Peru 2014 - Part 6

 Wednesday August 20 Cuzco

 What a day! We went to the collectivo station to catch a bus, and a taxi driver told us he would take us to the Plaza de Armas in Cuzco for 10 soles each when he got two more people to go. He kept trying to get us to agree to pay for four people, but we told him no, we would only pay 10 soles each or we would get out and take the bus. He found another woman to ride, tried to get us to pay more, but I told him we would just take the bus, so he agreed on 10 each. Along the way we picked up someone for a while. When we got to Cuzco, he dropped us off  but - not in the Plaza and tried to charge us more. I refused, argued in Spanish when he tried to tell me our bags were heavy and so were we, so he needed more money. I got our bags and paid him what we had agreed on in Urubamba.  We walked for awhile then took a very nice taxi to a hotel I had found on the internet before we left. They didn't have a room, but told us of one two doors up. It is nice and has a soft bed.

We went walked to  The Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption of the Virgin and bought a tourist ticket to go to some if the beautiful old churches here. Unfortunately, we could not take any photos inside if them. After the first one, I started getting sick and was really disoriented. We came back to the hotel so I could medicine and rest for awhile.  After about an hour and half, I was feeling up to touring two more churches. There is ornate gold stuff everywhere. Beautiful, but gawdy gold, stolen from the Incas that probably in part stole it from other peoples. Intricate carvings, and paintings centuries years old. It is hard to imagine the amount of artists that were brought here to this little town to make these things. All drawn here for the greed of gold.
We sat on the steps of the cathedral for a while, and was interviewed by students of the chef school. It was nice to have them talk to us.

 After a good dinner on the balcony of Mariposa Restaurant, and people watching we came back to the hotel and found a movie channel in English. I feel so much better, and ready to return to Lima tomorrow.

 

Peru 2014 - Part 5

Tuesday August 19 Pisac

 I woke up with the front of my thighs sooooo sore from yesterday's hike to Moray, Las Salineras, and Ollantaytambo and all the stair stepping. Each day, I am even more proud of Natalia coming here and enduring a month of this kind of exercise and fatigue, with no hot tub of water to soak in. She was here volunteering with an organization called Pro World.

 We caught a collectivo to Pisac ($2.50) that took us through the valley, along the Urubamba river. Really a beautiful ride, with a bus stopping to let people on every little while. One lady with a sweet little baby girl tied to her back sit across from us, and that cute baby just stared and stared at us. When we got Pisac, we hired a taxi to drive us to the top of the mountain so we could walk three miles down through ancient ruins. I encountered my first squatty potty there, but it was a welcome sight! We chose the medium hike, because it was mostly downhill, and the long hike was all the was to the town. I was really hurting as it was, but didn't want to miss the ruins! So off we went down paths and steps. I kept thinking about Natalia telling me that they would have to get me out with a donkey if I fell. There are little donkeys everywhere here and  I could just imagine  being strapped over one like a sack of potatoes. I was so glad it was just me and Mark because I was going sooo slow. After we climbed the final steps, Francisco, our taxi driver was waiting for us at the mid level.  I was happy to see him.  I felt so accomplished!

Next we went to the market. It was much larger than Chinchero, but I think I liked Chinchero better. So many beautiful things, especially of alpaca. I haggled for everything, and was happy with what I got. We had lunch then took a full collectivo back to Urubamba. At first, we were going to have to stand and hang on tight, but people piled their kids on laps and made room for us to sit.  I sat next to some Australians most of the way who were making their way to Bolivia, Chile, Peru, and Argentina in 4 months. Back at the hotel, I soaked in the tub to relieve my legs of the 9 miles we walked today.
We found a little place that has hamburgers on the menu and better yet - coffee and Baileys! The coffee was a wonderful comfort from home. The burgers were probably alpaca ??? They were okay. But we met up with the Aussies again so Mark had someone to talk to in English. We do get a few TV channels in English, so we have been watching CSI and Criminal Minds.
We came back to the hotel and went to the lobby for Internet, and while Mark was trying to transfer some photos from his GoPro to his IPad, we think the camera might have erased ALL the photos from that camera from our trip so far. He is just sick over it, but we still have photos that I have taken and from his other camera. Also, I can send that card to a data recovery service and they can probably retrieve them since we haven't taken any more photos on that card. He brought more cards for that camera, so we are good.

