are connected by the "Rajiv Gandhi" bridge, which is 5.6 km long. built of 90,000 tons of cement and steel, it acts as an architectural wonder. In Mumbai is the seat of the film industry "Bollywood '', and there is also the largest settlement of the poor (slum). About 65,000 toilets are missing in Mumbai. Tata company founder Jamshedji Nusserwanji Tata was the first to have a car in India, way back in 1901. In the center of Mamabai is the Sanjay Gandhi National Park. Flamingos from Afro-Asian countries migrate to Mumbai every year.

The city of Chandigarh (Chandigarh) is the first planned city, founded in 1947. It was designed by the famous French architect Corbusier. It is the capital of the two states of Punjab and Haryana. For India, it is important for cultural events, festivals and numerous games, and in recent times it is gaining more and more importance in terms of economy and tourism. The city covers an area of 115 km². It has about 900,000 inhabitants. It is located in a picturesque area, not far from the Himalayas.

The author made an official visit to India in February 1978 and on that occasion visited New Delhi, Bombay and Chandigarh. In New Delhi, he participated in the creation of a consortium for the construction of grain silos with the Tata company; in Bombay slept in Mahatma Gandhi's house and shook hands with the Prime Minister of the Republic of Ireland; and attended a meeting with the Minister of Agriculture in Chandigarh. Visited the Taj Mahal in Agra and saw the many contrasts of India. At the end of the joint visit, he was received by the Yugoslav ambassador at the Embassy residence in New Delhi.

DRESDEN - GDR

Dresden is the capital of Saxony in Germany, the third largest city in eastern Germany, after Berlin and Leipzig. The population of Dresden is estimated at around 780,000 (in 2008). It is located on the Elbe River, about thirty kilometers from the Czech Republic and about 100 km from Berlin. There are numerous parks along the Elbe, and several beautiful bridges across the river. During the Second World War, Dresden was bombed and almost completely destroyed, and since 2004 it has been completely rebuilt and the valley around the Elbe has been declared a world heritage site by UNESCO.

Dresden is a beautiful city with an ancient appearance, mostly built in Baroque, between 1694 and 1733, during the reign of King August Strong, who was also the king of Poland. Dresden has several museums and art galleries. The most famous are: Zwinger (1711-1732); Semper Gallery (1846) and Renaissance. Dresden is also known as the city of music, where Carl Maria von Weber and Richard Wagner worked, and where the premiere works of Richard Strauss were performed. The Semper Opera House is certainly worth a visit. Johann Sebastian Bach and Robert Schumann also worked in Saxony.

Dresden is known for several innovations: such as the first application of coffee filters and toothpaste. Dresden has the largest porcelain workshop and the largest dairy restaurant.

The author stayed in Dresden twice in 1978, as a designer, he chose the equipment for the mills in Ada and Mladenovac, together with the directors of these companies. At that time, the Germans produced mill equipment of first-class quality.

MUNICH, S.R. GERMANY

Munich is the capital of Bavaria, with about 1.3 million inhabitants. Munich is the dominant city of southern Germany, as a commercial and political center. It is attractive from a business point of view, as well as a center for various exhibitions. It is world famous as a cultural center and for its museums, galleries and festivals. It is the third largest city in Germany, after Berlin and Hanover. At the same time, Munich is the fastest growing city in the fields of electronics, information, science, aerospace and biotechnologies.

The river Isar, a tributary of the Danube, flows through the eastern part of Munich. Munich is known for its high-quality beer, which Germans are very proud of. The Munich International School and the Bavarian International School operate in Munich, both in English. The Olympic Games were held in Munich in 1972, which greatly contributed to the development of the city.

Attractive objects in Munich are: Marienplatz; Peterskirche; Cathedral of our Lady; English Garden; Promenade platz; National Theater and Bavarian State Opera. Munich abounds in numerous parks and landscaped flower gardens. Hence, it is a beautiful and clean city, pleasant to visit.

On March 31, 1979, the author signed the patent application with Leslie Pali at the Patent Office in Munich and stayed in Munich several times later, officially and privately.

LEIPZIG - EAST GERMANY

Leipzig is located in the middle of the former German Democratic Republic (GDR) and is home to the oldest fair in the world, over 825 years old. The city has about 525,000 inhabitants. During the Second World War, the city was greatly destroyed, but it was rebuilt after the war. In particular, it experienced great development after reunification with West Germany. Leipzig-Halle Airport was built in 1996. Until then, Leipzig used Berlin Airport. East Germany now has a state-of-the-art telephone system. It also has a good road network.

Leipzig is a sports city, where swimming, bowling and equestrian sports are very popular. Leipzig has a famous opera house, which operates throughout the year. Other musical performances are also cherished. Leipzig has several museums, mostly nurturing the fine arts, as well as the Ethnographic Museum, the Egyptian Museum and the museum where the fall of Napoleon in 1813 is presented.

Leipzig is a city inhabited by various nations and religions: Protestants, Catholics, Mormons, Orthodox Russians, Jews, and recently Muslims. In Leipzig schools, English is compulsory from kindergarten to ninth grade. In universities, in addition to the German language, music and various arts, as well as technical disciplines, are studied. Leipzig is a very developed industrial city.

The author stayed in Leipzig several times during 1985 and 1986, attending the Leipzig Fair. In those years, "Interservis" from Novi Sad was a significant exporter to East Germany.

It wii be continued

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