The flight over the Andes was just beautiful. We were crunched like sardines into a tin can in the airplane, but I had a window seat again. At first we were set to be in vastly different rows so when we checked in I put on my pleading face and asked if we could 'pretty please' be together - and that a window seat would be just lovely. And we got it....so no complaints at all. There was not much snow at all on the mountains, but what was there, was beautiful! There are little towns dotted in totally impossible places all across the mountains and my camera just would not stop clicking away, trying to zoom in really close to try and figure out just why people would live up there. We found out later that there is actually a road from Cusco to Lima but that its very steep, curvy and takes at least 20 hours to drive it....... no Frank! The motorhome is NOT going here.....just imagine what Blondie would do to us.
Anyway, it was only an hour flight to Cusco and really strange to drop down low inbetween the mountains well ahead of any site of houses or landing strip. We were quickly met by..... oh heck, his name has left me..... and taken to our hotel where we were quite happy to lay down for an hour or two. We found ourselves both totally exhausted by the thin air way up here at around 11000 feet in the sky. After a good cups of coca tea that they say helps with altitude issues, we headed out to see what there is to see........ Oh boy. This is lovely. The road that the hotel is in, is very narrow. Only one car fits between the sidewalks and the walkers are wise to turn sideways when the cars pass by......and they keep on coming! There are the most delightful little shops and stores and resturants all along this road - with beautifully colored cloth and clothes, caps and so many other hand made crafts. We were almost literally pulled in to some of these stores as we walked along, the owners trying to sell as much as they can. Now we have learned a very difficult thing for us to do...... no eye contact at all! If you make eye contact, you might as well get your purse out. And on we walked to the main square which is only a few blocks away.. We walked slowly, breathing heavily and swearing to exercise more once we get home again.... many stops were made to admire something or other - even clouds, at times, just so we could catch our breath.
The town square of most places we have been is the main hub of beautiful and majestic buildings and this time was no different at all. The presence of security guys is great here too and this time they all had pepper spray and some other goodies too as there was a gathering or protest on the opposite side of the square. It was not rowdy or anything, just a lot of people with banners and things and loud chanting. We walked past them trying to figure it out, but never did. Up and down a good few more roads, in and out of many more shops, even into a money exchange to get some souls - no no, not that type! The currency is 'soul', pronounced so-ool. 3 souls to a dollar. I dont think we bought anything that first day here and soon headed very out of breath and feeling a tad tender, back to the hotel. On the way, we saw a resturant that looked good and inviting and we shared a lasagne and three scoop icecream - simply delicious. We were laughed at as we shared the meal, but hey, thats all we wanted. Then back to the hotel for another much needed rest before the afternoon city tour.
The first thing we noticed on coming outside again was the smog...... almost all the cars belch out a blue haze of differing deepness and it swirls behind them only to be chased away by the next blue cloud...and on and on. Our throats literally burn from this and I am almost willing to find a mask to wear, but I dont think they have them here. And so the afternoon Cusco City Tour started with us being called out to the bus that waited in this single lane, holding up all the traffic for us. We jumped onto the bus only hearing "meester fwank? go dis way!", and off we trundled once again to the square we had walked to earlier. Here we were to be sent to the English group of about 18 altogether, led by a short and very straight guide. Someone complained about the size of the group and he promptly said that he was not the complaints department - just our guide. He firmly said that he was not in charge of any arrangements we had made as to which tour we joined, any tickets that we should have or anything other than guiding us along a pre-determined route. There was a short but absolute silence, then two people walked to the 'complaints dept' who stood with big eyes three feet away and the rest of us clapped. Maybe mean, but the complainers were not nice in the way they spoke to him.
By now both of us felts as if we could just go beck to the hotel and go to sleep - easily, but we wanted to see all the things there were to see - so we stayed on the bus. We went through a few other churchs and its sad that one can only see so many churches before the upper case 'oooh' wears off to be replaced by simple awe. They were really lovely and its sad to see just how much has been destroyed by fires, earthquakes and humans. In many cases, the churches have been repaired, but not to their full glory. Any church with paintings in it, forbids photographs, with or without a flash and my finger gets a swerious case of the itches all the time we are there.
We went to the main Cathedral in the square, to the Koricanchs (site of gold) and four of the ruins that surround the city. The Koricancha has been stripped of all its glorious gold and silver, but some of the hand carved ceilings remain and many of the huge paintings have been restored and still hang all over the place. It was interesting to see how the original walls and buildings were constructed and the huge stones they used are just mind bending in size. They all fit together without anything other than a good fit and lots of polishing. Then off we went, in much of a daze by now, to Sacsayhuaman - pronounced 'sexy woman'... seriously. Its got nothing to do with a woman though, but everything to do with a puma and ruins and a gazillion steps and the most amazing stone work. This is all set in a huge, huge gently undulating field that overlooks the town of Cusco. In the middle of this field were a team of about 8 young boys in incredibly colored clothing with very strange and beautiful instruments playing the most amazing music... Camera finger went into multispasms as I tried to capture all their expressions as they entertained us with not only the music, but beautiful smiles and mischieviously twinkling eyes... and then they came crowding around with their hats ready for the tips we were all only too happy to part with. It was simply beautiful.