Peru 2014 - Part 4

Monday, August 18


We asked the front desk  to call us a taxi to go to Moray and Las Salineras. The taxi has to wait for you at each place, so I knew it would be more expensive. The taxi driver the day before had offered to take us there for 140 soles, but she gave me a price of 150 - and it was WELL worth it to get Ferdinand, who as it turns out is not only a taxi driver but a knowledgeable guide that spoke English, so Mark finally had someone to speak with. His grandfather lived here in this area for 114 years, and told him many stories that had been passed down from generations. With his accent, he reminded me so much of my Peruvian friend William. He didn't just wait for us like the other taxi would have.
Moray was an agricultural experiment station of the Incas. The genius  that  went into this was incredible. There they figured out an irrigation and terrace system that supported growth of plants from all over. Some plants that only grow in the jungle, and some that only grow on the coast were found in this place. After the Spanish conquered and enslaved the Incans, they forced them to work this area without rest because it was so abundant in produce. Finally the Incans cut the irrigation system somehow, forcing the growth to stop, freeing themselves from enslavement....in that way. So many steps for these short legs! But I wouldn't have missed it for anything. I was really huffing and puffing on the way back up, but  I made it
.Moray and Las Salineras. The taxi has to wait for you at each place, so I knew it would be more expensive. The taxi driver the day before had offered to take us there for 140 soles, but she gave me a price of 150 - and it was WELL worth it to get Ferdinand, who as it turns out is not only a taxi driver but a knowledgeable guide that spoke English, so Mark finally had someone to speak with. His grandfather lived here in this area for 114 years, and told him many stories that had been passed down from generations. With his accent, he reminded me so much of my Peruvian friend William. He didn't just wait for us like the other taxi would have.
We went through the town of Maras to get to Moray. He pointed out the emblem in some of the ancient doorways. Ferninand told us that the Spaniards made everyone put a lamb as a symbol of Christ on their door. The people also put sun rays behind the lamb to represent their own sun gods. In this way they could worship and remember their own religion while appeasing the Spaniards.

The Sacrificial pit at Moray

 Las Salineras is a unique area of ponds that the pre Incan people figured out how to cultivate salt from a little warm and salty stream. I tasted the water and it is very salty, but not like sea salt. We went down more steps and quite a ways into the salt ponds on 4-6 inch walking paths between the ponds. I was feeling pretty shaky in my legs so I let Mark go on a little farther with Ferdinand. Tons of photos later, we climbed back to the top. We watched people work their ponds. They are handed down from generation to generation. In the dry season each pond produces about 130 lbs every 3-4 days. It is famous for " pink" salt, which is the middle layer and has more minerals.

 Then we caught our breath, refilled our water and caught a collectivo to Ollataytambo. We sat down for lunch and marveled at the ruins in the mountains around us....knowing there was no way I could hike up there. But just as we decided that it was a no-go, we walked to the other side of town, and there was MORE ruins, with lower levels of terraces, building, and irrigation systems.

Water flows through Ollataytambo in several places. The ruins were really cool, but I made sure not to completely exhaust my legs.  As we were leaving, dozens of tourist buses were coming into town with hundreds of tourists. This is the town where people take the train to Machu Picchu, so it is very different than Urubamba, with trendy coffee shops, dozens of pizzerias, and lots of artisan shops. I am happy we stayed in Urubamba. Oh- the cost to go the 30 miles on a collectivo - $1 each way for both of us!! That made up for paying more for the taxi/tour guide.

Peru 2014 - Part 3

August 17

 I was up early - no surprise, I am still on Zeba pee time...and the rooster started at 5:00. I am rested and ready to start our new day of Amazing. No race, just amazing as the sun rises over these beautiful montañas.






