Peru has a cultural heritage of over 10,000 years proven by a great number of archaeological remains. Part of this heritage is still a puzzling enigma. This mysterious journey will make up the upcoming University Travel Club film, "Peru," which will be screened in Kingsbury Hall on the University of Utah campus Monday, Nov. 18, at 8 p.m.
Buddy Hatton, who will end his career as a traveloguer with his appearance in Kingsbury Hall, will be on hand for live narration. Film patrons will join Hatton on a trip that will include lost civilizations, jungles, antiquities, and the highest navigable lake in the world. Moving across the country, we will visit Lima, the City of Kings, founded in 1535. It became the capital to the most important vice-royalty of the new world. Its skyline is constantly changing. The greatest magnificence of the Colonial period is seen in its stately mansions and palaces with their ornate wooden balconies; church altars made of solid gold and precious gems; and convents filled with priceless works of art.Viewers will float down the meandering Amazon River in a small canoe and view its colorful fauna, flora and inhabitants. We will explore the last intact frontier of the Amazon rain forest - areas that haven't been deforested or polluted. Visit with a Yagua Indian family, once fierce head-hunters. We will witness breathtaking views of Cuzco, once the capital of the Inca civilization. It lies hidden in a valley at the height of 11,440 feet. Walls of gigantic boulders are so perfectly pieced together that how they were constructed still remains a mystery.
Machu Picchu, lost for four centuries under fern and bush, continues to baffle archaeologists. This lost Inca Empire has an intricate system of roads and water, fascinating stone architecture and a haunting presence.
Peru possesses many enigmas from the past, which in spite of the passage of time, remain an unsolved mystery. Amongst these, the famous NASCA lines with an antiquity still difficult to establish. Science fiction comes to life here. We'll see drawings cut into the ground, so vast, they can be seen only from thousands of feet above. Could UFOs have landed here? This area's first dwellers are estimated to have lived here 10,000 years ago. They built underground aqueducts that permitted them to farm in the deserts.
We'll travel by bus to Colca Canyon which is the deepest canyon in the world and lies in a remote area of Peru. Arequipa is the second largest city in Peru. It is known as "the white city" because of the many buildings constructed of white volcanic rock. Santa Catalina Convent, now open to the public after 400 years of seclusion, is a city within a city, where elite nuns had personal servants perform their daily chores while the nuns prayed.
Then we're on to Puno which is situated on the shores of the famous Lake Titicaca. It lies 12,000 feet above sea level. It has been declared the "folklore capital of South America" due to the area's variety of music, dances, and art. Join Hatton on this arm-chair journey and perhaps our exploration will provide some clues to this mysterious puzzle of the earth.
Buddy Hatton cannot remember a time he was not in show business. At an early age, he created, starred in and produced his own radio and television show in San Francisco with fellow teenager Johnny Mathis as one of his regular featured guests.
Hatton has been a record producer, a talent manager and a commercial spokesman for major U.S. corporations. He also worked in television, receiving two Percy awards as Canada's male entertainer of the year.
There was his career in radio, which is calling him full-time after this presentation in Kingsbury Hall. He will host his own radio program in San Francisco, leaving the business of travelogues to others. His love of people and excitement in discovering new places plus his professional experiences before and behind the camera will find him sorely missed in the business.
General admission tickets as well as season tickets will be sold in Kingsbury Hall, room 210, weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and again Monday beginning 90 minutes before showtime. A free shuttlebus will begin service in Rice Stadium parking lot about 7:10 p.m.