And then there was another set of steps that from the top, delivered a tremendous view... with an already pounding heart and shaky legs, I left Frank on an ancient yet comfortable rock below and crawled my way upwards...yes, the view was worth it....... definitely. I found another way off that hill that did not involve steps and met up with Frank at the bus again. We went to a few other places, but sadly I have to admit that my enthusiasm was buried in a pillow back at the hotel by now. I did go with the group to see what I thought they said was a waterfall - you know me and waterfalls, just cant pass them up.... but it was not quite what I thought and I swear I almost know what a heart attack feels like! I was determined though, especially when the kind gentleman in front of me hung back and walked all the way to the top with me, pretending to huff and puff just as heavily as I did. On second thoughts - maybe he needed a reason to slow down :) The top delivered another amazing ruin with still flowing ever clear water, but in three tiny strands. If you wanted twins, you drank from the first trickle...... pass! If you wanted to live forever, drink from the second trickle - pass again - I just was not interested in that at all right then. The third trickle had another promise that I dont even remember and the big pool delivered all three promises. I walked back down that mountain with a dry mouth - not taking any risks at all!
By the time we got back to the hotel, we were both ......well, sick. The tour lasted almost two hours longer than it should have because people kept wandering off from the guide, getting lost, getting sick and generally creating a lot of waiting time. I think its a combination of being very tired after everything we have done this trip, the altitude and the heavy thick blue fumes from the cars everywhere, but last night was no fun at all. We huddled shivering under a heavy down duvet and other blankets, with the heater on as high as it would go, visiting the bathroom for all the wrong reasons way too many times.
But.......this morning we both felt up to todays tour of the Sacred Valley of the Incas.... and it was glorious. Our tour guide, Updon, was fantastic and the driver, Louis, did a better job than I could imagine in this traffic.. just how he stayed so cool and collected is beyond me. And so the day started with a gentle drive of about 45 minutes to the Fortress of Ollantaytambo. Oh this place is really something else. Everytime you blink you see some more steps and then some more even higher up. Franks mouth fell open in protest and he did go up with us the first 30 steps or so, but was not going to make it any further. I was happier that he went back down, found some shade and another soft rock to enjoy the view from. I, of course, being just plain damn stubborn went all the way to the top. Some steps are nice and low while others are as deep as your knee is high - boy those are the tough ones! But with the gentle and slow climbing of Updon and the many stops along the way, I was treated to a simply amazing experience. The steps we were climbing on were inbetween the many terraces that were used to grow crops on many years past. And then we walked across the top of all this to the temple which was built with absolutely enormous stones brought in from a quarry seven miles away over the river and way up on another mountain! I have never been one much for history - flunked it badly in school - but this sort of got my mouth hanging open in awe and wanting to know more. Huge stones were carved out for ceremonial chairs and .....well, it was sort of overwhelming to see this place from up here.. the views were totally perfect and beautiful and the number of years and the amount of work put into this temple of the sun was just incredible and it just went on an on!
We could see Frank laying back on a rock waaay below - he later said that the rock was perfectly made for him and was totally comfortable. We saw him taking a good many pics and a really quick scan of them tells me that he is starting to get like me! No wonder we have close to 15000 photos already....
And then off to a true Peruvian lunch which was delicious and then off to the market. I just love driving around here - the roads are all narrow and winding and most of them built with the stones of the mountains and the adobe style houses are everywhere, often dotted with the original Inca buildings that are still being used. All of the original houses built in Ollantaytambo are still being lived in! Some of them needed repair, but the original layout of the rooms is still there - I find its awesome that they are all still being used. Anyway.. the drive through the little towns is just fascinating - the color of the clothing, the brightly painted doors, the kids playing in the roads and life just as if should be. I really like all this natural living without all the 'be carefuls' or potential lawsuits laying around. I know it always looks better from the outside, and I am sure I would not enjoy living here full time.
The market was just amazing - again, the colors, the different things, the materials and everything........... we did not have enough time to wander around there at all, but did manage to spend some money and have a wonderful time.. One of the places in the market had cooked guinea pig, which we politely declined, and we got to see another part of the original old town - and there was the most rediculous chicken and a house full of live guinea pigs just waiting to become dinner! They were all cute and the lady of the house gave me some grass looking stuff to feed them... I did silently apologize to them as I ripened them for the waiting pot. I could have spent hours at that market, mostly just looking around at the incredible stuff for sale.
And then we headed home, with just one more stop along the way at a place with Llamas and others.... they were all pretty and interesting but it was time to come home again with our many packages, happy memories of totally amazing places and a good many photos again. Today we were at an altitude about 2000 feet lower than the hotel we are in, and we could definitely feel the difference as we headed back up the hill. So now we are being two lazies again, Frank has been asleep for a good few hours already and I tired myself out just going down stairs for the beers!
Tomorrow is Friday, our last full day here and we have a 5am wake up call so that we can go to Macchu Picchu which is in the middle of the cloud foret overlooking the Urubamba River (find it mom!). Its about a 30 minute drive to the Poroy train station, then a 3 hour train ride through these incredible mountains and I just know another gazillion steps wait just for us! I will go to the top. I will.
It's been a really good day - thanks largely to Updon and Louis who were really great! After we got back into our room, the phone rang and Updon had come back because I had left one of my market buys in the car! That was really special.
And now, off to bed - its going to be a looooooong and wonderful day again tomorrow - at an even lower elevation. I am already practising my slow and even breathing for those many many steps...... I will make it!
Love and light
especially U3
Annie and Frank.
No comments:
Post a Comment