UB Around the Globe: A Ruin With a View
Category: Alumni
Rodrigo Figueroa high above Machu Picchu
Living in Baltimore’s historic Fells Point neighborhood, says Rodrigo Figueroa, B.A. ’13, is “like going back in time.” But he and his wife, Isabel Bedoya, journeyed even further into the past in summer 2013 when they visited the ancient city of Machu Picchu in Peru. The ruins at Machu Picchu (the name means “old peak” in the indigenous Quechua language) date from the mid-1400s; scholars believe the site was both a royal residence and a religious sanctuary.
“Seeing those first sun rays light up the city is amazing,” says Figueroa of the couple’s early-morning outing to the terraced hillside. Then the pair ascended Huayna Picchu (“young peak”), the tallest of the forested Andean mountains that anchor the site.
Hiking to an elevation of 9,000-plus feet is “no joke,” Figueroa says. “It’s a tough climb, and there’s a tunnel at the end that you have to go through to get to the very top.” But Figueroa says the views from the summit were one of the highlights of their five-week trip, which included spending time with Figueroa’s Peruvian family in Lima, eating local delicacies cuy (guinea pig) and llama and visiting Lake Titicaca.
This summer, the couple’s travel plans include Italy and the Greek isles. And after having his Baltimore apparel recognized in Barcelona, Spain, among other locations, Figueroa says, “I encourage people to travel in the name of UB.”
Have you traveled around the nation or abroad recently and snapped a photo of yourself proudly sporting your UB gear? Send your photos to the UB Office of Alumni Relations, 1130 N. Charles St., Baltimore, MD 21201 or to alumni@ubalt.edu. (And next time you head on vacation, don’t forget to wear your UB apparel.)