We grabbed a taxi to Chinchero, about 40 miles away. Cost- $ 14. Chinchero is lesser known, with less tourists, and is really cool. We saw some steps and just kept walking. We had no idea how far the ancient Incan stone work terraces went. Local women and men in traditional clothing -not for tourists- came from all over. Some with sheep, to buy goods, some just coming for Mass. Many were bringing flowers to the church -not sure about that tradition, I'll have to look it up. I watched little elderly people with their canes make their way up steep steps to the church, and thought they must REALLY want to come worship. WE did not go inside the church because there was mass going on. Sunday is also market day there. We walked through the market area with lots of artisans selling stuff, and others just selling regular market day things like vegetables. The market was not so crowded, and the venders not so pushy. I only had one little boy shadow me trying to sell me keychains. We also went to some of the stores that are there all the time. I could have dropped some serious money on some alpaca items, but I didn't take a lot with me and wanted to be sure I had enough to get back to Urubamba, and they were things I didn't really need..... But oh so pretty. The good thing is I have an idea about what things cost now. I did buy some things, and we are going to the big market in Pisac on Tuesday.

We came back to Urubamba and had lunch at Tomy's Polloeria - a roasted chicken and pizza place. The food was really good. After that we walked around for a bit, then decided to wait till Monday to go to the next adventure. My feet were really hurting, and I was exhausted. We walked 8 miles today, 60 flights of stairs according to Mark's pedometer.
After a rest and a hot bath, we headed back downtown and sat and people watched. There are people here from all over the world. A young guy with dread locks was teaching a group of kids how to juggle. There were incredibly cute. We came back to the hotel and after a nice cup of mate de coca, we are ready to crash...at 8:00.

Peru 2014 - Part 2

August 16

The bus ride was long! Twenty one hours from Lima to Cuzco. The seats laid back, and we slept a lot, but it was uncomfortable on the hips at times.  Other times it felt like being in a fish bowl seat belted to a roller coaster. By midnight, we had decided that we could mark taking a bus through Peru off our "bucket list". But when the sun came up and the mountains were illuminated it was a beautiful ride. Mountains with cows, sheep, pigs, and crops were a beautiful sight for me. No llamas or alpacas to be seen. Mark says no more long bus rides, but now that it is over, I have to say, I'd do it again....maybe...

 From the bus station we took a taxi to the Plaza de Armas in Cuzco, straight to the McDonalds for some comfort food for Mark.  I did ask him to follow me to a foreign country, where he could not speak or understand the language, so the least I could do was buy him a burger. We had quarter pounders and fries with wifi so I could let Giancarlo know we were safe and sound.
Then it became like a scene from the Amazing Race trying to find the right place to take a " collectivo" , mini van to Urubamba. The altitude was kicking my butt, and I as having a hard time understanding directions completely. I felt like we were being sent on wild goose chases. Finally we found the tourist center and they marked on a map where to go, so a taxi took us right there. With a full van of people we went to Urubamba, the town Natalia lived in, about an hour away. We almost missed it, thinking the bus would stop at a terminal, but it didn't. We got off and asked the price - $5 for both of us.

We happened to stop at  a nice hotel for $70. At this point, I think Mark was ready to rest and the Hotel Mabey, was maybe the best place to do it. We had a wonderful shower and tub with hot water, and a firm bed. I am wondering that if my Peruvian friends visit me, will they think our beds and furniture is old and worn out because it is soft? So far, all furniture I have encountered here is pretty firm.

Chess sets with Spaniards and Incas

We took a mototaxi to eat at Pizza Wasi, recommended by Natalia. It was awesome. Brick oven pizza and my first Pisco Sour (the national cocktail) in Peru. Then we walked around this nice little town. Just like N said, it is calm and safe. We felt happy that she had lived here, but realized that she was really brave to come here alone. She could have called and asked to come home, but she didn't.